Telephone Etiquette Certification
Which
of the following should be considered while leaving a voice mail message?
a.
Leaving a message that is short and to the point.
b.
Being polite and giving a sense of what is expected in return.
c.
Leaving as much information as possible, relatively briefly.
d.
Speaking clearly and succinctly.
e.
All of the above.
Which
of the following is probably the worst way to end a business call?
a.
“Don’t call us, we’ll call you.”
b.
“Thanks for your time. Not.”
c. “See
ya in the next life.”
d. Just
hang up.
e.
They are all equally bad.
Which
things should you keep in mind while making a call?
a. Not
to have a blunt or unfriendly tone.
b.
Being attentive to the customer’s needs.
c.
Whether you are using your own full name or first name, whichever seems more
polite in the circumstances.
d.
Whether you are using the customer’s full name (unless you have been permitted
by him to use his first name).
e.
All of the above
Why
is it not a good idea to always leave a lengthy voicemail message?
a. The
message can be truncated, and therefore not communicated properly.
b. The
message may experience a long delay in reaching its destination.
c. Part
of the message may become scrambled and be harder to hear
d.
There is risk of the message not being recorded at all, as it is a greater
challenge for the cell phone recording technology.
e.
All of the above
Which
of the following is commonly regarded as a cell phone nuisance that could be
toned down or otherwise discarded?
a.
Having stickers all over your phone.
b.
Having a dangling key chain.
c.
having a loud and annoyingly musical or distracting ring tone that you let play
for several extra seconds before answering the phone.
d.
having a brightly colored phone that lights up when it rings.
e. None
of the above
When
is it acceptable to use the ‘silent’ mode on your cell phone?
a. When
you do not want to disturb others around you.
b. When
you are expecting an important call, and do not wish others to be interrupted.
c. When
you wish to be notified by your phone without it ringing and alerting everybody
in the room, or whenever you are.
d. When
you wish to attend a meeting or a public event, but still wish to know when you
have been called or received a voicemail or text message
e.
All of the above
Which
of the following is accurate in terms of how you should use your cell phone in
public?
a. Talk
as loudly as you like – some calls are important and more important than your
surroundings.
b.
Use your cell phone sparingly in public, and at a low volume. People should
have the option of not listening to your call.
c. If
you get upset at the call, don’t feel the need to restrain from screaming into
the phone or throwing it against a wall.
d.
Whisper, even if the receiver cannot hear you properly, as you should never
talk at a reasonable volume, even in public.
What
is a good way to begin a business call to a person whom you do not know, and
who is not expecting the call?
a. Just
begin talking business, he or she will realize soon enough.
b.
Interweave what you are talking about with who you are, and the message will be
crystal clear.
c.
Spend 5 minutes introducing yourself before getting to the point – it will save
time later.
d. A
simple introduction followed by a sentence or two not only shows good phone
etiquette, but allows the receiver to set the forthcoming information in
context.
You
have been given charge of handling all the incoming calls in your office, but
the calls are coming in too fast. What should you do?
a. Take
the calls after a delay, during which time some disappear, so that you spread
them out more.
b. Ask
your co-worker to handle the calls while you go for a long lunch.
c. Set
the phone to record all incoming calls, so you can deal with them later.
d.
Discuss the problem with your supervisor.
Which
of the following sentences are appropriate when you are asking for somebody on
the phone?
a. Yo,
Mr. Jones
b.
Hello, could you please connect me to Mr. Jones?
c. Get
me Mr. Jones, please
d. Good
morning, I was wondering if I could speak to Mr. Jones?
e. b
and d
Which
of these factors does not need to be considered before you make a phone call?
a. The
person whom you’re calling.
b. The
purpose of your call.
c. A
brief joke to break the ice.
d. The
best time to call.
e. None
of the above
How
can you convey to your listener that you need to discuss sensitive issues over
the phone, such as the exchange of personal and protected information?
a. Tell
them you will fax the details.
b. Tell
them you will email the details, although it might be by unsecured e-mail
c.
