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Telephone Etiquette

Polite telephone skills seem to be a dying art. Most adults today can handle a telephone call in a courteous manner, but many children are not being taught the correct way to take a call. The result? If they are never taught aright, the next generation will be impolite and rude on the phone.
 
Has something similar to the following example ever happened to you?
 
You dial a number and wait for someone to pick up on the other end. Someone does. A childish voice abruptly says, "Hello."
"Hi, can I speak with your mommy?" you ask.
"She's upstairs," is the reply. You are about to speak again when you hear a clunk! and the child screams, "Mooooooooommyyyyyyy, someone is on the phone and wants to talk to you!"
Then it appears the child has walked away and you wait several minutes until the mother finally makes it to the phone and you can continue on with the call.

This is a common occurrence for many people. It causes frustration and irritation not only to the caller, but to the person receiving the call. A few simple rules for answering the phone can change the whole mood of the call.
 
Rule #1: Greet the caller respectfully and confirm that they have the correct number. 
Some examples:
"Hello, this is Sarah."
"Hello, this is the Jones family, Sarah speaking."
"Hello, this is Sarah speaking, how may I help you?"
"This is the Jones' residence, Sarah speaking."
"This is the Jones' residence, how may I help you?"
 
Stating your name will help the caller to know right away if they have the wrong number and avoid further embarrassment. If you don't feel comfortable giving out your full name, use the first or third example where you only say your first name.
 
Rule #2: Transfer the call courteously (when applicable). If the call is not for you, the caller will likely ask for a member of your family. Whether that person is available or not will determine your answer. The question from the caller would likely be, "Hi this is Sam. May I speak with John?" If "John" is available, you might say:
"Yes, just a moment please." If the caller did not state his name, it is fine to say, "Yes, just a moment please. May I tell him who is calling?" If your phone has a cord, gently lay the phone down and find John. If it is cordless, cover the mouthpiece and find John. Avoid shouting if you can help it; if you must, always cover the mouthpiece so you don't deafen the caller.
If John is not available, you could say:
"I'm sorry, he is unavailable at the moment. May I take a message?" It is a good idea to keep a pen and paper close to the phone for this purpose. Make sure you get the person's name and phone number so that John can call them back. If you know that John will be a available in a few minutes (perhaps he is showering), say, "I'm sorry, he is unavailable at the moment, but I can have him call you back in a few minutes. Would that be okay?" Get their name and number if needed.
Never tell the caller that you are alone in the house, or that the person with whom they wish to speak is not home unless you are sure you are speaking to someone you know and trust.
 
Rule #3: End the call politely. When the call is over, it's a good idea to say something like, "Thanks for calling," or, "It was nice talking with you," before you say goodbye and hang up.
 
Following these easy rules will help you to handle telephone calls with courtesy and grace.