Don’t go on talking to someone in the office as youanswer the telephone. You never know who your callermay be, and information inadvertently given out in thisway could be harmful to national security. In addition, itis discourteous to make the caller wait while you finishyour office conversation.When you answer the phone for someone who isabsent from the office, give some facts to the personmaking the call. Do not merely say, “He is not in rightnow.” Rather, tell the caller when you expect the personto return, or volunteer to help if you can. If you have noinformation concerning the whereabouts of the personcalled, ask the caller if you may take a message.Always make sure you have a pencil and pad besidethe telephone for taking messages. This practiceeliminates needless rummaging about while the otherperson is holding the line open. Also, it is worthremembering that the message will mean little to theperson for whom it is intended unless you leave thefollowing information:1. Name of the caller2. The message3. Time and date of the message4. Your nameSometimes, you may have to leave the telephone toobtain additional information for a call. When this delayis necessary, you should make it known to the caller. If ittakes more time to obtain the required information thanyou anticipated, give the caller an occasional progressreport, such as “I’m sorry I did not find it there. If you donot mind waiting, I will look elsewhere.”When making a telephone call, there are certainrules you should observe.1. Be sure that the number you dial is the correctone. When you dial wrong numbers, you wasteother people’s time as well as your own.2. When making a call to another office, identifyyourself immediately.3. If you make the call for another person or anofficer, so inform the person at the other end ofthe line. This courtesy eliminates the need forthe other party to question you in this regard.4-10Student Notes:Figure 4-7.—Telephones.
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