Phone Conversation: Popular Phrases For Telephone Conversations

 

Telephone Conversation! Speaking on the telephone can be an intimidating thing, especially when you are not doing it in your first language. There are many different tones which may be used during a telephone call and depending on to whom you are speaking with, will depend on the type of voice you use. Whatever the conversation, there is a certain telephone etiquette which should be observed and in this article, we have put together some of the most commonly used phrases which are used during a telephone conversation.

How to Make a Telephone Conversation

Answering The Phone

When the phone rings and you are poised and ready to answer, you must first decipher whether to answer in a formal or informal way. Usually, if you are simply speaking to a friend or relative, you will use an informal tone by using phrases such as;

• Hi
• Hello
• Hey
• How’s it going?

However, for times when you are in the workplace or another professional situation, you would opt for a more formal way of speaking and might answer the call in one of the following ways;

• Good morning/afternoon (name) John speaking. How can I help you?
• Good day, this is John speaking.
• How may I be of assistance today?

Introducing Yourself

Once the call is connected, you will want to introduce yourself to the person on the other end of the line. Here are some things you can say.

• My name is…… (formal and informal)
• Allow me to introduce myself. (formal)
• It’s John speaking. (informal)

Asking To Speak To Someone

If you require speaking to a specific person, you will need to request that they are put on the line. You can do this by using one of the following phrases.

• May I speak with John(formal)
• Is John there? (informal)
• Would Mr. Johnson be available to take my call? (formal)

Connecting Someone

If you are being asked to connect a caller to someone else on the telephone network, for example in the workplace, you might say something along the lines of;

• Please hold the line, I will put you through. (formal)
• I will connect you right away (formal)
• Let me see if they are available (formal and informal)
• Yes, I’ll just get him. (informal)

Explaining Absense

If someone has called requesting to speak to someone who is not available, you will need to explain this to the caller by using one of these phrases.

• I’m afraid he is not here right now. (formal)
• He’s not in. (informal)
• Mr. Johnson cannot take calls at the moment, can I take a message? (formal)

Taking A Message

You may be required to take a message which you will pass onto the person who the call was intended for, in this case, you might use one of the following phrases.

• Would you like to leave a message? (formal)
• Do you want me to tell him you rang? (informal)
• If you leave a message, I will ensure he receives it. (formal)

Confirming Information

Sometimes, you may not quite hear what someone says and will require them to confirm it, or maybe you need to confirm something to double check that the information was correct. You can do this by saying any of the following.

• Can I read that information back to you? (formal and informal)
• Could you confirm that information please? (formal)
• Can I ask you to repeat that, please? (formal)

Finishing Your Call

Once the telephone conversation is finished, you will want to bid the caller farewell and this can be done by saying something along the lines of the following.

• It was lovely to talk to you. (informal)
• It was my pleasure to speak with you. (formal)
• Thank you for your call. (formal)

English Telephone Phrases

We are now going to take a look at some phrases which might be commonly heard during a telephone conversation in the English language.

General Phrases

Here are some common phrases that you are likely to hear during a phone call.

• Would you mind holding for a moment, please?
• Might I ask who is calling?
• How are you doing today?
• I am just calling to confirm…..
• There is a problem with the line.
• Can you call back later, please?

Problems And Asking For Assistance

If you have a problem and are calling someone for help, you might use one of the following phrases.

• I was wondering if you might be able to help me.
• I am having a problem with my….and I need some help.
• Would you be able to advise me on……
• Is there someone who can help me with…..

Answering Machines And Voicemail

It is not uncommon to get through to the voicemail of someone you are trying to get hold of, in this case, you will need to understand some of the phrases that you are likely to hear.

• You have reached the voicemail of Mr. Johnson, please leave a message.
• Once you have finished recording, you can hang up.
• Press 1 to leave a message or press 2 to be transferred to another department.
• Please leave your message after the tone.
• Hi, you are through to my voicemail, please leave a message and I will return you call as soon as possible.

Telephone Conversation Examples

We are now going to take a look at some examples of telephone conversations in both a formal and informal situation. This is designed to give you a clearer understanding of how these conversations function in day to day life.

The first example that we are going to see is a telephone conversation which is taking place between a person in their place of work and someone who has called up to speak to the top boss.

• Receptionist: “Good morning, High tech industries, Emily speaking. How may I help you?”
• Client: “Good day to you, I am calling to speak with Mr. Johnson.”
• Receptionist: “I am afraid that Mr. Johnson is in a meeting all morning, can I ask who is calling please?”
• Client: “This is Mr. Williams, a client with whom he has been dealing.”
• Receptionist: “Thank you, Mr. Williams, would you like to leave a message?”
• Client: “No, thank you. Could you please have him return my call at his earlier convenience.”
• Receptionist: “Of course, that won’t be a problem. Was there anything else I could help you with, Sir?”
• Client: “That will be all, thank you for your time.”
• Receptionist: “The pleasure is all mine. Good day, Sir.”

The next telephone conversation is in an informal tone and is taking place between two friends arranging to meet with each other.

• Person 1: “Hey John!”
• Person 2: “Hey, how’s it going?”
• Person 1: “Great. I was just calling to see if you wanted to meet up this weekend?”
• Person 2: “Yeah, I’d love to. Where were you thinking?”
• Person 1: “I thought we could go to that bar we like.”
• Person 2: “OK, I’ll meet you there at 8 pm on Friday. Did you need anything else while I’ve got you on the line?”
• Person 1: “No, nothing else, I’ll see you on Friday.”
• Person 2: “Catch you later, good to talk to you.”
• Person 1: “Bye.”

Telephone Conversation Infographic

Common English Phrases For Telephone Conversations

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Some Telephone Conversations