1

MODUL PERKULIAHAN

English for
Management I
Telephoning 2 (Polite and
Impolite Expressions for
Telephoning)

Abstract
Petunjuk Penggunaan Template
Modul Standar untuk digunakan
dalam modul perkuliahan
Universitas Mercu Buana
Kompetensi
Dosen Pengampu dapat menerapkan
dan menggunakan template modul
standar untuk modul-modul yang akan
dipergunakannya

Fakultas Program Studi Tatap Muka Kode MK Disusun Oleh

11
Ekonomi ndan Bisnis Manajemen MK10230 Ahmad Lutfi
Basics
Telephone Phrases

Answering the phone (informal)

 Hello. Matt here. (caller unknown)

 Hi, Jody. How are you?

 Hey, Justin. What's up?

Answering the phone (formal)

 Hello? Serena speaking. (caller unknown)

 John Sayles speaking. Who's calling, please? (caller unknown)

 Doctor Martin's office. May I know who's calling, please? (caller unknown)

 Thank you for calling Jeans Plus. Jody speaking.

 Hello Maria. Nice to hear from you.

 Hello Dr Jones. How can I help you?

 City Library. Kim speaking. What can I do for you, Robert?

Introducing yourself

 Hey George. It's Lisa calling. (informal)

 Hello, this is Julie Madison calling.

 Hi. It's Angelina from the dentist's office here. (informal)

 Hello Sayoko. This is Alan calling from Big Boyz Autobody.

Asking to speak with someone

 Hi. Is Nina there? (informal)

 Can you put Michael on? (informal)

 Can I talk to Josef? Tell him Marilyn's calling. (informal)

2021 English for Management

2 Ahmad Lutfi
Biro Bahan Ajar eLearning dan MKCU
http://pbael.mercubuana.ac.id/
  May I speak to Mr. Green in the accounting department, please?

 Good morning. Is Dr Martin available, please?

Connecting someone

 Just a sec. I'll get him. (informal)

 Hang on a moment. I'll see if she's in. (informal)

 One moment please. I'll see if he's available.

 Hold the line please. I'll put you through in a moment.

 Please hold while I put you through to the manager's office.

 All of our staff are busy at this time. Please hold for the next available person.

Making a request

 Could you please repeat that?

 Would you mind spelling that for me?

 Could you speak up a little, please?

 Can you speak a little slower, please. My English isn't very good, I'm afraid.

 Could you let me know when she'll be in the office, please?

 Would you mind calling back in an hour? I'm in a meeting just now.

 Can you call again? I think we have a bad connection.

 Please hold for just a minute. I have another call.

 Please don't call this number again.

Taking a message

 Can I take a message?

 Would you like to leave a message?

 Sammy's not in. I can tell him you called if you like. (informal)

 No, that's okay. I'll call him later. (informal)

 I'm sorry, but Lisa's not here at the moment. Can I take a message?

2021 English for Management

3 Ahmad Lutfi
Biro Bahan Ajar eLearning dan MKCU
http://pbael.mercubuana.ac.id/
  I'm afraid he's stepped out. Would you like to leave a message?

 She's busy right now. Would you like her to return your call?

 He's in a meeting at the moment. Can he call you back when he's free?

 Fine. I'll let him know you called.

 I'll make sure she gets your message.

Things to do to make your call polite/ formal include:

