Make & Receive Telephone Calls

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Unit Q107

What you will learn Understand how to make telephone calls

Understand how to receive and transfer telephone calls

Be able to make telephone calls

Be able to receive telephone calls

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Make and receive telephone calls

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NVQ/SVQ Level 2 Business & Administration

Unit Q107

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IntroductionBeingaskilledtelephoneuserisessentialinthemodernofficeenvironment.Inthisunit,youwillexplorethetechniquesandskillsthatwillhelptoensureyouarecompetentatmakingandreceivingcallsintheoffice.

Maintainingaprofessionalimage–bothyourownandthecompany’s–isalsoessentialwhendealingwithpeopleonthephone,andyouwilllookatwaysofpresentingabusinesslikeimage,whichwillhelptoinspirecolleagues’andcustomers’confidenceinyou.

Theunitinvestigatesthecorrectproceduresforidentifyinganddealingwithproblemswhichmayarisewithtelephonesystems,whichwillensurethattimelosttoproblemsisminimisedandthatanyproblemsaredealtwithquicklyandefficiently.Youwillbeexpectedtofollowthecorrectorganisationalprocedureswhenusingthephoneatwork,andtheunitexplainshowthisshouldbedone.

Understand how to make telephone callsDevelopingyourskillsinmakingtelephonecallswillensureyouareabletocontactpeoplewithease.Itwillalsomakeyourday-to-dayofficerolemucheasier,asyouwillfrequentlyberequiredtomakephonecallsaspartofyourjob.

Inthissection,youwillinvestigatethekeyskillsneededtomakeeffectivetelephonecallsinordertoobtaintheinformationwhichyourequire.Youwillalsolookatorganisationalproceduresandrequirementswhichyoumayhavetofollowwhenusingthetelephoneatwork.

Features of telephone systems and how to use themThereareanumberofdifferenttypesofofficetelephonesystem.Theonethatyouusewilldependonthesizeoftheorganisation–largerbusinessesusuallyhavehigh-techequipmentwitharangeoffeatures,whereassmallercompaniesmayhavetelephonesystemsnotmuchdifferenttothoseusedathome.

Aconferencephoneisoftenusedtomakecallsinvolvingalargenumberofpeople.Thistypeofphonemaybeusedtoholdbusinessmeetingsbetweenpeopleindifferentregionsorevendifferentcountries.

A standard telephone used in most offices


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Moststandardofficetelephonesystemscomewiththefollowingfeatures,whichwillenableyoutodealefficientlywithbusinesscalls.

LEDdisplay–displaysavarietyofinformationsuchaswhetherthereisavoicemessagewaitingforyou,ifyouhaveanotherincomingcallwhileyouareonthephoneandwhetheryourvoicemailisswitchedonoroff.

Callforwarding–enablesyoutoforwardcallstoacolleagueifyouneedtobeawayfromyourdeskandcannotanswerthephoneyourself.

Callerdisplay–allowsyoutoseewhoiscallingbeforeyoupickupthephone,whichgivesyoutimetoprepareforthecall.

Voicemail(inbuiltanswermachine)–ensuresmissedcallscanbereturnedandattendedto.

Internaltransferofcalls–allowsyoutopassonacalltoacolleague.Thisisanessentialfeaturewhenyouneedsomeoneelsetohelpattendtoacaller,suchaswhenyouareunabletoansweraparticularquery.

Divertcalls–allowsyoutoredirectanincomingcalltoacolleaguewhenyouarebusyandcannotanswerityourself.

Memory–storesinformationonallcallsmadeandreceived.Thisisusefulforretrievingtelephonenumbers.

A conference phone allows people to dial in to a meeting from other locations

Portfolio task 107.1

Writeashortreportwhichdescribesthedifferentfeaturesoftelephonesystemsandhowtousethem.

YoumayfindithelpfultocarryoutanInternetsearchtolocatetwodifferenttypesofofficetelephonesystems.Bookmarkanywebsitesthatmaybeusefulforyou,andusetheinformationwhichyouhavefoundtoproducealistofthekeyfeaturesofbothtypesoftelephonesystem.

Links to L01: assessment criterion 1.1

Identifying the purpose of a call before making itBeforemakingacall,youneedtotakeamomenttothinkaboutthepurposeofthecall.Forexample,isit:

toarrangeameeting?

todealwithadissatisfiedcustomerwantingarefund?

tothankacustomerfortheirorder?

toobtainupdateddeliverydetailsforanorder?