Confirm with them whether it is okay to discuss such issues before discussing
them.
d.
Avoid these discussions at all costs on the telephone.
Which
of the following is a good idea to keep with you at all times on the phone?
a. Your
lunch
b. A
pen and some paper
c.
Safety pins or staples
d. An
additional caller to overhear the call
e. All
of the above
What
does ‘screening your calls’ mean?
a.
Choosing which calls to answer, and which not to answer, based on the name or
number (or absence of a number) that shows up when about to receive the call.
b.
Applying a safety cover to your cell phone, often a transparent plastic cover
called a ‘screen.’
c.
Making a list of all the calls you’ve received in the last month, in order to
calculate if your cell phone bill is accurate or not.
d.
Deleting all the missed calls, received calls and dialed number from your cell
phone.
You
have to call up senior executives of your company in different countries to
inform them of the proposed date of an international sales conference. What is
the best time to call them up?
a.
During your office hours.
b.
During the call recipient’s office hours.
c.
Between 9:00 A.M and 5:00 P.M.
d.
After your office hours.
How
do you speak to someone in a business relationship whom you do not know well?
a. Try
and discuss personal matters as it will help you to get to know them – ask
about their family, weekends, hobbies.
b.
Keep the conversation polite but business-like, as professionalism is important
at all times, until you know them better.
c. A
combination of jokes and business commands.
d.
Grovel a little bit, so they can feel powerful in the business relationship.
From
the list below, which are the most important techniques for a positive
telephone exchange?
a.
Speaking clearly and politely throughout the exchange and dealing succinctly
with the business concern.
b. A
friendly start to the call, getting the information across as rapidly as
possible, followed by making sure the information is accurate as a secondary
concern.
c.
Typing to get through the call and onto the next user.
d.
Exchanging business secrets that may or may not help each other’s company (but
are good stories), followed by dealing with the current business decision, and
ending the call firmly.
A
company employee calls the help desk of an internet service provider to report
that the speed of the internet is below the promised speed. Which of the following
would be an appropriate action to take?
a. Ask
the customer for his or her social security number.
b.
Disagree with the customer.
c.
Promise that the internet speed will be double the originally promised speed.
d. Hang
up the call, or transfer the call without saying to where.
e.
None of the above
Which
of the following is important when handling a business client with whom you
might have a long-term relationship?
a. Make
sure all the clients needs a satisfied, i.e. ensuring that you follow up on
their concerns and actually getting back to them
b.
Seeing that their first concern is met, and then letting the call end.
c.
Asking if you can call them back if you are busy, albeit with lunch.
d.
Complimenting them for their choice of business partner, rather than dealing
with their concerns.
Why
is it always good to particularize your intention behind the call?
a.
It makes the communication clear, and is polite too – do not assume the
receiver understands why you are calling them and what you expect of them.
b. It
isn’t, and can be pedantic, it is better to assume that the listener has some
degree of intelligence.
c. Let
the caller make assumptions, otherwise it would be rude to specify details.
d. It
shows them you are the boss.
At
what time during the day should you try not to make business calls?
a. 7
A.M to 9 P.M
b. 7
P.M to midnight
c. 1
P.M to 3 P.M
d 3. P.M
to 5 P.M
e. a
and b
Why
is it not advisable to take your cell phone into an important business meeting?
a.
it is rude if it rings and you are with a client or it rings during an
important company meeting, especially if you answer it.
b.
Someone else may need to use your phone in the office, and if you take it in,
he or she won’t have it.
c. The
opposite is true – never be more than 5 paces from your phone, and always keep
it on.
d. None
of the above
Which
of the following is the most dangerous use of a cell phone and should be
avoided at all costs?
a.
Taking your cell phone on a bungee jump.
b.
Taking your cell phone up a mountain.
c.
Taking your cell phone underwater, even if it is switched off.
d.
