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Overview
Good phone etiquette makes it easier for a caller to explain what they need and easier for your team to act on the result. Consistency matters most at the moments where information can be lost: the opening, clarification, hold or transfer, message read-back, and close.
Open clearly
- Answer with the approved business name and greeting.
- Speak at a steady pace and make the first question easy to understand.
- Give the caller room to explain before narrowing the conversation.
Listen and clarify
- Do not talk over the caller.
- Use brief clarifying questions instead of assumptions.
- Acknowledge the request without promising an outcome you do not control.
- Summarize the key need before routing or taking a message.
Protect accuracy
- Confirm spelling for names and unusual terms.
- Read back phone numbers, addresses, times, and other action-critical details.
- Follow the approved script and account instructions.
- If information is unavailable, explain the next step instead of guessing.
Handle holds and transfers
- Ask before placing a caller on hold.
- Explain where the call is going and what will happen next.
- Use the approved transfer method and fallback.
- Return to the caller promptly if the transfer cannot be completed.
Close with a complete next step
- Recap the action that will follow the call.
- Confirm any timing that is actually defined by the process.
- Ask whether the caller needs anything else within the agent's scope.
- End with a professional, unhurried closing.