1. Be careful with intonation and stress so that you sound interested, open and
friendly when you say “Hello?” etc
2. Use formal opening greetings (“Good morning/ afternoon/ evening”) both
when you are the receiver (“Good morning. ABC Limited…”) and when you
are the caller (“Good morning. May I speak with…?”)
3. Give information about who you are when you answer the phone (“Good
morning. ABC Limited. Trucks Division. HR Department. Alex Case speaking.
How can I help you?”)
4. Offer help at the end of the phrase when you answer the phone (“Good
morning. ABC Limited. Alex Case speaking. How may I help you?/ How can I
help you?/ How may I be of assistance?”)
5. Answer the phone the normal way even when you know who the other person
is because their name came up on your screen (not “Hello, Mr Case. How can
I help you?”, which seems too sudden for a formal call)
6. Use your full name when you talk about yourself (“This is Alex Case from ABC
Limited”, “My name is Alex Case. I’m calling from ABC Limited”, etc)
7. Use the other person’s title and family name to address them (“Good morning,
Mr Case. How may I help you?”)
8. Repeat back the other person’s name when you find out who they are (“Good
morning, Mr Case. How may I help you today?”)
9. Thank the other person if there is something special that you can thank them
for (“Thanks for your message”, “Thank you for getting back to me so quickly”,
etc)
10. Apologise if you are phoning early, late, many times, long after they left you a
message, from somewhere noisy, after a phone call that was cut short, etc

2021 English for Management

4 Ahmad Lutfi
Biro Bahan Ajar eLearning dan MKCU
http://pbael.mercubuana.ac.id/
 (“I’m sorry to trouble you again but…”, “I’m sorry to call so early in the
morning”, etc)

11. Use “may” or “could” and avoid “you” in requests to speak to someone (“Could
I speak to…?”, “May I speak with…?”)
12. Start negative answers with giving bad news phrases (“I’m afraid…”, “I’m
sorry, but…” or possibly “Unfortunately,…”)
13. Give detailed reasons for negative answers (“I’m afraid he’s abroad on a
business trip all week”)
14. Use “Of course” or maybe “Certainly” for positive answers to requests (“Of
course. Does he have your number?”)
15. Use “Yes, please” for positive responses to offers (“Yes, please. Could you
tell him that I…?”, etc)
16. Use “No,…, thanks” for negative answers to offers (“No, that’s okay, thanks.
I’ll just call again later”, “No, that’s all for now, thanks”, etc)
17. Give soft answers to “Does she have your number?” like “I think so, but shall I
give it to you just in case?” and “I’m pretty sure she does”
18. Give a reason if you don’t want to leave a message (“No, that’s okay, thanks.
I’ll just phone again later”, “Actually, it’s quite urgent. Is there anyone else who
could help me?”, etc)

19. Mainly use “Just a moment” to ask people to wait

20. Say “Please hold (the line)” or “I’m putting you on hold” if you will use the
“hold” button (and so the caller might hear music)
21. Use someone’s name to check if they are still there after holding the line (“Mr
Jones?”)
22. If the other person should speak next after the wait (for example to dictate a
message), say “(Okay). Please go ahead”
23. Say “Sorry to keep you waiting” or “Sorry to have kept you waiting” if they
have waited for a long time

24. Apologise if you need to check something (“Sorry, I couldn’t quite catch…”,
etc)
25. Use requests language for checking/ clarifying questions (“Sorry, could you
spell your family name for me?”)
5 English for Management
2021 Biro Bahan Ajar eLearning dan MKCU
Ahmad Lutfi http://pbael.mercubuana.ac.id/
 26. Use language like “a little” and “just” to make requests seems small (“Sorry,
could you say that again a little more slowly?”, “Sorry, could you say the last
part just one more time?”, etc)
27. Reply to “Can I check that back?”/ “Can I read that back to check?” with “(Of
course). Please go ahead”
28. Use “actually” to correct anything that they’ve got wrong (“Actually, it’s K, not
C”, etc)
29. Use indirect questions/ embedded questions to ask for information (“Could I
ask wh…?”, “I’d like to know if…”, etc)
30. For special requests like asking for someone’s mobile number, use more
polite requests language like “Could I possibly…?”
31. Use giving bad news language to report problems and complaints
(“Unfortunately, … doesn’t seem to be working”, etc)
32. Use long polite words to make arrangements (“if you are available”, “if that is
convenient with you”, etc)
33. Make the ending smoother and longer by checking that they are finished
(“Can I help you with anything else?”, “Is there anything else that I can help
you with?”, etc)

