Taking and Leaving Phone
We often find ourselves in a situation when we receive a phone call
Even people who rarely have to make or receive English phone calls themselves can sometimes have to take down messages for the people who the caller really wants to speak to. This is obviously a challenge for the receiver, but it can also be tricky for the person phoning, because they will have prepared for a completely different conversation with the person who they actually wanted to speak to. Luckily, leaving messages for someone who isn’t there is usually a fairly predictable conversation, with a fixed format and a limited set of phrases that you can learn and prepare to use. This article goes through such dictating and taking dictation conversations from beginning to end, looking at the language used by both the caller and receiver. There is also some advice on typical mistakes to avoid.
When calling someone
- Hello, can I speak to [name], please?
- Good morning/afternoon. This is [your name]. I would like to speak to [name].
If you're the caller and the person you want to talk to is not there, you can leave a message. Here's some other useful phrases you can use.
- I would like to speak to [name] about ...
- Could you ask [name] to call me back at ... pm
- Do you know when he/she will be back?
When receiving the call
- Hello, [your name] speaking.
- Good morning/afternoon. [ your
- Good morning/afternoon. This is [your company name and your name] speaking. May I help you?
When a caller asks for someone who's not there
- I'm sorry. He/she is not at home/in the office at the moment. ... [ provide
- [Name] is not here, yet. Can I take a message?
- I'm sorry. He's in a meeting now. Would you like to leave a message?
- She's on a vacation leave now. May I take a message?
When the message is not clear, you can ask the caller to repeat.
- Could you speak more slowly, please?
- Could you repeat that, please?
- Could you spell that, please?
Answering the phone (informal)
Leaving a message
- Hello. Matt here.
( caller - Hi, Jody. How are you?
- Hey, Justin. What's up?
- Hello? Serena
speaking ( caller - John Sayles
speaking ( caller - Doctor Martin's office. May I know who's calling, please?
( caller - 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
- Hey George. It's Lisa calling.
( informal - Hello, this is
Jlie Madison calling. - Hi. It's Angelina from the dentist's office here.
( informal - Hello Sayoko. This is Alan
calling Autobody
- Hi. Is Nina there?
( informal - Can you put Michael on?
( informal - Can I talk to Josef? Tell him Marilyn's calling.
( informal - May I speak to Mr. Green in the accounting department, please?
- Good morning.
Is Dr Martin available, please
- Just a
sec ( 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 - 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.
- 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.
- 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?
- 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.
Leaving a message
- Can I leave a message?
- Would you mind giving her a message?
- Would it be possible to leave a message?
- Could you tell her Jonathon called?
- Could you ask him to call Paul when he gets in?
- I don't think he has my number. Do you have a pen handy?
- Thanks. It's James Brown and my number is 222 3456.
- Let me repeat that just to make sure. It's James Brown at 222 3456?
- Was that 555 Charles Street, Apartment 66?
- I'll make sure he gets the message.
- It's Johnny, right? And you won't be at the club until midnight.
( informal - Okay, got it. I'll let him know.
( informal
- Hey, Brad here. What's up? Let me know after the tone, OK?
( informal - Hi, this is Liz. I'm sorry I can't take your call right now, but if you leave a message after the tone I'll get back to you as soon as I can.
- You've reached 222 6789. Please leave a message after the tone. Thank you.
- Thank you for calling Dr.
Mindin's - You have reached Steve James, your guide to Computer Technology. Unfortunately, I can't take your call right now, but if you leave me a message and include your name and telephone number, I'll get back to you as soon as I can. You can also contact me via email at computech@XYZ.com. Thank you for calling.
- Hey Mikako. It's Yuka. Call me, OK?
( informal - Hello, this is Ricardo calling. Could you please return my call as soon as possible. My number is 334 5689. Thank you.
- Hi Anderson. This is Marina from the doctor's office calling. I just wanted to let you know that you're due for a check-up this month. Please call us to make an appointment at your earliest convenience.
- Well, I guess I'd better get going. Talk again soon, OK?
( informal - Thanks for calling. Bye for now.
- I have to let you go now.
- I have another call coming through. I'd better run.
- I'm afraid that's my other line.
- I'll talk to you again soon. Bye Jules.
6 Steps for Flawless Message Taking in Business English
( With Phrases to Use on
Let’s run through the typical scenario and what phrases will help push the conversation along in an organized manner.
1. Explain That the Call Recipient Isn’t Available
Let the caller know that the person they’re looking for isn’t able to take the call.
