Phone Etiquette Basics - Essential Rules for Teens

Why Does Phone Etiquette Matter?

Unlike LINE or email, a phone call makes its impression on the other person through your voice alone. Speak politely and they will think you are a capable, reliable person; speak carelessly and they will think you are rude. Phone etiquette is a skill that stays useful for the whole of your working life. Incidentally, "moshi moshi" - the standard way of answering a call in Japan - has an interesting origin of its own.

When you are speaking to an adult you do not know, and above all when you are applying for a part-time job or calling your school, whether you know the basics of etiquette changes the impression you make enormously. Put the other way round, get the basics right and people will conclude that you have your head screwed on. None of it is difficult. Learning the rules set out in this article is quite enough.

Etiquette for Making a Call

Mind the time of day

Here is a guide to the hours during which it is acceptable to call. Thinking about what suits the other person is the most basic point of etiquette there is.

• Shops and companies: within opening hours. Avoid the moments just after opening and just before closing, when they are busy
• Individuals: 9 in the morning to 9 at night as a rough guide. Avoid early mornings and late nights
• The lunch hour, 12:00 to 13:00: safer to avoid calling companies. A call arriving mid-meal is a nuisance
• Monday mornings: companies are often snowed under with the start of the week. Avoid unless it is urgent

Give your name first

As soon as the call connects, begin by giving your own name. Launching into your business without introducing yourself leaves the other person confused.

• Calling a shop: "Sumimasen, [name] to moshimasu ga" (Excuse me, my name is [name])
• Applying for a part-time job: "O-isogashii tokoro osore irimasu. Arubaito no boshu o mite o-denwa shimashita, [name] to moshimasu" (Sorry to trouble you when you are busy. I am calling about your advertisement for part-time staff; my name is [name])
• Calling a school: "[year]-nen [class]-kumi no [name] no hogosha desu ga" (I am the parent or guardian of [name] in class [class] of year [year]) - when calling as a guardian

State your business concisely

Once you have given your name, state your business concisely. A long preamble is unnecessary. The other person may well be busy, so etiquette means telling them straight away what the call is about.

Examples: "[date] no yoyaku o shitai no desu ga" (I would like to make a booking for [date]) / "[subject] ni tsuite shitsumon ga aru no desu ga" (I have a question about [subject]).

Etiquette for Answering a Call

Answer within three rings

Etiquette holds that you should pick up within three rings, which is about ten seconds. If you have kept the caller waiting for four rings or more, add the line "O-matase shimashita" (Sorry to keep you waiting). Bear this in mind particularly when answering the phone at a part-time job.

Answer in a bright voice

Answer brightly with "Hai, [name] desu" (Hello, this is [name]). A mumbled voice is hard for the caller to make out and creates a poor impression. When you answer, consciously pitch your voice a little higher than usual and you will sound brighter.

Calls from numbers you do not know

Whether to answer a call from a number you do not recognise is a genuine dilemma. If you do answer, "Hai, [name] desu" is all you need. If you would rather not answer, let it go to voicemail, listen to the message, and then decide whether to call back.

Etiquette During the Call

Take notes

Always write down the dates, times, places and names the other person gives you. Saying you will remember and then forgetting causes the most trouble of all. Ideally have a pen and paper ready before the call. Using the notes app while you talk on the same phone is fine too.

Make listening noises

On the phone the other person cannot see your face, so show that you are listening with the occasional "hai" (yes), "naruhodo" (I see) or "wakarimashita" (understood). Total silence leaves them wondering whether you are still there. Too many, however, become grating, so the trick is to space them out sensibly.

Say something before putting the caller on hold

When you need to put the call on hold to check something, say "Shosho o-machi kudasai" (One moment please) first. Going silent leaves the caller worrying that the line has dropped. If the wait is likely to be a long one, saying "Kakunin ni sukoshi o-jikan o itadakimasu" (Checking will take me a little time) is the polite touch.

Mind your surroundings

When you make a call, choose as quiet a place as you can. Noise around you makes it hard for the other person to hear. If you are outdoors, adding "Sukoshi mawari ga sawagashikute sumimasen" (Sorry, it is a little noisy here) makes a good impression.

Etiquette for Ending a Call

• Say "Arigatou gozaimashita. Shitsurei shimasu" (Thank you very much. Goodbye) before you hang up
• If the other person is your senior - a teacher, someone at a shop - wait for them to hang up first
• Do not slam the phone down. On a smartphone, tap the end-call button gently
• Do not forget to confirm the details before you finish. Repeat them back: "[date] no [time] desu ne" (So that is [time] on [date])

Things You Must Not Do

• Doing something else while you talk: eating or walking while on the phone makes your voice hard to make out
• Talking on a train or a bus: calls in public spaces are a breach of etiquette
• Using the speakerphone in public: everyone around you hears the entire conversation
• Cutting the other person off: hear them out before you speak
• Using casual speech: with someone you do not know, use polite "desu" and "masu" forms
• Fiddling with your phone during the call: the tap sounds can sometimes be heard at the other end

Calling About a Part-Time Job - A Worked Example

One of the calls that teenagers find most nerve-racking is applying for a part-time job. Here is how it goes. Write this sequence down on a note beforehand and nerves will not matter.

1. "O-isogashii tokoro osore irimasu. Arubaito no boshu o mite o-denwa shimashita, [name] to moshimasu" (Sorry to trouble you when you are busy. I am calling about your advertisement for part-time staff; my name is [name])
2. "Arubaito no obo wa mada uketsukete irasshaimasu ka?" (Are you still accepting applications for the position?)
3. If you are asked about interview times: "[date] no [time] de o-negai shimasu" (Could we say [time] on [date], please)
4. "Tojitsu wa nani o motte ikeba yoi desu ka?" (What should I bring with me on the day?)
5. "Arigatou gozaimasu. [date] no [time] ni ukagaimasu. Yoroshiku o-negai shimasu" (Thank you. I will come at [time] on [date]. I look forward to it)

If the person dealing with applications is out, ask "Nanji goro ni o-denwa sureba yoroshii desu ka?" (Around what time should I call?) and try again then. Sometimes they will use call forwarding to put you through to a different member of staff. Our article on handling calls at a part-time job is worth reading as well.

Points to Watch When Using a Landline

If there is a landline at home, there will be times when you answer a call meant for another member of the family. It is worth knowing the key points for answering a landline too.

• Answer by giving the household name: "Hai, [surname] desu" (Hello, the [surname] residence)
• If the call is for another family member, say "Shosho o-machi kudasai" (One moment please) and pass the phone over
• If they are out, say "Tadaima gaishutsu shite orimasu. Modorimashitara orikaeshi o-denwa sasemashou ka?" (They are out at the moment. Shall I have them call you back when they return?)
• Note down the caller's name and their business, and pass it on to your family

Summary

Phone etiquette rests on four basics: give your name, state your business concisely, take notes, and thank the other person before you hang up. It does not have to be perfect. As long as your intention to be polite comes across, that is enough. You may be nervous the first time, but after a few calls it starts to come naturally. If the very act of making a call frightens you, see our tips on easing the tension of a phone call as well. Use the phrases in this article and make that call with confidence.