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Unit Q107


Asyoucansee,thereisawiderangeofpossiblereasonsforyourcallandtheyeachneedsomepreparation.Forexample,youshould:

haveallthenecessaryinformationtohand

makenotesofanyinformationwhichyouneedtogetfromtheotherperson

listanypointswhichyouneedtotelltheotherperson.

Byfollowingthissimplesetofguidelines,andbytickingthingsoffyourlistasyougoalong,youwillmakethebestuseofyourtimewhenonthephone.Thismeansthatyouwillalsosavetheotherpersontimetoo,asyouwillnothavetokeepthemtalkingonthephoneanylongerthanisnecessary.

Ways of obtaining names and numbers of people that need to be contactedThereareseveralwaysinwhichyoucanobtainthecontactdetailsofpeoplewhomyouneedtophone.Themethodyouchoosewilldependonthetypeofsystemswhichareinplaceinyourorganisation,butyoumayfindthefollowinguseful.

Searchthecompany’sinternalcontactsdatabase.

Useyourtelephone’smemoryfacilitytoretrievecontactnumbers,ifyouhavephonedthempreviously.

Checkabusinesscontact’scompanywebsitetofindtheirphonenumber.

Searchyouremailcontactlistifyoukeepone(itwouldbeaverygoodideatostartdoingthisifyoudonotdosoalready).

Ifnoneoftheabovemethodsenablesyoutofindthecontactdetailsyouneed,askyourcolleaguestohelp–theymayalreadyhavethedetailsyourequire.Otherwise,youcansearchforpeopleandbusinessesusingadirectoryservicesuchas‘ThePhoneBook’,oroneoftheonlineversionsofthis.


Writeashortreportwhichgivesreasonsforidentifyingthepurposeofacallbeforemakingit.

Startbygivingtwoexamplesofdifferenttypesofcallswhichyoumayhavetomakeatwork.Foreachone,saywhatitisthatyouwouldhavetothinkaboutandpreparebeforehandinordertoachievethepurposeofthecall.



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How to use a telephone system to make contact with people inside and outside an organisationMostofficetelephonesallowyoutocontactaninternalcolleaguebysimplydiallingtheirextensionnumberfromyourhandset.

Whencontactinganexternalcustomerorclient,younormallyhavetopressanumberonyourhandsetfirst–usually9,althoughthisnumbermayvary–inordertobetransferredtotheexternaltelephonesystem.Onceyouhaveanoutsideline,youthendialthecontacttelephonenumberintheusualway.Remembertodialthearea/countrycode,ifthepersonyouarecallingislocatedinanotherregionorcountry.

Activity 1

Carryoutresearchtoidentifysomeoftheonlinedirectoryserviceswhichyoucouldusetofindcontactdetailsforpeopleororganisations.TrydoinganInternetsearchfor‘onlinedirectories’.Makealistoffourdirectoriesandpractisetryingtofindabusinessofyourchoiceineachofthem.Summariseyourresultsinthetablebelow.

Website address of directory

Business searched for Results and comments

1


Writeashortreportwhichdescribesdifferentwaysofobtainingthenamesandnumbersofpeoplethatneedtobecontacted.

Givetwoexamplesofdifferenttypesofpeoplewhomyoumayneedtocontact.Foreachone,sayhowyouwouldgoaboutlocatingtheircontactdetails.



Describehowtouseatelephonesystemtomakecontactwithpeopleinsideandoutsideanorganisation.

Startbygivingoneexampleeachofapersoninsidetheorganisationandapersonorbusinessoutsidetheorganisationand,foreach,outlinethestepsyouwouldneedtotaketocontactthemusingyourofficetelephone.


A version of this table, ready for you to complete, is available to download from www.contentextra.com/businessadmin

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Unit Q107


The purpose of giving a positive image of yourself and your organisationWhenyouaredealingwithpeopleonthephoneatwork,youarerepresentingyourcompany.Thisisanimportantresponsibilitysincethewayinwhichyouspeaktothemwillleavealastingimpression.Apoortelephonemannercanannoycallers,andiftheyarenothappywiththewayinwhichtheyaretreatedonthephone,thebusinessmayloseimportantcustomers.Itcanalsogivethecompanyabadreputation.Itisimportant,therefore,alwaystouseyourbest‘telephonemanner’.

Ways of being professional on the phoneWhenmakingcalls:

Beginbysayingwhoyouare,thecompanyyouarecallingfromandthereasonforyourcall.

Alwaysmaintainabusinesslikemannerinyourspeech(donotuseslang).

