Notes
・Photos and images used in the article are images. It may differ from the content provided by the actual product or service.
・The content of this blog is based on the information at the time of publication. Therefore, regarding the content of the product, images and operating procedures may differ from the current version due to version upgrades, etc.
This article describes general efforts and does not introduce the efforts of NEC Networks & System Integration. Please note.
If the person in charge is not available for answering the phone, it is necessary to devise a method of contacting them as smoothly as possible in order to avoid repeated misunderstandings.
The frequently used “call back” is not just a simple call back, but it is desirable to take care of the other party in order to minimize the stress of miscommunication.
In this article, we explain how to respond to calls by case and manners when returning calls.
If you answer the phone in the office, or if you often go out and have many opportunities to call back, please refer to it.
Isn’t the usage of “folding back” wrong?
“Call back” means “the person who received the call calls back the person who called”.
Recently, however, I often hear “wrap around” being used incorrectly.
Wrong use of “back”
A “Is Mr. XX from the sales department coming?” B “ Sorry
. I will call you back.”
I have mixed feelings about this exchange. In the example above, it was Mr. A who called.
When Mr. A finds out that there is no person in charge, he says that he will call back on his own.
However, Mr. A made the first call, so if Mr. A calls again, it is not “call back”.
What is the correct usage of “fold”?
A “Is Mr. XX from the sales department here?” B “Sorry
.
Would you please”
Mr. A called me, but since the person in charge was not available, I asked him to call me as soon as he returned.
In this case, the person who received the call will contact you, so it will be “call back”.
[By reason for absence] Examples of return phone calls
If the person in charge named by phone is not available, the general steps to follow are as follows.
- Tell the person in charge is away
- Communicate the reason for your absence and when you plan to return
- ask how you would like to be treated
- Check contact information if you would like a call back
- Create a message and contact the person in charge
If the call is returned, the other party will wait for a call from the person in charge.
In that case,
- Is the person in charge nearby or far away?
- Scheduled business or sudden business?
- Short-term absence or long-term absence
If you can convey such information, the other party can make an outlook even if the person in charge cannot be caught immediately.
Let’s take a look at how to say and respond to each reason for absence.
leave seat
“〇〇 is out of the office at the moment. May I contact you as soon as I return?”
The state of being away from the desk even though you are at the office is called “leaving”.
In the case of “toilet”, “lunch”, “smoking area”, etc., it’s okay to blurt out “seating” without saying anything specific.
If you say “leave”, you know that you will be contacted in a relatively short time, so you don’t have to say a specific return time.
In a meeting
“〇〇 is currently in a meeting. It is scheduled to end at 11 o’clock, so I will contact you as soon as it is over.”
In the case of a meeting, you should be able to see the expected end time by looking at the calendar.
Tell the person you are calling about the approximate end time and that the person in charge will call you back when you are done.
In principle, it is better to avoid intermediation during meetings,
- Notification of lateness from the other party of the meeting
- Communication regarding connection methods and problems in web conferencing
For example, if you receive a call related to the progress of the meeting, you may be able to handle it even during the meeting.
Busy
“〇〇 is currently having a meeting. I will call you as soon as I return.”
This is an example of how to respond when you are at your desk but you are busy and cannot answer the phone.
“I’m busy and I can’t respond” is the same thing as saying to the person on the phone, “There are things that I have to prioritize over you.”
It would be disrespectful to the other party, so it would be better to change it to something that cannot be interrupted, such as a “meeting”.
If the person in charge does not have enough time, ask them, “Is there anything I can do for you? ”
on the phone
“I’m on another call right now, so may I give you a call when I’m done?”
If the person in charge is on the phone, it is a good idea to return the call when the call ends.
Depending on the content of the call, it can take anywhere from a few minutes to tens of minutes, so I can’t read the exact time here, but if you say “I’m on the phone”, the other party may take a long time. will give you
Not at home
“○○ is out today. He is scheduled to return around 15:00, so may I give you a call when he gets back?”
Even if you are out of the office, you will be able to see your return schedule on the schedule, so we will inform you of the time you plan to return to the office and we will call you back.
However, if it is an urgent matter, waiting for the return may delay the response.
If you need an urgent response, it is a good idea to contact the person in charge on their mobile phone or consult with your boss .
business trip
“〇〇 is on a business trip today. He is scheduled to come to work tomorrow, so I will tell him to contact you when he comes to work.”
A business trip may be a direct trip and may not return to the office today, or it may last for several days.
Let them know when you plan to come to work next time, and ask them if it’s okay to call you back after coming to work.
In the same way as when going out, in case of emergency, contact the mobile phone of the person in charge or consult with your boss to see if the remaining members can handle it.
holiday
“〇〇 is on vacation today. Next time, she will come to work on 〇〇. May I contact you when she comes to work?”
If the person in charge takes a day off, in principle, the response will be after the next day.
Since vacations are private time, please refrain from contacting them as much as possible.
It is not necessary to give details such as the reason for taking leave.
Be careful not to hurt the other person’s mood, such as “I’m going to leisure even though I’m requesting an urgent response.”
Points for creating memos for telephone calls
After you return the call, create a call note to pass it on to the person in charge.
Include the following items so that the person in charge who sees the memo can respond smoothly.
- Correspondence date and time
- Corresponding person
- Name, contact phone number of the other party
- matter
- message
In addition to handing out a message memo on paper, it is also recommended to create it by email or chat.
If you send it in a way that you can view it on your smartphone, there are advantages such as being able to return it between appointments without waiting for your return from outside.
Business Etiquette When Calling Back
Make sure to check the etiquette when calling back.
call as soon as possible
In fact, it would be ideal if the matter could be completed in one call, but when the call is returned, the other party is kept waiting.
When you receive a call-back request, do not put it off and contact the other party as soon as possible.
Confirm the content of the message
If you return the message without fully understanding the content of the message, the other party will have to explain the same thing again, which will be a hassle.
If you have a message, check the content and then return it.
If you receive a call on your mobile phone, check to see if the answering machine has been recorded.
take into account the other person’s schedule
It is better to return the call as soon as possible, but if the other party’s company is after work, it is necessary to consider the next day’s response.
You should also avoid busy times, such as early in the morning or before and after your lunch break .
Please choose a time slot when the other party can answer the phone.
Respond to questions and requests
If you have received a question or request by message, we are waiting for your response.
When you call your question, gather the necessary information so that you can answer the call back.
If you have been asked to take action, complete the process before contacting us.
Leave it to “Canario” to answer the phone when you are out of the office
In departments where the person in charge is often out of the office, a considerable amount of time is spent on intermediary and correspondence during absence.
Therefore, we recommend “Canario”, which uses AI to answer phone calls.
“Canario” has the following features.
- If an agent is named, ring the agent’s mobile phone.
- If you cannot answer the phone, leave a message.
- Text the message and send it to the person in charge.
The AI will also forward and relay calls and leave messages when you are out of office, so there is no need for employees to answer the phone at the office.
You can concentrate on your work without worrying about missing an important call.
Article Summary
We have summarized the etiquette for answering and returning phone calls when you are not at home.
If the other person doesn’t catch up and crosses over and over again, it will consume both of them’s time.
- Communicate return time when absent
- turn back as soon as possible
- Consider the other party’s schedule when calling back
By doing this, you should be able to connect easily on the phone.
If you have a lot of correspondence when you are out of office, we recommend automating it with the AI-powered telephone support service “Canario.”