Hi everyone, welcome again to Radio English on Sunday. This is Bruce,/ and this is Peter.
/ Today on page two hundred sixty eight, we begin unit thirty two: Professional Telephone Etiquette.
/ 礼貌 is very important, not only in day to day relations, but also in business. So we are going to be talking about how to be polite on the telephone as a professional. Wether you work for the gonernment, business, in education, or even in daily life.
Let take a look now at our material beginning on page two hundred sixty eight.
"ring..ring...ring.." Hello?
"Uh, excuse me, but is this Dragon Mountain Trading Company?""Who's calling?""Well, I'm Mr. David Parker, and I...""What do you want?""Uhh, I'd like to speak with your manager.""He's busy. Call back later. (click)"Unfortunately, some companies still have not trained their employees in the professional use of the telephone. The above telephone conversation is not only discourteous, but also hurts business prospects. If Mr. Parker is calling to speak with a number of companies in order to build business relationships with them, he is not very likely to call Dragon Mountain Trading Company again. To prevent this from happening, those who are responsible for the conduct of business over the telephone should keep a few simple but important points of telephone etiquette in mind.
The word "etiquette" means "politeness" or "courtesy", and this is something we should keep in mind when we are on the telephone, even though we do not see the people we are talking to. They certainly can hear us, and we should be polite with others whenever we can. At the beginning of today's lesson, there is an imaginary telephone call, which actually is little change from one I once had, and I was shocked that a company could treat people who call them in such a way. So I think it's important for people to understand, especially business people, how to receive customers or clients on the telephone. If you are discourteous, you are inviting people away from your business. They don't become a business prospect any more; they become lost business. So if you want to prevent or stop that from happening, you should keep in mind that there are some very simple but useful points of professional telephone etiquette. And we're going to introduce them to you throughout today's article.
/ Well, Bruce just said that this dialog can appear in, on the top of this page, was imaginary. But actually in real life this can happen, and this happens quite often here.
/ Unfortunately. Well, I figured I'm never going to do business with this company again.
/ You already showed your courtesy by not shouting at them.
/ No, I never do that. Why should I change myself for somebody else in negative way? "I'd like to, but I don't.
/ 注意etiquette的念法。
adequate, --enough, plenty of -we had adequate money to take that trip. 适量的，刚刚好够的，Alright, let's continue here, 4:37 the very long article today. So, we have to continue.
The first and the most important point concerning the professional use of the telephone is the attitude towards any caller. The telephone is the lifeline of the company with the outside world, and those who call in should be considered potential business prospects. However, customers are not nameless, faceless voices; they are people, who enjoy being and deserve to be treated courteously and fairly. Everyone who uses an office telephone should remember that a friendly, helpful and efficient call can make the difference between success and failure with the caller. Once this is appreciated, a business office can operate at its full potential.
We sometimes forget that our attitude can be heard throught he human voice. When you are talking to another person, people are not so stupid as we often think they are, at least they can hear your attitude as you're talking to them. If you are talking down to them, as though you are unimportant; or if you sound annoyed, that you have this call, and how would you feel, if somebody talk to you that way? So we should remember that this professional courtesy counts in that people's attitude towards your company, often comes from the attitude (about how) they are served, or should be served on the telephone.
/ Yeah, I would say "adequate", you just used the telephone as a lifeline of the company with the outside world, but we can also say, "etiquette" is a lifeline of the company with the outside world. This can never be too true in Japan when you have a chance to visit that country; you can go anywhere, for example, if you want to buy something at a department store, even the lady in the elevator...
/ Mmm, sincere and helpful.
/ ..so we say, the telephone is the lifeline of the company, by the same token, we can say, etiquette if the lifeline of the company with the outside world.
/ Mmm. Remember "etiquette" means "courtesy" or "being polite".
Let's go ahead to our next paragraph.
/ Oh, sorry, another word, "potential", 在这段中用了两种用法。 one is an adjective, "potential business prespects", 潜在的, 另外是名词，潜能，潜在的能力，he is full of potential.
/ Yeah, we think that in the future he will have great ability because he seems to have a lot of potential.
/ He is a promising young man, full of potential.
Alright. Now let's take a look at the next short paragraph.
How can all office workers put the above principle into practice? Several tips on the successful use of the office telephone have been collected from many companies over the years. This advice is timeless, and covers all manner of businesses. Companies whose employees use the following telephone etiquette are more likely to keep their clients and attract new customers.
This paragraph simply tells us that we are going to give you some examples that have been time-tested. These are not abstract ideas; these are actual practices taken from many professional and many successful professional companies over a long time. They have kept their old clients, and they have attracted new ones.
