Manual for Phone Calling at Work in Japan

Since you are not able to show your attitude and facial expression to the other party through phone call, it is necessary to respond more carefully than usual. This is especially important for people who just start working. Let’s become a great working person by reading this article.

Basic rules

① Answer the call before the third ring
② If you cannot pick up the call immediately, you should add 「大変お待たせ致しました。」at the beginning.
③ When you are holding the call, make sure to ask the company name, the person’s name, and brief summary of the matter.
④ Put down your handset after the other party hangs up the phone

Example of the process

Recipient：「（企業名）でございます。」
Caller：「私、＿＿の＿＿と申します。」
Recipient：「＿＿の＿＿様でいらっしゃいますね。いつもお世話になっております。」
Caller：「＿＿の＿＿様はいらっしゃいますか？」
Recipient：「_＿でございますね。かしこまりました、只今お繋ぎ致しますので、少々お待ちくださいませ。」

When the person is absent,
大変申し訳ございません。＿＿は只今外出しております・席を外しておりますが、
① 宜しければ折り返せて頂きますか？
② 宜しければご用件を承りますか？
③ お急ぎでいらっしゃいますか？

Before you hang out the phone, make sure to say,「ありがとうございました。私（名前）が承りました。失礼いたします。」

Taboo

• Don’t pretend to be familiar with the other party on the phone
• Don’t call while drivin
• Don’t talk loudly in the public
• Don’t give the other party more than one person in charge form your company
• Don’t talk loudly around the people who are on phone
• Apologize when the other party is having lunch or already left the office.

Photo from フリー素材ぱくたそ