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.
It is not uncommon for sales departments, etc. that have a lot of road trips to receive phone calls from business partners while the person in charge is out of the office.
In order to respond sincerely without being rude to the other party and to accurately pass it on to the person in charge, tact and consideration are required.
In this article, let’s review the basics of answering the phone when the person in charge is out of the office.
Flow of answering calls when the person in charge is out of the office
If the person on the other end of the call has assigned a contact person, follow the steps below.
- Check agent availability
- Tell them that you will be absent and that you plan to return
- listen to business
- Hear what you want
- ask for the person’s name and contact information
- Send a message to the person in charge
Each step will be explained in detail.
Check agent availability
Put the call on hold and check the presence status of the person in charge designated by the other party.
If you leave your desk temporarily and return immediately, if you are visiting a customer and return to the office after a few hours, if you are on a business trip or on vacation and come back to work after a few days, etc., you have to change your response depending on the situation. There are times, so let’s check the reason and period of absence by looking at the schedule, not just whether you are at your seat .
Tell them that you will be absent and that you plan to return
Inform the other party that the person in charge is absent.
At this point, you don’t have to give specific reasons. Rough details such as “outing,” “business trip,” and “meeting“ are sufficient.
If you know what time you plan to return, let me know.
Knowing when the person in charge will contact you will give them peace of mind.
listen to business
If the person in charge is out of the office and can’t answer your call right away, ask them what they need to do.
If you hear the content and decide that it is urgent, it is better to contact the person in charge on the mobile phone or consult with your boss so that you can start responding as soon as possible.
In addition, if it is a content that anyone can respond to, such as answers to very general questions, you may be able to answer on the spot.
However, for individual matters such as the content of contracts, it is better for the person in charge to deal with them on their own so that mistakes do not occur.
If the content is difficult to handle, it is safer to leave it to the person in charge instead of trying to handle it yourself .
Ask for the desired response
Check how your partner wants to respond.
If you are unable to contact the person in charge, there are mainly the following methods of handling.
- Call back from the person in charge
- deliver a message
- say you got a call
- Contact the other party again (no need to call back)
Even if you do not want to hear from us, be sure to let the person in charge know that you received a call.
ask for the person’s name and contact information
It is necessary to tell the other party’s name exactly because it is a message to the person in charge .
If you missed the first time you were called, before ending the call
- “Excuse me, may I ask your name again?”
and check again.
Don’t forget to ask for your contact information if you would like us to call you back.
Even if you misheard the name, you should be able to get in touch if the phone number matches.
Hand over a phone message to the person in charge
After the call is over, write a note about what you received and pass it on to the person in charge.
The reason for making a memo is to prevent miscommunication of names and contact information by leaving letters .
You can send it by e-mail or chat as long as it’s OK with the company’s rules, but it’s important to send it in a way that will definitely catch the attention of the person in charge .
Phrases that can be used when the person in charge goes out
Here are some phrases to use when answering the phone when the person in charge is out of the office.
It’s a fixed phrase for answering the phone, so let’s memorize it as it is.
“I will check it now. Could you wait a moment?”
This phrase is used when you have to wait for confirmation work.
Instead of suddenly putting it on hold, if you tell them why you’re putting it on hold, they’ll understand.
Also, even if you don’t need a long time to put it on hold, if you are silent for a few seconds while doing research, just say “I’ll check it, so please wait.”
“Unfortunately, ○○ is out.
When the person in charge is at work, but is out of the office and is absent, it is “going out”.
If you go out, you will often return to the company on the same day, and there is a high possibility that you will be able to respond as soon as the person in charge returns.
Return to the schedule and tell the other party if the scheduled time is listed.
“I am on a business trip today and will not return to the office.”
If you are away all day and do not plan to return to work, tell them honestly that you will not be able to contact them during the day by saying, “I will not be returning to work.”
After that, listen to the business, and if it is urgent, call the person in charge or ask your boss for instructions.
“If it’s okay with you tomorrow, the person in charge will call you back.”
If it is difficult to respond on the same day, we will respond after acknowledging that we will contact you after the next day.
“Is there anything I can do for you?”
It is best for the person in charge to respond directly, but if it is an emergency or if the other party is in trouble, ask them what they need to do.
However, if you force yourself to do something that is impossible, it will cause trouble.
Precautions for responding to absence
If you receive a call while the person in charge is out of the office, there is no need to give the other party more information than necessary.
In particular, be careful not to give out information related to business with other companies or private information of the person in charge.
You don’t have to say the reason for going out in detail.
When reporting that the person in charge is out of the office, regardless of the reason, such as visiting a customer, attending a seminar, or having a meeting, the expression “I am out” is sufficient.
You don’t have to tell me the exact destination, it’s OK.
On the contrary, telling them about the place you are visiting or the person you are negotiating with will cause trouble, so be careful not to talk carelessly.
In addition, there is no need to tell the person you are calling about your absence for personal reasons such as going to the hospital, traveling, or your child’s school entrance ceremony.
Don’t give out your personal cell phone number
Even if the person in charge tells you that you are going out and says, “Please tell me your cell phone number because it is urgent,” do not give out your cell phone number without the permission of the person in charge.
The same is true for company-issued mobile phones.
Of course, if the other party already knows the cell phone number of the person in charge, you can call them directly.
Other reasons for absence
For reasons other than going out, there is a way to say it when answering the phone, so let’s memorize it as well.
meeting
- participating in a meeting in a conference room
- Participating in a web meeting from your desk
In these cases, the person in charge is in the office, but cannot answer the phone until after the meeting is over.
Say, “I’m attending a meeting right now. It’s scheduled to end around 0:00.”
However, in the case of urgent matters, it may be better to tell them immediately without waiting until the end of the meeting.
Insert a note so that it doesn’t get in the way, and let the person in charge know that you need to take immediate action.
leave
If you are temporarily away from your seat to eat or use the restroom, you can simply say, “I am currently away from my seat.”
If you leave your seat, you will return in a short time, so it is common to call back as soon as the person in charge returns.
Leaving work (leaving office)
If the person in charge has finished work for the day and has gone home, tell them that they have left work and that they will contact you the next business day.
In addition, the word “leave the company” is also used to mean “retire”, so it may be misunderstood that you have quit the company.
Make it clear that you are leaving work, such as “I left work today.”
holiday
If the person in charge is on vacation, it is a general rule not to contact the person in charge on vacation unless it is urgent.
Explain to the other party how long you will be away and what you will do when you return to work next time.
The reason for absence can be expressed in ways such as “I am on vacation today” or “I will be on summer vacation until the ______ day”. There are cases where you don’t want to take apart.
Be flexible with the wishes of the person in charge .
Leave it to the telephone support service “Canario” for correspondence when going out
If you go out a lot during the day, when you return to the office in the evening, you may end up with a lot of backlogs.
It would be efficient if you could check the calls addressed to you on your company’s landline during business meetings or between trips.
“Canario” provided by NEC Networks & System Integration allows you to forward landline calls to mobile phones.
Since the name of the person in charge is heard and forwarded, it is possible to receive all calls addressed to you on your mobile phone even when you are out of the office.
If I can’t answer the phone, I will transcribe the message and send it to you. You can fly around for business trips and business meetings without worrying about answering the phone.
summary
The point of answering the phone when the person in charge is out
- Communicate the return schedule of the person in charge
- If it is difficult to respond on the same day, please understand that it will be the next day
- Listen to how the other person wants to respond
- Never give out information related to business with other customers or the private life of the person in charge
Please consider using NEC Networks & System Integration’s call forwarding service “Canario” so that you don’t miss a call even when you’re out of the office.