Listencarefullytowhattheotherpersonissayingsothatyoucanansweranyquestionswhichtheymayhave.

Nevertalkoveranyoneorcontradictthem(evenifyoudisagreewithwhattheyaresaying),especiallyiftheyareupset.Instead,waituntiltheyhavefinishedspeakingandthen–calmlyandpolitely–replytothem.

Alwaysendcallsbythankingtheotherpersonfortheirtimeandwishingthemapleasantday.

The purpose of summarising the outcomes of a telephone conversation Imaginethatyouhavebeenonanimportantcalltooneofyourmostvaluedclientsforhalfanhour.Youhavediscussedanumberofdifferentthingsanditistimetoendthecall.

Ifyoudonotkeeparecordofwhatwasdiscussedandagreed,itislikelythatanimportantpieceofinformationmaybeforgottenandthiscouldcauseproblemsforyou–andforthebusiness–afterwards.Toavoidthishappening,


Explainthepurposeofgivingapositiveimageofyourselfandyourorganisation.

Tocompletethistaskyouneedtowriteashortsummarywhichoutlinesthereasonswhyyouthinkitisimportanttopresentapositiveimageofyourself.Youshouldalsoincludeaparagraphonwhyitisimportanttogiveapositiveimageofyourorganisation.



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alwaysmakenotesofimportantdiscussionswhileyouareonthetelephone.Typethemstraightintothecomputerformaximumefficiency.Youmayfinditeasiertoworkwithatelephoneheadsetinordertodothis.Attheendofthecall,runthroughthelistofpointswhichyoudiscussedwiththeclientandgooverwhatwasagreed.Anyerrorscanalsobecorrectedimmediately,whileyoustillhavetheclientonthephone.Youcouldalsofollowupthistelephonesummarywithanemailtoyourclientoutliningthemainpointsraisedinthecall.Thisway,eachofyouwillhaveawrittendocumenttorefertointhefuture.

Headsets allow you more freedom while you are talking on the phone

How to identify problems and who to refer them toFromtimetotime,problemswillariseatwork.Itisimportantforyoutobeabletospottheseandtotakeactiontoresolvethem.Sometimesyouwillbeabletosolveproblemsyourself.Atothertimes,youwillneedtoreferproblemstoyourlinemanagerortoanotherdepartmentalmanager.Moreseriousproblemsshouldalwaysbereferredtoamoreseniormemberofstaff.


Writeashortsummarywhichexplainsthepurposeofsummarisingtheoutcomesofatelephoneconversationbeforeendingthecall.

Remembertothinkaboutthisfromthepointsofviewofboththebusinessandthecustomer.


Activity 2

Imaginethatoneofyourcustomerskeepsforgettingtofaxthepaperworkcontainingtheirsignatureauthorisingyoutodespatchalargeordertothem.

Becauseyouhavenotreceivedtheirsignaturebyfax,youarenotallowedtoreleasetheorderfordespatch.Now,thesamecustomerhasphonedyoutocomplainthattheorderhasnotarrived.Whatwouldyoudointhissituation?

Writeabriefsummarysayingwhatyouwoulddoandwhy.

Insituationswhereacolleagueorcustomerispersistentlyuncooperativedespiteyourbestefforts,youmustreferthemattertoanotherperson,usuallyyourlinemanager.Itisthentheirresponsibilitytosortouttheproblem.

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Unit Q107


Organisation structures and communication channels within the organisation

Organisation structures Anorganisation structureshowshowtheemployeeswithinanorganisationfittogetherinthedifferentdepartments.Italsoshowswhoreportstowhom.Structuresareusuallydisplayedintheformofanorganisationstructurechart,liketheoneshowninFigure107.1.Inthechart,youcanseehowthecompanyisorganisedintothreedepartments–production,marketingandIT–withamanagerinchargeofeach.Thedepartmentalmanagerseachhaveemployeeswhoreporttothem.Inturn,thedepartmentalmanagersreporttothemanagingdirector.Noticehowthepersonalassistanttothemanagingdirectoronlyreportstothemanagingdirector,butnoonereportstothepersonalassistant.


Writeashortsummarydescribinghowtoidentifyproblemsandwhotoreferthemto.

Beginbystatingtwoexamplesofproblemsthatyoumightexperiencewhenusingthephoneatwork.Foreachproblem,saywhoyouthinkwouldbethecorrectpersontorefertheissueto.