/ They have been time-tested,How can all office workers put the above principle into practice, --to put something into practice, to put something to use, 用use 的时候前面要用to. 不然用into. 这是一个习惯的用法。
...and covers all manner of businesses, 这里的manner为什么不加s呢？ 这也是一个习惯的用法， 相当于all kinds of businesses, 各种各样的，"manner" 如果加了s, 就相当于礼貌， etiquette,He has no table manners, 他没有吃相，________hypothetical,Of, relating to, or based on a hypothesis:
假设的一个假设的，与假设有关的，或基于一个假设的：
a hypothetical situation.
一个假设的情形See: theoreticalSuppositional; uncertain.
假定的；不确定的See: supposedConditional; contingent.
有条件的；可能发生的，Ok, let's go ahead and start to look at these useful and important tips.
When answering the phone, all employees should identify the company and themselves. In the above hypothetical conversation, the office worker should've answered the call with "Dragon Trading Company, Gennis Wang's speaking." rather than force Mr. Parker to enquire whether or not he had dialed the company number correctly. In some companies, employees will further identify their position within the company, such as "Codak, Mike Zhou, sales representative, speaking." or "Great Light Sports Equipment, Frances Zhang, personnel director, speaking. May I help you?" and so on. Of course, in larger companies, which have automated dialing or an operator, it is often unnecessary to state the name of the company. That has been done already on the tape or by the operator. But, self identification continues to be helpful and thus important.
Now we are telling you right from the beginning, how to answer a call. You should identify either your government unit or the name of your company, or the name of your school, then give your name and your position is also very helpful. If you are in a big company, or if there is an operator, you probably don't have to give the name of your school or the name of your company or the government unit, but you should know what the caller hears from the time he places the first call until the call comes to your office or to you personally. People in charge of the telephone service at company, school, or government unit, should make clear to everyone what the caller is going to hear when he dials the number. Especially for businesses, this is extremely important.
Ok, the next page, the next paragraph. 13:52As with Frances Zhang above, a simple "may I help you?" is enough to invite the caller to state his or her business with the company. However, it is always important to listen carefully to the caller's request. It is possible, for example, that the callee is not the right person for whom the caller is looking. By listening carefully, the callee can respond to the needs of the customer on the line. Treating callers as routine, or even annoying interruptions to one's work is a mistake. If someone outside the company has taken the time to call in, someone inside the company should take the time to respond to it.
Once again, this is basic etiquette, you should treat every call that comes to your office as an important one. However, listen to the caller. Perhaps there has been a mistake made and you are not the person who can help the caller; so by listening carefully to the caller and being polite with them, you can either do business with them, to help them and to help your company; or you can advise the person who they should call. The another unit of your company or another government unit, perhaps it has been a wrong call.
Continuing.
If the caller is looking for someone not presently in the office, a message should be taken and repeated over the phone to make sure all the information is correct. If a product or service is unvailable, the caller should be told what possible substitute is available, or when the desired item be back in stock. Every effort should be made to please the caller. This extra effort makes a lasting impression, the kind of impression that often results in repeat business. In our conversation above, the callee should've told Mr. Parker when the manager would return to take his call, or offer to take a message for him. Hanging up on the caller is the best way to lose business.
Again, everything depends on the caller. This is a business opportunity. (Why spoil the way?) If, for example, the person who is calling wants item A on your catalogue, but right now you don't have item A, perhaps you could suggest "but we do have item B now" and "maybe it is a little more, but it is a little better, " if the caller insists on item A, then you should be ready and able to tell the person, "well, we will have item A available in ten days, and when it comes in I will call you, and let you know as soon as it comes in. " These efforts you make on the telephone leave a lasting impression. Unfortunately, if you are rude to a caller, or hang up on the caller instead of trying to help them, that also leaves a lasting impression and maybe the last impression of your company.
/ in the office, 在办公室里，但是如果表示“就职，担任。。”这个时候要就take office, 不能讲take the office.
He took office as the mayor of the city. 他就职担任这个市的市长。
available,Do you have this watch available? Do you have this kind of watch available?
After information has been given or helped, the call should not be considered finished. Each call is an opportunity to further the interests of the company. As with "we have other fine products. I'll be happy to send you out catalogue, " or "our company can offer additional services. My manager and I would be happy to make an appointment with you to discuss them." Above all, end each conversation with a genuine "thank you for calling. It's been a pleasure serving you. " , or other lines to make the customer feel he or she is not being discarded as just another business obligation. Successful calls make customers feel welcome to call again.
