How do you make and answer a telephone call? You will be surprised to know that there a few basic rules of etiquette when using a telephone!

Making a Call
* Speak clearly and in a modulated voice. Don’t shout or whisper.
* When you make a call to a friend, someone else in her family may pick up the phone. Always say, “May I please speak to....?”
* If your friend is not available say, “This is.....Could you please ask her to call back?” Or “This is....I will call her back later.”. Don’t plonk down the phone without saying who you are.
* If you know her parents/siblings always enquire after them or greet them before asking for your friend.
* When you make a business or professional call, make sure you know the name and designation of the person you want to talk to or his extension number. If you are calling for help, it is always polite to return the greeting of ‘Good morning’ or ‘Good afternoon’ and to say ‘Thank you’ after you have received the information you want. “Namaskar’ or “Namaste’ is also a suitable greeting.
* Never be rude to telephone operators if they delay picking up the phone or put you on hold for too long.
* If you reach a wrong number, always apologise. If in doubt about the number, say, “Is that....(spell out the number) or “Is that........(residence/name of company/office)?”
* Don’t make prank/blank calls.

Receiving Calls
* Always keep paper and pen handy beside the telephone. Keep emergency phone numbers written clearly beside the phone.
* Say ‘hello’ politely and softly. Don’t shout, ‘Who is that?” or “What??” as soon as you pick up the phone.
* “May I know who is speaking?” or “Who is speaking please?” are polite ways of finding out who the caller is.
* If the call is not for you, say, “Could you please hold on? I will check if so-and-so is available.”
* If the person wanted is occupied or gone out, say, “I am sorry, but so-and-so cannot come to the phone right now. Could you please leave your name and number or a message?”
* Don’t say, “My Dad’s/Mom’s in the bathroom/toilet/doesn’t want to talk to you”!
* If you are alone at home, do not let out the fact to any unknown callers. Do not give prank/blank callers/strangers your phone number or address or your parents’ contact number or office address.
* If you receive an obscene phone call, or a call which makes you uneasy or uncomfortable, don’t listen or speak to the caller. Hang up immediately. Keep the phone off the hook for some time if the caller persists. If you receive obscene calls on a regular basis when you are alone at home, tell your parents who will complain to the police. Such calls can be traced. On no account should you carry on a conversation with such callers.