Normally, you’d start with some apologies:
Sorry, I’m afraid…
My apologies, but…
Then explain the specific situation. If you can’t or don’t want to explain why the person is unavailable, use a general phrase such as:
If you’re comfortable giving more details, you can say something like:
2. Get the Caller’s Name and Number
Use these phrases to find out who you’re talking to.
The modal verbs “may” or “could” are usually used as a very polite form of asking for permission, in place of the verb “can.”
May I know who’s calling?
May I know who I’m speaking to?
May I have your name please?
Could I take down your name and number please?
3. Offer to Take a Message
Good thing you’re there to help! Use the modal verbs “could,” “would,” or “may” to begin the process of taking a message.
Here are some examples:
Would you like to leave Ms. Smith a message?
May I take a message?
You can also suggest alternates
Would you like to try back later?
Could you call back at [time]?
Is there someone else you would like to speak to?
4. Clarify Confusing Parts of the Message
Once the caller begins leaving their message, don’t hesitate to ask for clarification if there’s something you didn’t understand or simply didn’t hear. It’s better to get it right than to pass on information that isn’t correct.
Below are some phrases that can help you ask for information you may have missed the first time.
I’m sorry, I didn’t catch that.
Sorry, could you repeat that please?
Sorry, the connection isn’t very good, do you mind speaking a little louder please?
Sorry, I missed that last bit. Did you say…?
5. Verify the Message
You’re almost there now. All you have to do is go over the message again to verify that you got it all down.
Let me check that I got this right. You said…
To confirm, you said…
I’ll repeat your message… Is that correct?
Is there anything else I can help you with?
6. Say Goodbye
Good job! Now say goodbye and set the caller at ease that the message will be passed on.
For example:
Thank you for call
I’ll make sure Ms. Smith gets your message. Thank you, have a nice day.
How can you apply to take and leave the messages, telephone calls phrase
How can you apply to take and leave the messages, telephone calls phrase
Let's take a look at the dialogue below as an example.
Even when you already know that someone isn’t there, the best way into leaving a message is usually to start by asking for the person who you wanted to speak to, with phrases like:
- Caller: “Hello. Can/ Could I speak to…, please?”
- Caller: “Good morning. Can/ Could you put me through to…, please?”
- Caller: “Good afternoon. Can/ Could you connect me to…, please?”
There are also more informal versions like “Is… there?” but “I want to speak to…” and “Please connect me/ put me through to…” are too pushy and therefore rude even in casual situations.
There is no need to give your name at this point. This is because the receiver will want to write your name down later when you leave a message, and so saying it now will mean they will have to ask you to repeat it later. Perhaps the only time when you might want to give your name at this early stage is when you know the person who answered the phone well enough that some friendly language and/ or small talk is necessary before asking to speak to someone else. A typical exchange of this kind might be:
There is no need to give your name at this point. This is because the receiver will want to write your name down later when you leave a message, and so saying it now will mean they will have to ask you to repeat it later. Perhaps the only time when you might want to give your name at this early stage is when you know the person who answered the phone well enough that some friendly language and/ or small talk is necessary before asking to speak to someone else. A typical exchange of this kind might be:
- Receiver: “Good morning. ABC Limited. Harold Harris speaking
- Caller: “Hi Harry. This is Alex.”
- Receiver: “Hi Alex. How’s it going?”
- Caller: “Pretty good, thanks. How about you? How was your big presentation?”
- Receiver: “Hmmm, could have been better to be honest. The clients were very nice about it, though. So/ Well/ Anyway/ Well then/ So then, what can I do for you today?”
- Caller: “I’m calling because I need to speak to someone about the meeting next week/ I’m phoning about the meeting next week. Is Geena around?”
If the receiver doesn’t help move towards getting down to business in this way, the caller can do it with transitions phrases (“Anyway/ So/…,…”) then asking to speak to someone. If actual small talk isn’t necessary, this can be done straight after a friendly greeting and saying who you are, something like:
- Receiver: “Good morning. ABC Limited. Harold Harris speaking
- Caller: “Hi Harry. This is Alex. Is Geena there?”
- Receiver: “Oh, hi Alex. ….”
Quite often the person answering the phone doesn’t know if the person who the caller wants to speak to is there or not, so they will probably say something like:
- Receiver: “Of course. Just a moment please. I’ll just check if he’s available.”
- Receiver: “Okay. Please hold (the line). I’ll put you through to her now.”
When it comes to telling the caller that someone isn’t there, the receiver should explain as politely and in as much detail as possible why that person isn’t available to speak, with phrases like:
- Receiver: “I’m afraid he’s on another line/ his line is busy/ he’s not answering his phone.”
