The other day, I received a call at home.
“Hello?”
“Hi?”
“Yes?”
“Er…”
“Whom do you want to speak to?”
“Nabila?”
“Sorry, she’s gone out.”
“Er…”
“Would you like to leave a message
for her?”
“No. Can she call back?”
“Yes. May I know who is calling?”
“Shweta*.”
“All right, Shweta, I’ll ask her to… ”
* click *
Do’s and Don’ts
This is a bad telephone conversation. Shweta did not want to give me any information and she cut the call before I had finished talking. Keep your conversation simple, polite and to-the-point.
A few guidelines
Talk in a pleasant, clear tone.
Avoid breathing loudly, chewing, or grunting or making sounds like “Er”, “Ah”, “Hmmm” and so on.
Always greet the other person. A “Hello” or “Hi” works well.
If you know the person, ask, “How are you?” before you rush headlong into the conversation; unless it is an emergency and you need to get to the point immediately.
Identify yourself. Not every phone has a caller ID, and sometimes, even a good friend may not be able to recognise your voice right away.
If the person you want to speak to is not around, either leave a message or a request for the call to be returned.
If you reach an answering machine, don’t hang up without leaving a message.
Call at appropriate times. Everyone may not be awake and chirpy at 5.30 a.m. like you, Sunshine. Or be up for a chat at 11.00 p.m.
Keep a pen and a notepad handy to take down messages.
Be polite while requesting information.
Do not entertain blank/prank calls. If you feel the other person is asking inappropriate questions, inform your parents immediately.
*Shweta’s name has been changed to save her embarrassment.
Illustration: Vishnupriya Suresh