ENGLISH BUSINESS VOCABULARY
TELEPHONE CONVERSATIONS
Useful telephone vocabulary and phrases.
| TELEPHONE VOCABULARY and PHRASES |
| Making contact |
- Hello / Good morning / Good afternoon ...
- This is John Brown speaking
- Could I speak to ......... please?
- I'd like to speak to ..... .....
- I'm trying to contact ..........
|
Giving more
information |
- I'm calling from Tokyo / Paris / New York / Sydney ...
- I'm calling on behalf of Mr. X ...
|
| Taking a call |
- X speaking.
- Can I help you?
|
Asking for a name
or information |
- Who's calling please?
- Who's speaking?
- Where are you calling from?
- Are you sure you have the right number / name?
|
Asking the caller
to wait |
- Hold the line please.
- Could you hold on please?
- Just a moment please.
|
| Connecting |
- Thank you for holding.
- The line's free now ... I'll put you through.
- I'll connect you now / I'm connecting you now.
|
Giving negative
information |
- I'm afraid the line's engaged. Could you call back later?
- I'm afraid she's in a meeting at the moment.
- I'm sorry. He's out of the office today.
- He/she isn't in at the moment.
- I'm afraid we don't have a Mr./Mrs./Ms/Miss. ... here
- I'm sorry.There's nobody here by that name.
- Sorry. I think you've dialled the wrong number.
- I'm afraid you've got the wrong number.
|
| Telephone problems |
- The line is very bad ... Could you speak up please?
- Could you repeat that please?
- I'm afraid I can't hear you.
- Sorry. I didn't catch that. Could you say that again please?
|
Leaving or taking
a message |
- Can I leave / take a message?
- Would you like to leave a message?
- Could you give him/her a message?
- Could you ask him/her to call me back?
- Could you tell him/her that I called?
- Could you give me your name please?
- Could you spell that please?
- What's your number please?
- Where can he/she reach you?
- When can he contact you?
- Could you make sure he/she gets my message please?
|
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