33. Make the ending smoother and longer by giving reasons for ending (“So, I
think that is all for now, thanks”, etc)
34. Use transitions phrases to move between different parts of the call (“Well,…”,
“So,…”, “Okay,…”, etc)
35. Finish taking messages by reassuring them that the message that they have
left will get to the right person (“I’ll make sure that she gets your message”, “I’ll
pass your message onto him. I’m sure he will get back to you soon”)
36. At the end of longer discussions, end by saying something nice about the
conversation, give a reason for ending, and mention future contact (“Well, that
was very useful, but I have a meeting in ten minutes, so I’ll email you for more
details later today”, etc)
37. Use “actually” or apologise if you haven’t finished when they check if you have
finished or not (“Actually, there was just one more thing”, “Sorry, before you
go, could I also check…?”)

2021 English for Management

6 Ahmad Lutfi
Biro Bahan Ajar eLearning dan MKCU
http://pbael.mercubuana.ac.id/
 38. Offer more help if they might need it (“If you need any further information,
please do not hesitate to call again”, etc)
39. Make a positive mention of any future contact (“I look forward to your email”, “I
look forward to doing business with you again soon”, etc)
40. Thank the other person at the end of the call (“Thank you for calling”, “Thank
you for all your help”, “Thanks again for letting us know”, “Thanks for your
understanding”, etc)
41. Apologise again if there is nothing to thank you for (“I’m sorry that I couldn’t be
more help”, “Once again, please accept our apologies for any inconvenience
caused”, etc)
42. Use “Thanks anyway” to finish a very short call when they weren’t able to help
you at all (“I’m really sorry. We don’t stock those kinds of products anymore”
“Oh, okay. No problem. Thanks anyway”)
43. Close with “Goodbye”

Things not to do when trying to be polite on the phone in business calls

etc include:

1. Don’t answer the phone with “Yes?”

2. Don’t answer the phone with just your name
3. Don’t answer the phone with things translated from other languages like
“Speak to me”
4. Don’t answer your work phone with “Hello?” (which is for answering your
home phone)
5. Don’t use the other person’s first name (as you would in a casual call, so not
“Hi Alex”, and not “Good morning Alex Case” X)
6. Don’t answer the phone with the other person’s name (as you might with “Hi
John, how’s it going?” if their name comes up on your screen in a friendlier
situation) unless it is a scheduled teleconference or shortly after another call
7. Don’t refer to yourself with just your family name (so not “Good morning. ABC
Limited. Case speaking. How may I help you?” X)
8. Don’t use your title when you talk about yourself (so not “This is Mr Case” X or
“This is Mr Alex Case” X)

2021 English for Management

7 Ahmad Lutfi
Biro Bahan Ajar eLearning dan MKCU
http://pbael.mercubuana.ac.id/
 9. Don’t ask for their name before you need to know it, and definitely not
straightaway (so not “Good morning. ABC Limited. Alex Case speaking.
Who’s calling, please?” X)
10. Don’t give your name when they probably don’t need it (as they might be
embarrassed when they have to ask you to repeat it later, so not “Good
morning. My name is Alex Case. I’d like to ask about train times to…” X)
11. Don’t use direct questions to ask for names (so not “Who are you?” X, “What’s
your name?”, “Are you John?”, etc)
12. Don’t thank the caller vaguely when there is no special need to (so not “Good
morning Mr Smith. Thank you for calling” X or “Thank you for your support
always” X)
13. Don’t ask casual small talk questions in formal situations (so no “How’s it
going?”, “How are you doing?”, etc, as you would with friends)
14. Usually don’t ask any small talk questions in formal calls
15. Don’t make insincere apologies about things which you can’t know are true
(so not “Sorry to interrupt you”, “Sorry to disturb you”, etc)
16. Don’t use the more casual “ring” instead of “call” (so not “I’m ringing about…”)
17. Don’t usually use forceful phrases to ask to speak to someone (so not “I need
to speak to…”, etc, unless it really is true)
18. Don’t use informal asking to speak to someone phrases like “Is Alex there?”
19. Don’t use informal asking people to wait phrases like “Just a second”, “Just a
mo” or “Just a sec”
20. Don’t ask people to wait with imperatives like “Please wait” X and “Give me a
second”
21. Don’t use “Please hold on” to mean “Please hold (the line)” (as “hold on” is a
phrasal verb, something which is generally casual, and it just means “wait”
more generally)
22. Don’t say “Hello? (Hello?)” after putting someone on hold
23. Don’t say “Sorry to keep you waiting so long” when it’s not really so long (as
then there won’t be something more extreme to say if they really do have to
wait so long later)
24. Don’t ask direct questions about the purpose of the call like “What’s it about?”
X and “Why are you calling?” X