Production Workers × 10

Managing Director

Personal Assistant

Marketing Manager

IT ManagerProduction Manager

Marketing Executives × 2

IT Support Executives × 2

Production Team Leader

Figure 107.1: An organisation structure chart showing the reporting relationships in a company

Organisation structure – the way in which the staff within an organisation are grouped together into teams and departments.

Key term


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Therearetwomaintypesoforganisationstructures:flatandtall.Aflatstructureisonewherethereisonemanagerandmanypeoplereporttothem–see,forexample,Figure107.2.Atallstructure,ontheotherhand,isonewheretherearemanylayersofmanagersinthecompanyandonlyafewpeoplereporttoeachmanager–anexampleisshowninFigure107.3.

Managing Director

Employee Employee Employee Employee Employee Employee Employee Employee

Figure 107.2: A flat organisation structure

Production Manager

Marketing Executive

IT Support Executive

Production Team Leader

Senior Production Operative

Marketing Assistant

Marketing Manager

IT Manager

Marketing Team Leader

IT Team Leader

IT Support Assistant

General Manager

Figure 107.3: A tall organisation structure

Senior Production Operative

Junior Production Operative

Junior Production Operative

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Unit Q107


Communication channelsTherearetwomaintypesofcommunication channel–formalandinformal.

FormalFormalcommunicationchannelsinclude:

emails

bulletins

companyordepartmentalmeetings

one-to-onemeetingsbetweenamanagerandanemployee

internalcompanynewsletters

companyconferencecalls.

Allofthesechannelsareofficialmethodsusedbythemanagerswithinabusinesstoinformstaffofessentialcompany-relatedinformation.

InformalInformalcommunicationchannelsarealloftheotherwaysinwhichstaffhearaboutwhatisgoingonwithinthebusiness.Theseinclude:

off-the-recordchatsbetweencolleaguestodiscussrecentchangesordevelopments

generalchatamongemployees

thegrapevine–whererumourscanflourish,especiallywhentheformalchannelsarenotprovidingstaffwithsufficientinformation.

Everyorganisationhasitsowninformalmethodsofcommunication.Thesearemorewidespreadduringtimesofanxietysuchaswhenjoblossesareexpectedorwhencompany-widechangesarebeingannouncedthroughformalchannels.Informalchannelsareoftenthemethodwherebystaffairtheirhonestopinionswhichcansometimesbedifficulttodousingformalchannels.

Information flowInformationshouldflowdowntheorganisationstructurefromthetoptothebottomthroughmeetings,emails,bulletinsandcompanynewsletters.Informationshouldalsoflowbackuptheorganisationviafeedback,results,performancereviewsandone-to-onediscussionswithmanagers.Inthisway,thebusinesscanactontheinformationitreceivesfromitsstaffandthiscreatesaplatformforeffectivedecisionmaking.

Communication channels – methods used to pass information to staff within the organisation. Examples include email, the telephone and company meetings.

Key term


Writeashortreportwhichdescribesorganisationstructuresandcommunicationchannelswithinanorganisation.

Beginbybrieflysayingwhatyouunderstandbyeachoftheterms.Thenoutlinetheorganisationstructureandcommunicationchannelswhichexistinyourorganisation.Trytofindacopyofyourcompany’sstructurecharttoincludewithyourworkforthistask.



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Understand how to receive and transfer telephone callsHow to identify callers and their needsWhenreceivingincomingcalls,youmustfirstidentifythecaller.Thisisimportantforanumberofreasons.

Youwillneedtoaccessthecaller’sfiletobeabletohelpthem–youcannotdothisifyoudonotknowwhotheyare.

Ifthereismorethanonecustomerwiththesamesurname,youneedtoconfirmthatyouhaveidentifiedthecorrectcustomer.

Youmayhavetopassthecallontoanothercolleaguewhowillneedtoknowwhoitistheywillbespeakingto.

A quick guide to identifying your customerAskingthecallertogiveyoutheircustomerreferencenumberisthebestwaytoestablishtheiridentity,nomatterhowtrickytheirnameistospell.Failingthis,iftheydonothavetheircustomerreferencenumbertohand,lookthemuponthecustomerdatabasebysearchingfortheirpostcode.Cross-referencethiswiththeirnameandaddresstodouble-checkthatyouhavelocatedthecorrectcustomerrecordsonyourcomputer.


Writeashortreportwhichdescribeshowtoidentifycallersandtheirneeds.

Itmayhelptostatethequestionswhichyouaskcallerswhenyoufirstansweracall.