Here we have the idea that every business call, even when the business is finished, that the caller wants is still an opportunity to continue or expand business opportunities. The last sentence is a very important one. "Successful calls make customers feel welcome to call again. " You will hope that the caller will see you again, write you again, fax you again, email you again? or call you again? Then you have more business.
Let's finish up now.
Today's world of business is highly competitive, people have not changed, however. They still like to be treated in a friendly and helpful way, even over the telephone. A genuinely friendly and helpful attitude on the phone, identification of company and callee, offers of help or message taking promotion of further business opportunities, and leaving the caller with the feeling that he would like to call again seem like insignificant matters. Added up, however, they can make the difference between a company's success and failure in our high-tech but still human world.
This paragraph reviews all the tips we've given you, and we hope you will take these tips to heart.
"Now let's go back for our final reading of ..Professional Telephone Etiquette.
_____________Pan. 2003. 7.
Unit 32 Professional Telephone Etiquette 职业电话礼貌"(ring...ring...ring...) Hello?""Un, excuse me, but is this Dragon Mountain Trading Complay?""Who's calling?""Well, I'm Mr. David Parker, and I...""What do you want?""I'd, uh, like to speak with your manager.""He's busy. B\Call back later. (click)"Unfortunately, some companies still have not trained their employees in the professional use of the telephone. The above telephone conversation is not only discourteous, but also hurts business prospects. If Mr. Parker is calling to speak with a number of companies in order to build business relaionships with them, he is not very likely to call Dragon Mountain Trading Company again. To prevent this from happening, those who are reponsible for the conduct of business over the telephone should keep a few simple but important points of telephone etiquette in mind.
The first and most important point concerning the professional use of the telephone is the attitude towards any caller. The telephone is the lifeline of the company with the outside world, and those who call in should be considered potential business prospects. However, customers are not nameless, faceless voices; they are people who enjoy being and deserve to be treated courteously and fairly. Everyone who uses an office telephone should remember that a friendly, helpful, and efficient call can make the difference between success and failure withthe caller. Once this is appreciated, a business office can operate at its full potential.
How can all office workers put the above principle into practice? Several tips on the successful use of the office telephone have been collected from many companies over the years. This advice is timeless and covers all manner of businesses. Companies whose employees use the following telephone etiquette are more likely to keep their clients and attract new customers.
When answering the phone, all employees should identify the company and themselves. In the above hypothetical conversation, the office worker should have answered the call with, "Dragon Trading Company, Janice Wang, speaking." rather than force Mr. Parker to inquire whether or not he had dialed the company telephone number correctly. In some companies, employees will further identify their position within the company, such "Kodak, Michael Chou, sales representative, speaking." or "Great Light Sports Equipment, Frances Chang, personnel director, speaking. May I help you?" and so on. Of course, in larger companies which have automated dialing or an operator, it is often unncessary to state the name of the comany (that has been doen already on the tape or by the operator), but self-identification continues to be helpful, and, thus, important.
As with Frances Chang above, a simple "May I help you?" is enough to invite the caller to state his or her business with the company. However, it is always important to listen carefully to the caller's request. It is possible, for example, that the callee is not the right person for whom the caller is looking; by listening carefully, the callee can respone tot he needs of the customer on the line. Treating caller as routine or even annoying interruptions to one's work is a mistake. If someone outside the company has taken the time to call in, someone inside the company should take the time to respond to it.
If the caller is looking for someone not presently int he office, a message should be taken and tehn repeated over the phone to make sure all the information is correct. If a product or service is unavailable, the caller should be told what possible substitute is available or when the desired item will be back in stock. every effort should be made to please the caller. This extra effort makes a lasting impression, the kind of impression that often results in repeat business. In our conversation above, the callee should have told Mr. Parker when the manager would return to take his call, or offered to take a message for him. Hanging up on the caller is the best way to lose business.
After information has been given or help offered, the call should not be considered finished. Each call is an opportunity to further the interests of the company, as with "We have other fine products. I'd be happy to send you our catalogue." or "Our company can offer additional service. My manager or I would be happy to make an oppointment with you to discuss them." above all, end each conversation with a genuine. (这里书上少了个句号） "Thank you for calling. It's been a pleasure serving you." or other lines to make the customer feel he or she is not being discarded as just another business obligation. Successful calls make customers feel welcome to call again.
Today's world of business if highly competitive. People have not changed, however. They still like to be treated in a friendly and helpful way, even over the telephone. A genuinely friendly and helpful attitude on the pphone, identification of company and callee, offers of help or message taking, promotion of further business opportunities, and leaving the caller with the feeling that he would like to call again seem like insignificant matters. Added up, however, they can make the difference between a company's success and failure in our high-tech but still human world. |