2021 English for Management

8 Ahmad Lutfi
Biro Bahan Ajar eLearning dan MKCU
http://pbael.mercubuana.ac.id/
 25. Don’t ask for the reason for the call if you don’t really need to know it (as they
might think that you are checking if they are important enough or not)
26. Don’t give vague reasons for not putting someone through like “He’s not
available” X and “He’s not here” X (as it sounds like you can’t be bothered
explaining, or even like it’s a lie)
27. Don’t use “want to” for offers (so not “Do you want to leave a message?”, etc)
28. Don’t use “want to” for requests (so not “I want to speak to…”, etc)
29. Don’t use the imperative in giving messages (so not “Please tell him that…” X)
30. Don’t use “tell him to” in messages (as that means “order him to…”/
“command him to…”)
31. Don’t use the imperative in checking/ clarifying questions (so not “Please
repeat…” X)
32. Don’t use casual asking people to repeat phrases like “Say again”
33. Don’t use direct negative answers to correct someone (so not “No, that’s
wrong. It should be…” X etc)
34. Don’t say “I see” to mean “Okay, got it now, thanks” (as “I see” can sound like
you are unhappy if you aren’t really careful with the intonation etc)
35. Don’t ask “Do you understand?” to check if they got what you are saying (as it
can sound like you are checking if they are intelligent enough or not, or that
you are an angry teacher explaining a punishment)
36. Don’t listen in silence when the other person is speaking
37. Don’t use the same active listening sounds or phrases over and over while the
other person is speaking (so not “Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.” or “Sure. Sure.
Sure. Sure”, as it sounds like you aren’t really listening)
38. Don’t use flat intonation when you say “Really?”, “Oh no”, “That’s interesting”,
etc
39. Don’t use the casual expression “Sure” for positive answers in formal
situations
40. Don’t use “Please + verb” (= please + imperative) for requests in the body of
the call (so not “Please send me…”, etc)
41. Don’t suddenly end, for example by going straight from the body of the call to
“Thanks for your call”
42. Don’t give very general reasons for ending the phone call like “Well, I have
something to do” X, “So, I am very busy” X or “Well, I have to get going”
2021 English for Management
9 Ahmad Lutfi
Biro Bahan Ajar eLearning dan MKCU
http://pbael.mercubuana.ac.id/
 43. Don’t finish a long phone call with just a reason for finishing (without saying
something nice about the call)
44. Don’t use “Anyway” instead of “Well…” etc for transitions (as it can sound like
you think the other person is off topic or going on too long)
45. Don’t use casual checking that they have finished phrases like “Is that all?”,
“Is that it?”, “Anything else?”
46. Don’t use casual saying you are finished phrases like “(No,) that’s it”
47. Don’t sound unenthusiastic about helping more (so not “Can I help you with
anything ELSE?”, etc)
48. Don’t wait for the receiver to say “Can I help you with anything else?” if there
is silence and you know that you are finished
49. Don’t answer “Can I help you with anything else?” with just “Yes, I…” or “No”
50. Don’t just say “Thanks” when they have given you a lot of help
51. Don’t just say “Thanks for your call” when it’s the caller who helped the
receiver
52. Don’t say “Thanks for your help” if they couldn’t help at all
53. Don’t end with “Thank you in advance” (because it sounds like you are saying
“Don’t forget!”)
54. Don’t end phone calls with “Thank you for your cooperation”
55. Don’t use “You’re welcome” etc when you could thank them back instead
56. Don’t end with “Bye bye”