The purpose of giving accurate and up-to-date information to callersOneofthemainreasonsforcallersphoningabusinessistoaskforinformation.Imaginewhatwouldhappenifyougaveoutlastyear’spricelistforyourproductsbymistake.Thiswouldcauseproblemsbetweenthebusinessandthecustomerwhentheyreceivedtheinvoice–theymighteventaketheirbusinesstoarival,thinkingthatyourcompanyisunprofessionalorevenunderhand.Forthisreason,youneedtodouble-check–withacolleagueoryourmanager–thatallinformationisaccuratebeforeyouprovideittocustomers.

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Unit Q107



Writeashortreportwhichexplainsthepurposeofgivingaccurateandup-to-dateinformationtocallers.

Includeanexampleofwhenaccurateandup-to-dateinformationisimportant.Youcoulduseanexampletakenfromyourownworkexperience.


The purpose of confidentiality and security when dealing with callersThereasonswhyyouneedtomaintainconfidentialityandsecuritywhendealingwithcallersistoprotecttheirprivacyandensurethatsensitiveinformationisnotdivulgedtopeoplewhohavenorighttoseeit.

Confidentiality – keeping information secret; not telling colleagues or friends what you have heard.

Security – keeping information safe, ensuring that it is accessible only to those authorised to see it.

Key terms

Types of information that could affect confidentiality and security Sensitiveinformationcanincludesuchthingsas:

creditcarddetails

bankaccountinformation

passwords

personalcontactdetails.

Informationrelatingtotheseshouldbehandledwithcare,whichmeansnotleavingpaperslyingonyourdeskwhereotherpeoplecouldseethem.Thisispartofyourjobresponsibilitywhenlookingaftercustomers.Imagineitwastheotherwayroundandyouweregivingsensitivepersonaldetailsoverthephonetoabusinesscontact–youwouldexpectthemtokeepyourinformationsafeandsecure.


Writeashortreportwhichexplainsthepurposeofconfidentialityandsecuritywhendealingwithcallers.

Remembertotalkaboutprotectingthecaller’sprivacyandalsothecompany’sprivacy.



Writeashortreportwhichdescribesthetypesofinformationthatcouldaffectconfidentialityandsecurityandhowtohandlethese.

Inyourreport,givetwoexamplesoftypesofinformationthatyouoryourcolleaguesdealwithatworkwhichmustbekeptconfidentialandsecure.



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Ways of identifying the appropriate person to whom a call is transferredSometimesyouwillbespeakingtoacallerbutwillfindthatyouareunabletodealwiththeirqueries.Thecorrectthingtodointhissituationistotransferthecallertoacolleaguewhoisbetterabletohelpthem.Beforedoingso,youmustgetagoodunderstandingofthequeryorproblem.Forexample,itcouldbe:

asalesquery

anaccountingquery

adeliveryquery

areturnsquery.

Onceyouknowwhatthecallisabout,youcanidentifythecorrectpersontodealwithit.Itisimportantthatyouonlytransferthecalleronce,soensureyoutakecarewithroutingthecall.Imaginehowfrustratedyouwouldbeifyouphonedabusinesswithaqueryandwerethentransferredtotwoorthreepeoplebeforeitwasdealtwith,or,evenworse,yourcallwasleftonholdandforgottenabout.


Writeabriefsummarywhichdescribeswaysofidentifyingtheappropriatepersontowhomacallshouldbetransferred.

Useanexampleofacallwhichyouhavetransferredatworkandsayhowyoudecidedwhototransferitto.Ifyouhavenothadtotransferacall,explainhowyouthinkyouwoulddoso.


Information to be given when transferring calls or leaving messagesWhenyouneedtotransferacalltoacolleague,orleaveamessageforthemaboutacall,therearecertainkeypiecesofinformationwhichyoumustensureyougetfromthecallerbeforeyoupassthemtoyourcolleaguetodealwith.Theseinclude:

thecaller’sname

theirtelephonenumber,sotheycanbecalledbackifnecessary

thereasonforthecall.

Byprovidingyourcolleaguewiththisinformation,itwillsavethemtimeandenablethemtodealstraightawaywiththecaller’squery.


Writeashortreportwhichdescribestheinformationtobegivenwhentransferringcallsorleavingmessages.

Remembertoincludeallofthekeyinformationthatanotherpersonwouldneedtoknowbeforetheymadecontactwiththecaller.


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Unit Q107


Office life

Itisimportantfororganisationstoprovidethenecessarytrainingfornewmembersofstafftolearnhowtooperatethetelephonesystem.Thiswillensurethatallstaffquicklybecomehighlyskilledinmaking,receivingandtransferringcallsusingthesysteminthecorrectway.Itwillalsopresentaprofessionalimagetocallersifallcallsarehandledefficientlyandquickly.