Dialing and diving, or speaking on your phone without use of a hand-free device
while behind the wheel or operating machinery.
When
you are addressing a woman and are unsure of her marital status, which of the
following titles should you use?
a.
Ms.
b.
Miss.
c. Mrs.
d. Mr.
e. None
of the above
Why
should you generally not answer your business phone on the first ring?
a. It
is considered rude.
b. You
don’t took busy enough.
c. It
can catch the caller off-guard.
d. You
should let the phone ring through to your voice mail so you can talk at a time
convenient to you.
e.
None of the above
Why
is ‘Privacy’ considered one of the 7 Pillars of Telephone usage, and generally
important when making calls?
a. It
makes the calls important and secure to both parties, especially when it is
business call.
b. People
like things to be private and secretive – it makes them feel special, like they
are tricking the world.
c. It’s
not – privacy should always be secondary to communication and letting everyone
know as much as possible.
d. The
information could be damaging if leaked into the wrong hands, especially in the
case of financial or legal decision.
e. a
and d
During
the course of your work, you answer a telephone call from an angry customer who
has a lot to say. How should you deal with the situation?
a. Simply
say “sorry I have said whatever I could” and hang up.
b.
Raise your voice and try to reason with the customer.
c. Ask
your co-worker to handle the call.
d. Ask
the customer to call again after some time, and be prepared with your answer
the next time he or she calls.
e. Patiently
listen until the customer has made his or her extensive complaint, and then
begin to reason with him or her.
What
is ‘cell phone tag’?
a. A
playground game where kids chase each other and ‘tag’ the next person who then
chases the other kids.
b. A
series of missed calls between two people, whether calls are returned but again
the person is not available, are said to be ‘playing cell phone tag.’
c. The
price tag on a cell phone in a shop, whether used or new.
d. The
chip inside the phone that can be replaced, or transferred between compatible
networks.
Which
of the following is the most polite and most sensible way of handling your cell
phone, when at a public performance?
a. Turn
the phone off as a rule, followed by ‘silent mode’ if really necessary.
b.
Place on ‘silent’, even if you don’t expect any calls, as you may have to
answer one.
c. keep
the phone on, but the volume turned down.
d.
Leave your phone at home.
Which
of the following are considered skillful techniques for someone learning how to
use a complicated telephone system?
a.
Learning all the numbers from 0-9, and various combinations for their use when
dialing.
b.
Knowing when to cut someone off, transfer them, drop the call, or otherwise
pretend there is interference on the line.
c.
Using a switchboard, keeping people on hold, transferring calls, recording
calls, and generally dealing with multiple callers.
d. a
and b.
e.
All of the above
In
the event that you reach a secretary when making a business call (instead of
the voice mail of the person you are calling) how should you address the
receiver?
a. Ask
for the person you are calling, but refuse to give your name.
b. Ask
for your party’s extension without offering any other information, and seem
reluctant if asked.
c.
Ask for the person you are calling and state your name.
d. Ask
for the person you are calling and state your name and the purpose of your
call.
If
your business call to someone is unexpected, what should you do?
a. Tell
them the purpose of your call and ask them to call you back at their
convenience
b.
Leave a message on the voice mail or with the receptionist and aks them to call
at their convenience
c.
Email them and ask what the right time for calling would be
d. Do
call them, but first ask if they have time before proceeding with the call.
You
should not talk about personal issues on a business call until you have
established a personal relationship with your business contact.
a.
True
b.
False
You
should smile when you’re on the phone, as it can have which of the following
effects?
a. It
is an urban myth and has no real effect – the person cannot see you.
b.
It transfer into your tone of voice and can make the call more appealing.
c. The
caller can detect you grin, but not always positively.
d. The
receiver may decide to plug in a web cam as a result of detecting your smile
telepathically.
e. None
of the above
Which
information is not necessary for you to leave on your personal voicemail
message?
a. your
name
b. The
reason why you are away from the phone
c.
Your social security number
d. your
number
e. All
of the above