- Receiver: “I’m sorry but she’s meeting a client/ in a meeting with… / away from her desk/ out of the office/ out of the country/ flying to New York/ on a business trip/ not in today/ … ”
- Receiver: “Sorry, he doesn’t work on Fridays.”
General and vague explanations like “He is not available”, “He’s not here” and “She’s out ” are not considered polite in English.
Taking and leaving telephone messages
After giving the bad news about someone not being there, the receiver should then go straight on to offer to take a message with phrases like:
- Receiver: “… Can I take a message?”
- Receiver: “… Would you like to leave a message?”
- Receiver: “… If I can take your name and number, I’ll ask him to call you back.”
“Can I take your message?” and “What is your message?” are not correct things to say, because there might not be a message and you don’t want to pressure them into giving you one if they don’t want to! “Shall I tell him you called?” is
If the receiver doesn’t offer, you can ask to leave a message with phrases like:
- Caller: “Can/ Could I leave a message?”
- Caller: “Can/ Could you take a message?”
- Caller: “Can/ Could you ask him to call me back?”
- Caller: “Can/ Could you tell her I called?”
“Please + verb” (“Please + take/ ask/ tell…”) is again not polite, because it would be a command rather than a request. “Would you + take/ ask/ tell…?” is more polite, but is still a command and so is rarely suitable. There is a similar problem with “Can you tell him to call me back?”, which would mean “He has to call me back”.
It is rarely possible to refuse a request to leave a message, so the receiver will almost certainly reply with a positive answer like:
- Receiver: “Of course. What would you like me to tell him?”
- Receiver: “Of course. If you can tell me your name and number, I’ll make sure he calls you back as soon as possible.”
- Receiver: “Of course. Please go ahead.”
- Receiver: “Of course. Just a moment please while I find a pen and some paper. Okay, got it now. Please go ahead.”
- Receiver: “Of course. ( No problem.) Does she have your number?”
More casual options are “Sure” instead of “Of course” and “Please hold on” instead of “Just a moment”.
Although it’s not recommended, the caller might sometimes get straight into a phrase for giving messages like “Can you tell her that I need…?” without a more general “Can I leave a message?” phrase first. In such a case, the receiver might have to ask them to wait with a phrase like:
- Receiver: “I’m sorry. Just a moment. I’ll write that down for her.”
- Receiver: “Okay. Just a second. I’ll get a pen and some paper and note that down for her.”
- Receiver: “Sorry. Just a minute. Let me make a note of that so I can pass your message onto her.”
Phrases for actually leaving the message include:
- Caller: “Can you tell her that…?”
- Caller: “Can you ask her to…?”
- Caller: “My name/ (home/ office/ mobile/ cellphone ) number/ email address/ postal address/ … is… (and… is…)”
- Caller: “The zip code/ postal code/ international dialling code/ invoice number/ order number/ product number/… is…”
- Caller: “I think she already has my number, but just in case it’s….”
Again, “Can you tell her to…?” is not suitable for anything apart from the most aggressive messages, so “Can you ask him to…?” is the only possibility for passing on requests like “… send me…?” and “… email me about…?”
Checking/ Clarifying/ Dealing with communication problems when taking and leaving messages on the phone
If there is anything about what is being dictated which is likely to be difficult to understand or write down, the caller can help by giving more details with phrases like:
- Caller: “It’s spelt…”
- Caller: “That’s written with a colon/ a capital letter/ a capital… / brackets around…”
- Caller: “You need a hyphen/ dash/ (forward) slash/ apostrophe/ underscore/ dot/ point/ full stop/ period/ space/ comma/ colon/ new line/… between… and…”
- Caller: “That’s B as in banana”/ “That’s… as in…”
- Caller: “It’s all one word (with no punctuation).”
- Receiver: “Sorry, could you say that again (a little more slowly)?”/ “Sorry, could you say that one more time (a bit more slowly)?”
- Receiver: “Sorry, can you repeat the first word/ the last part/…?”
- Receiver: “So, it’s… Is that right?”/ “So, that’s…, right?”
- Receiver: “Sorry, could you spell your family name/… (for me), please?”/ Sorry, how do you spell your surname/…?”
- Receiver: “Sorry, is that B for Bobby (or V for virgin ) / one five (or five oh) / two words (or all one word) / …. ( or …)?”
- Receiver: “I’m afraid I couldn’t catch the first/ middle/ last word/ part.”
- Receiver: “Sorry, did you say… (or…)?”/ “Sorry, was that… (or…)?”