Top

tips

Ask the expert

Q IspendalotoftimeusingthetelephonesystematworkbutIamfindingitdifficulttotransfercallerstocolleagues.Asaresult,oneofourmainclientshascomplainedtothecompanyandmymanagerwantstospeaktomeaboutit.WhatshouldIdo?

A Atthemeetingwithyourmanager,offertoapologisepersonallytotheclientinquestion.Thiswillshowthatyoutakeyourresponsibilitiesseriouslyandareprofessional.Youshouldalsoaskyourmanagertoarrangeatrainingsessionforyou,sothatyoucanbecomeskilledandcompetentinallaspectsofoperatingthetelephonesystem.Thiswillenableyoutoworkonthephonewithconfidenceanditwillalsomakesurethatsituationssuchasthisdonotariseagain.

Rishi’s storyMynameisRishiHaria.I’m19yearsoldandhavebeenworkingasanofficeadministratoratExelElectricalManufacturingforthreemonths,havingcompletedmyLevel2NVQinBusiness&Administrationlastsummer.Ispendalotoftimeonthetelephone,eithertakingincomingcallsfrom–ormakingcallsto–customersanddistributors.

Iamfindingitdifficulttoworkwiththetelephonesystem–sometimesIlosecallerswhentryingtotransferthemtoacolleague.Recently,oneofthesecallersturnedouttobethemanagingdirectorofoneofourmajordistributorsandherangbacktocomplainaboutwhathedescribedasmy‘unprofessionalbehaviour’.

Ireallyenjoymyjob,butIamconcernedthatthisincidenthasmademelookbad,notonlyinfrontofmycolleagues,butalsomymanager.MymanagerhasaskedmetocometoameetingwithhimtomorrowtodiscusstheincidentandIamworriedaboutwhattosay.


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How to identify problems and who to refer them toSometimesyoumayencounteranunexpectedproblemwhenreceivingacall.Herearesomeexamples.

Thecallerisangryandtakingouttheirfrustrationonyou.

Thecallerwillnotstoptolistenandisshoutingatyou.

Therehasclearlybeenaseriousmistakeonthepartofthecompany–andthecalleriscomplainingaboutit.

Itisimportantnottotakecallsofthistypepersonallybuttoknowwhattodoinsuchasituation.Problemcallsmustbereferredtoyourlinemanager–oranotherseniormemberofstaffifyourmanagerisnotavailable–andmakesureyouletthecallerknowthatyouaretreatingtheirissuewithdueregard.

Organisational procedures when making and receiving telephone callsThefirstthingyouneedtodoinordertomakesureyouruseofthephoneisinlinewithyourcompany’sproceduresistoobtainandreadacopyofthem.Itisagoodideatohighlightanyareasintheprocedureswhichyouareunsureof,andthenaskyourmanagertoexplainthem.Onlywhenyouareperfectlyhappythatyoufullyunderstandyourcompany’sproceduresformakingandreceivingphonecallsshouldyouembarkonanyphoneconversationswithcustomers.Insomebusinesses,staffundergophonetrainingbeforetheyareallowedtospeaktocustomersonthephone.

Yourorganisation’sproceduresformakingphonecallsmaywellincludeanintroductorylinewhichstaffmustsaywhentheymakeacalltoacustomer.Forexample:‘Goodmorning/afternoon/evening,Sir/Madam.Mynameis___________andIamcallingyoufrom___________.Thereasonformycallis___________.’


Writeabriefsummarywhichdescribeshowtoidentifyproblemswithphonecallsatworkandwhotoreferthemto.

Includetwoexamplesofproblemswhichyouhaveexperiencedandsaytowhomyoureferredthemandwhy.Ifyouhavenotyetexperiencedproblemswhenreceivingcalls,speaktoyourassessoraboutthebestwaytoapproachthistask.


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Unit Q107


Yourcompanyprocedureformakingandreceivingcallswillcontaintwodistincttypesofinstructionswhichyoumustfollow:

Thingswhichyoumustsayanddo

Thingswhichyoumustnot sayordo.

SeetheexampleofacompanyprocedureinFigure107.4.

Activity 3Re-readtheexampleofanintroductorylineabove.Givetworeasonswhyyouthinkitisagoodideaforcallersfrombusinessestotellcustomerstheirnamewhencalling.