3 Ways to Avoid Being Rude on the Phone

Make small talk

Sometimes, at the start of a phone conversation, a little small talk is expected. Not
always, it depends on the person, the situation, etc. so you have to listen and react
appropriately.
For example, here’s a situation where you should NOT make small talk:
Geraldine: Hey, Christina, it’s Geraldine. how’s it going?
Christina: Good, good. Um, sorry Géraldine, I really gotta go in like 2 minutes. What
can I help you with?
Geraldine: Oh, don’t worry, I just had a very quick question for you…
2021 English for Management
10 Ahmad Lutfi
Biro Bahan Ajar eLearning dan MKCU
http://pbael.mercubuana.ac.id/
If the other person says they don’t have time, you should be quick. Or offer to call
back later. You can say “Do you want me to call back at a later time?”
But here’s a situation where small talk is polite and expected:
Christina: Hey, Géraldine, this is Christina from the Chicago office. How are you
today?
Geraldine: Good, thanks. We just got back from a weekend in mountains.
Christina: Oh that sounds nice! I imagine it’s very pretty!
Geraldine: Yeah, really nice! So, what can I help you with?
Since Geraldine initiated a little small talk, it’s polite to continue, and to show interest
in what she says.
The small talk doesn’t need to be long, just a few exchanges before Geraldine
transitioned to the “business” subject. And if you want to be the one to make this
transition, the key phrase is “So, what can I help you with?”
Ask politely

Sometimes, students feel that just adding “please” is enough to make a request
polite. In fact, there are other things that make your request polite or rude.
Like what? The words you use. Saying “I want some information about your products
please.” sounds direct and a little rude because of “I want.” A more polite form is “I
would like some information about your products, please”, or ‘I’d like some
information about your products, please.” I would like, or I’d like.
Also, there’s your intonation. I’ll say the same phrase, but with different intonations.
Which one sounds polite? “Could I speak to Fred Smith please?” “Could I speak to
Fred Smith please?”
Listen again, to see which one has intonation that goes up then down?  “Could I
speak to Fred Smith please?” (Listen to the video below to hear the intonations)
Your intonation goes up then down to sound polite when you ask for something .
I’d like some information please. – I’d like some information / please.
Could I speak to Fred Smith, please?” Could I speak to Fred Smith / please.
To make it easy, your intonation goes up on the word before please, and then down
on please. And yes, “please” does add politeness, but like I said, it’s not the only
thing that makes your request polite.
Asking for repetition

2021 English for Management

11 Ahmad Lutfi
Biro Bahan Ajar eLearning dan MKCU
http://pbael.mercubuana.ac.id/
Using the phone in English is already stressful, and that means that you’re often
concentrated on the #1 goal: understanding and being understood.
When you’re having difficulties understanding, you forget about paying attention to
politeness. But it’s especially important when the communication is difficult, or when
you don’t understand something.
Avoid saying “What?” too much. At the minimum, say “Sorry, what?” with your
intonation going up. Other things you can say, that sound natural and polite include:
“Sorry, say that again please?”
“Say that one more time, please.”
“Sorry, I didn’t catch the part about ….” and mention the general subject that you
understood, like “Sorry, I didn’t catch the part about the project costs.”
And now you have 3 ways to upgrade your phone English, and sound more polite.

Top Tips For Speaking On The Telephone

If you’re looking for a challenging situation to practice your English, just pick up the
telephone. Not being able to see the person you’re talking to and the body language
they’re using can make chatting on the phone one of the most difficult forms of
communication. Never fear, though! We’ve compiled some tips to guide you through
an average telephone conversation in English.

Greetings

Every phone call should begin with a polite greeting such as, Hi, how’ve you
been? or Nice to hear from you. Even if you’re calling a business contact for a
specific purpose, it’d be rude to jump right into business without a little small talk at
the beginning.