- Receiver: “Sorry, is that spelt with a… (or a…)?”
- Receiver: “Is that… as in…?”
- Receiver: “Is that small C or capital C/ small… or capital…?”
- Receiver: “Sorry, do I need any punctuation (in that email address)?”
- Receiver: “Sorry, do you mean… or…?”
- Receiver: “Just to (double) check,…”/ “Sorry, can I (double) check…?”
It is also possible to use more general checking / clarifying phrases, perhaps before the more specific (and therefore more useful) phrases above, for example:
- Receiver: “I understood up to…”
- Receiver: “I’m afraid I’m not familiar with…”
- Receiver: “I’m afraid I didn’t get all of that.”
Even more general phrases like “Pardon?” are correct, but are not very useful unless you say them just after the word you didn’t understand.
When you’ve finally understood and written the message down, the standard phrase to show that everything is fine is “(Okay). Got it (now) (, thanks)”. “I understand” and “I see” can have the very different meanings of unhappily accepting some information, so should be avoided in this kind of situation.
“Got it” can also be used just to show that you are listening and that they should continue. Other useful “active listening” phrases include:
- Receiver: “Mmmm hmmm .”
- Receiver: “Okay.”
- Receiver: “Right.”
Perhaps the most useful checking/ clarifying/ confirming phrase of all is “Can I check that back?”/ “Can I read that back?” This means that the receiver has written the information down and wants to read it back to the caller so that they can confirm that it is all correct. The standard response to “Can I read/ check that back?” is “Of course/ Sure. Please go ahead”. If the information is all correct, the caller can simply say that with phrases like “Yes, that’s perfect, thanks”. Any correction should be with “Actually, (it should be)…” because the “No” in “No, (it should be)…” is not polite.
Especially if you have problems communicating, nowadays there are also technological solutions to communication problems, such as:
- “I’ll write it out for you” (if you are speaking on a platform which allows texting as well as speaking, such as Skype).
- “If you Google…, you will find…”
- “You/ He/ She can find it on the intranet by searching for…”
- “It’s (all) on the main page of our website.”
- “I can send a link to that information online, if that’s okay.”
All of the phrases above can also sometimes be used the other way round with the receiver dictating and the caller taking dictation, for example after phrases like:
- Caller: “Actually, it’s quite urgent. Could you give me his mobile number?”
- Receiver: “… but he/ she’s (probably) contactable on his/ her mobile. Do you have the number? / Shall I give you the number?”
Ending taking and leaving messages
Once the person taking the message is sure they have got everything written down correctly, they can smoothly end the process with phrases like:
- Receiver: “Okay, I’ll make sure (that) he gets your message. ( I’m sure he will get back to you soon.)”
- Receiver: “Okay, I’ll tell him that you called/ I’ll pass your message onto him (as soon as I can/ as soon as he gets back). / I’ll stick a Post-it on his monitor.”
- Receiver: “Is/ Was there anything else (that I can help you with) (today)?”
The correct answer to an “anything else” question is usually “No, that’s all (for now), thanks”. You can also say “Actually, (there is just one more thing)” in the much rarer case that the one message isn’t enough.
If the receiver doesn’t use one of the phrases above to help move towards the end of the call, the caller can use similar phrases such as:
- Caller: “So, I think that’s everything (he needs to know/ I wanted to tell him), thanks.”
You should then be ready for the final couple of lines, such as mentioning future contact with phrases like “I’m sure he will get back to you soon” (if you haven’t said that already) or “Please phone me again if he doesn’t get back to you soon”. It’s then time for final thanks, such as:
- Caller: “Thanks for (all) your help.”
- Receiver: “Thanks for calling/ Thanks for your call.”
“Thanks for your calling” is not grammatically correct and “Thanks for your cooperation” has a totally different function.
You are then probably ready for “(Good) bye”, but there are also friendly things you can say right at the end, particularly if you chatted at the beginning of the call, such as “Have a good evening/ day/ weekend/ trip/…”
As you can see, once you get the hang of it, taking messages politely in business English isn’t really that difficult. You can use the same phrases in any situation. Combine that with enhanced listening capabilities, and message-taking will become a breeze. You’ll never feel hesitant about picking up the telephone again.
Compiled Source Webs:
https://www.usingenglish.com/articles/how-to-leave-take-telephone-messages.html
https://www.fluentu.com/blog/business-english/message-taking/
https://engoo.id/app/lessons/taking-and-leaving-messages/Bp8KwiQXEeemvXeiPCniLg