Company procedure for making and receiving phone calls

✔ ✘• Be polite

• Use the person’s name

• Take notes of the main points of the call

• Eat, drink or chew gum

• Use slang

• Raise your voice

Figure 107.4: Example of a company procedure for making and receiving phone calls


Writeabriefsummarywhichdescribeshowtofolloworganisationalprocedureswhenmakingandreceivingtelephonecalls.

Startbyfindingacopyofyourcompany’sprocedurehandbookandusethistoexplainhowyoufollowthesestepswhenusingthetelephoneatwork.

Links to LO1: assessment criterion 1.9; LO2 assessment criterion 2.8


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Be able to make telephone calls Thefirstlearningoutcomeinthisunitfocusedontheknowledgethatyouwillneedtobeeffectiveatmakingtelephonecallsatwork.Portfoliotask107.18coverstheevidencewhichyoumustproducetoshowthatyouareabletodemonstratetheseskillsinyourjob.

How to report telephone system faultsIfyouexperienceaproblemwithyourphonesystematwork,youmustreportitstraightaway.Thepersontowhomyoushouldreportthefaultwillbespecifiedinyourcompany’sprocedureshandbook.Ifyouareindoubtastothecorrectcontactforreportingfaults,askyourmanager.

Remember,losttimeonthetelephoneisacosttoyourbusiness,soitisveryimportanttoreportfaultsimmediately.Also,ifthereisafaultonthesystemandyouareunabletodialout,itislikelythatcustomerscannotgetthroughtoyoueither–thiscreatesabadimpressionofthecompanyandmaycausecustomerstoworryaboutitsprofessionalstanding.


Writeabriefsummarywhichexplainshowtoreporttelephonesystemfaults.

Itmayhelpyoutohaveacopyofyourcompany’sproceduretouseasaguidewhenwritingtheanswertothistask.

Links to LO1: assessment criterion 1.10; LO2 assessment criterion 2.9

Evidence collection

In order for you to complete the remaining assessment criteria to pass this unit successfully, you will need to carry out various tasks at work and then produce evidence to show that you have demonstrated the required skills and competence.

Evidence can be collected in a number of different ways. For example, it can be in the form of a signed witness testimony from a colleague or line manager, a copy of any related emails or letters you have produced, or a verbal discussion with your assessor.

Speak to your assessor to identify the best methods to use in order to complete each portfolio task and remember to keep copies of all the evidence which you produce.

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Unit Q107


Be able to receive telephone callsThesecondlearningoutcomeinthisunitfocusedontheskillsrequiredtobeeffectiveatreceivingphonecalls,transferringcallstocolleaguesandtakingmessagesforothers.Portfoliotask107.19coverstheevidencewhichyoumustproducetoshowthatyouareabletodemonstratetheseskillsinyourjob.


Gatherevidenceofyourworktoshowyourassessorthatyouhavesuccessfullycarriedoutthetasksoutlinedinthetablebelow.Checkwithyourassessoronthebestwaysofgatheringevidenceforeachofthetasksbeforeyoubegin.

Task Evidencecollected

1.Identifythepurposeofthecall.

2.Obtainthenameandnumberofthepersontobecontacted.

3.Makecontactwiththeperson.

4.Communicateinformationtoachievethepurposeofthecall.

5.Projectapositiveimageofyourselfandtheorganisation.

6.Summarisetheoutcomesoftheconversationbeforeendingacall.

7.Reporttelephonesystemfaults,ifnecessary.

Links to LO3: assessment criteria 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5, 3.6 and 3.7



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Gatherevidenceofyourworktoshowyourassessorthatyouhavesuccessfullycarriedoutthetasksoutlinedinthetablebelow.Checkwithyourassessoronthebestwaysofgatheringevidenceforeachofthetasksbeforeyoubegin.

Task Evidencecollected

1.Answeraphonefollowingorganisationalprocedures.

2.Giveapositiveimageofyourselfandtheorganisation.

3.Identifythecaller,wheretheyarecallingfromandwhattheyneed.

4.Giveaccurateandup-to-dateinformationwhileprotectingconfidentialityandsecurity.

5.Transfercalls,ifrequired.

6.Takeandpassonmessagesaccordingtothecaller’sneeds.

7.Summarisetheoutcomesoftheconversationbeforeendingthecall.

8.Reporttelephonesystemfaults,ifnecessary.