Getting to the point

There always comes the point, however, where you want to move on from friendly
banter and get down to business. For this situation, use the phrase I’m just calling
to … to transition to the topic at hand. For example, I’m just calling to see if you’d
like to set up a meeting. If the situation is reversed, however, and you are waiting to

2021 English for Management

12 Ahmad Lutfi
Biro Bahan Ajar eLearning dan MKCU
http://pbael.mercubuana.ac.id/
find out why someone called you, you can guide the conversation by saying, So what
can I do for you?

Interrupting without insult

If you happen to be speaking with a very talkative person, it may be difficult to get a
word in edgewise or contribute to the conversation. If someone is going on and on,
and you’d like to interrupt, be sure to do it politely. For example, begin with I would
like to say something here, if I may or Allow me to make a point. Or, you could just
ask: May I interrupt you for a second?

Confirming Action

If you’re making plans on the phone, be sure to confirm the details toward the end of
the call. Begin with phrases like Please let me confirm… and So, let me make sure
I’ve got things straight… and follow up with the details as you understand them.

Closing the call

Sometimes this can be the trickiest part of the conversation! It may be the time to
offer some good wishes, such as good luck on that interview or hope you feel
better soon if it’s appropriate. Additionally, you may want to confirm any plans
you’ve made: I’ll see you on Friday, then. Sometimes it’s easiest to just say you
enjoyed speaking to the other person. Also, keep in mind that strategically saying the
word well at the beginning of a sentence can indicate that you are ready to end the
conversation: Well John, it’s been a pleasure talking to you.

Exercises
Choose the Most Appropriate Answer

Hello. This is John Bates. May I speak with Mr. Wilson, please? (
) Mr. Wilson is not here right now.

I'm sorry, but

No, you may not.

What number are you calling?

2021 English for Management
13 Ahmad Lutfi
Biro Bahan Ajar eLearning dan MKCU
http://pbael.mercubuana.ac.id/
 You got the wrong number.

Hello. Could I speak to Susan Malden, please? ( ), please. I'll

see if she is in.

Call back

Hang up

Hold on

Pick up

I'm sorry. Mr. Garcia can't come to the phone at the moment.(
)  leave a message?

Could I

Do you like to

May I

Would you like to

I'm afraid Professor Grimes has just stepped out. Can ( )a

message?

I give

I take

you give

you take

 I'm afraid Barbara is not in. – Can I ( ) a message for

her, please?

Give

Leave

Take

Write

2021 English for Management

14 Ahmad Lutfi
Biro Bahan Ajar eLearning dan MKCU
http://pbael.mercubuana.ac.id/
 Hello! Mary ( ).

Calling

Dialing

Speaking

Waiting

Hello, is Mike ( ), please? – Sorry, he's out

Busy

Here

Now

There

Can I speak to Douglas, please? – There is no one here (

).

by that name

I know of

to speak to

who is likely to have such a name

I'd like to speak to Anne, please. – I'm sorry. ( )

This isn't it

This isn't she

You must have the wrong number

You must have misdialed the wrong number

- Can I speak to Betsy, please?

- ( ), please. Betsy, phone! 

Certainly

2021 English for Management

15 Ahmad Lutfi
Biro Bahan Ajar eLearning dan MKCU
http://pbael.mercubuana.ac.id/
 Just a moment

Of course

Yes

Daftar Pustaka

https://www.englishclub.com/speaking/telephone-phrases.htm
https://www.usingenglish.com/articles/100-polite-telephoning-dos-donts.html

https://christinarebuffet.com/blog/telephone-in-english/

https://englishlive.ef.com/blog/english-in-the-real-world/top-tips-telephone-english/

https://usefulenglish.ru/phrases/phrases-exercise-four

2021 English for Management

16 Ahmad Lutfi
Biro Bahan Ajar eLearning dan MKCU
http://pbael.mercubuana.ac.id/