Telephone Etiquette (extra)

Telephone etiquette refers to a set of rules that apply when people make calls to others or when they are receiving a phone call. There are slightly different rules for a variety of situations. and making and receiving personal calls is not the same as making/receiving business calls. Within this set of rules, there can be additional differences, especially for business calls where companies may want callers or receivers to say certain things.

For personal calls, the caller should identify him/herself when not recognized right away. When calling a friend or relative, for instance, after the initial “Hello,” the caller should come up with a greeting and identification, such as “Hello, this is John.” Sometimes, a last name is needed if the person being called is an acquaintance or a business representative. 

Etiquette says that next should come a request for something, such as speaking to someone else in the house. Variations exist on this, like “May I speak to Horatio,” or “Is Horatio available?” If Horatio is not available, it may be necessary to leave a brief message, but it should be one easy to write down. Sometimes, the only thing necessary is to leave a phone number.