Links to LO4: assessment criteria 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4, 4.5, 4.6, 4.7 and 4.8

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Unit Q107


Check your knowledge

1 What does the divert feature on phones do?

a.Itredirectsanincomingcalltoyourphonetoacolleague’sphone.

b.Ittellsthecalleryouaretoobusytotalktothem.

c.Itdirectsallyourcallstoyourmanager’sphone.

d.Itputsthecallthroughtoyourvoicemail.

2 Why is it important to identify the purpose of a phone call before you make it?

a.Toavoidangrycustomers.

b.Toensurethatyouhavetosayaslittleaspossible.

c.Toensurethatyoucanprepareforthecallinadvance.

d.Tohelpreducethephonebill.

3 From an office phone system, how would you usually get an outside line?

a.Ringtheoperator.

b.Askforpermission.

c.Dial9.

d.Youcannotusuallydialanoutsidelinefromanoffice.

4 At the end of a phone call, why is it important to summarise the information discussed during the call?

a.Toaddfurtherinformation.

b.Tochangeyourmind.

c.Totellthecalleryoucannothelpthem.

d.Tomakesurethatyoubothagreeonwhathasbeensaidandtocorrectanymisunderstandings.

5 Why should you never use slang words or phrases when on the phone at work?

a.Becauseitisnotfashionable.

b.Becauseitisnotconsideredprofessional.

c.Becausesomeonemighthearyou.

d.Becauseitisagainstthelaw.

6 What is a useful way to identify your caller?

a.Askthemfortheirnameandcustomerreferencenumber.

b.Askthemfortheirfirstname.

c.Askthemwheretheyarecallingfrom.

d.Askthemwhattheproblemis.

7 What does confidential mean?

a.Veryconfident.

b.Notveryconfident.

c.Secret.

d.Suspicious.

8 Which of the following is not considered to be confidential information?

a.Acustomer’sbankaccountdetails.

b.Acustomer’spersonaladdressandhomephonenumber.

c.Thebusiness’saddress.

d.Thebusiness’slistofcustomers.

9 In order to project a professional image at work, which of the following should you never do when you are on the phone?

a.Shoutatthecaller.

b.Listentoyourcaller’sneeds.

c.Askyourcallerhowyoucanhelpthem.

d.Referyourcallertoacolleagueifyouareunabletohelpthem.

10 How can you ensure confidential information at work is kept safe?

a.Takeithomewithyou.

b.Leaveitunderyourdesk.

c.Lockitawayinadrawerorplaceitinasealedenvelope.

d.Leaveitwiththereceptionist.

Answers to these questions can be found on the website.




Unit Q107

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Portfolio task and page reference Mapping assessment criteria

107.1(page3) 1.1

107.2(page4) 1.2

107.3(page5) 1.3

107.4(page5) 1.4

107.5(page6) 1.5

107.6(page7) 1.6

107.7(page8) 1.7

107.8(page10) 1.8

107.9(page11) 2.1

107.10(page12) 2.2

107.11(page12) 2.3

107.12(page12) 2.4

107.13(page13) 2.5

107.14(page13) 2.6

107.15(page15) 2.7

107.16(page16) 1.9and2.8

107.17(page17) 1.10and2.9

107.18(page18) 3.1,3.2,3.3,3.4,3.5,3.6and3.7

107.19(page19) 4.1,4.2,4.3,4.4,4.5,4.6,4.7and4.8


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What your assessor is looking forInordertoprepareforandsucceedincompletingthisunit,yourassessorwillrequireyoutobeabletodemonstratecompetenceinalloftheperformancecriterialistedinthetablebelow.

Yourassessorwillguideyouthroughtheassessmentprocess,butitislikelythatforthisunityouwillneedto:

completeshortwrittennarrativesorpersonalstatementsexplainingyouranswers

takepartinprofessionaldiscussionswithyourassessortoexplainyouranswersverbally

completeobservationswithyourassessorensuringthattheycanobserveyoucarryingoutyourworktasks

produceanyrelevantworkproductstohelpdemonstratehowyouhavecompletedtheassessmentcriteria

askyourmanager,acolleagueoracustomerforwitnesstestimoniesexplaininghowyouhavecompletedtheassessmentcriteria.

Theevidencewhichyougeneratefortheassessmentcriteriainthisunitmayalsocounttowardsyourevidencecollectionforsomeoftheotherunitsinthisqualification.Yourassessorwillprovidesupportandguidanceonthis.

Thetablebelowliststheportfoliotaskswhichyouneedtocompleteforthisunit,mappedtotheirassociatedassessmentcriteria.

Make & Receive Telephone Calls

Documents

Make & Receive Telephone Calls