Initial Call Reception & Identification
You answer the phone for an unavailable colleague/friend, identify yourself, and politely inform the caller that the person they wish to speak with is not available.
Dialogue
Listen and follow along with the conversation
Vocabulary
Essential words and phrases from the dialogue
department
A division or section of a company or organization, like 'Marketing Department' for the team handling sales and promotions.
speaking
Used when answering the phone to introduce yourself, as in '[Name] speaking' to say 'This is [Name] talking'.
unfortunately
An adverb to express regret or bad news politely, like 'Unfortunately, he's not here' meaning 'Sadly, that's the case'.
stepped out
A polite way to say someone has left their desk or office temporarily, often for a short time.
meeting
A formal gathering where people discuss business or work matters, common in offices.
desk
The table or workstation in an office where someone sits to do their job, like a computer area.
around
Used with times to mean 'approximately' or 'about', like 'around 2 PM' for not exactly 2:00.
take a message
To receive a caller's information and note it down to pass on later when the person returns.
Key Sentences
Important phrases to remember and practice
Hello, Marketing Department, Sarah speaking. How can I help you?
This is a standard professional phone greeting: Start with 'Hello', state the department, say your name with 'speaking', and offer help with 'How can I help you?'. Use it when answering work calls to sound polite and helpful.
Hi Sarah, this is John from Sales. Is Michael in?
Introduce yourself with 'This is [Name] from [Department]' and ask if someone is available using 'Is [Name] in?', which means 'Is [Name] at their desk or available?'. Useful for calling colleagues.
Oh, hi John. Unfortunately, Michael just stepped out for a meeting. He's not at his desk right now.
Greet back, use 'unfortunately' for bad news, explain absence with 'stepped out for a meeting' (past tense for recent action), and clarify with 'not at his desk'. This politely informs the caller why the person isn't available.
I see. Do you know when he'll be back?
'I see' acknowledges understanding, then ask about return time with 'Do you know when he'll be back?' using future 'will' contraction. It's a natural follow-up question in conversations when someone is unavailable.
He said he'd be back around 2 PM. Can I take a message for him?
Report what was said using reported speech 'he said he'd be back' (past tense for future plan), 'around' for approximate time, and offer help with 'Can I take a message?'. This shows good service by offering to relay info.