Procedures for the Automated Office, 6/e By Sharon Burton and Nelda Shelton ©2005 Pearson...

Procedures for the Automated Office, 6/eBy Sharon Burton and Nelda Shelton

©2005 Pearson Education, Inc.Pearson Prentice HallUpper Saddle River, NJ 07458

Chapter 12

Using Telecommunications in the Office



Effective Use—Using Telephone Directories

• Local directory available• Organizations provide staff directory• Become familiar with sections in both

directories– Location of frequently called numbers– Location of U.S. Government, state, county, and

city offices– Learn how to locate items in the yellow pages



Effective Use—Using Telephone Directories (continued)

• If given an unlisted number, keep track of it• If number is frequently used, record it in

telephone card file or on computer list• To obtain number, dial 1-411• Check to see if a company has a 1-800 number

– 1-800-555-1212 – provide name of company– Use Internet for online yellow pages



Effective Use—Speaking Clearly

• Speaking clearly prevents caller frustration• Tone and words must be clear

– Correct Volume – same as talking to person on other side of desk.

– Speed – Don’t run words together, yet don’t speak too slowly

– Inflection – Vary tone of your voice, add emphasis

– Enunciation – Speak clearly• Avoid things like: wouldja, wanna or gimme



Effective Use—Placing a Local Call

• Assemble materials needed prior to call– Write down your questions and comments

• Have correct phone number and contact person’s name

• If receptionist answers, give person’s name or ext. – remember extension for future calls

• Ask for person and identify yourself• If unable to speak to person, leave request

with person answering phone



Effective Use—Answering Telephone

• Answer promptly• Give proper

identification• Be courteous• Take complete

messages• Explain your

manager’s absence• Screen calls

• Transfer calls properly

• Answer a second telephone

• Know when to answer

• Distribute messages promptly



Effective Use—Answer Promptly

• You project image of your organization

• Answer promptly– By 2nd or 3rd ring– Don’t lift receiver and make caller wait

while you finish another conversation– Speak clearly and at moderate speed



Effective Use—Give Proper Identification

• Let caller know office he or she has reached and identify yourself with both your first and last names

• If you answer phone for many managers, give proper identification for each person whose telephone you answer

– Never answer business telephone with “Hello”



Effective Use—Be Courteous

• Use a greeting– Many callers miss name of

organization if it is the first word spoken

• Listen attentively• If leaving line, explain why and

avoid wait of over two minutes



Effective Use—Be Courteous (continued)

• Use courteous phrases during conversation

• Redirect caller– Give caller appropriate name and number

• Let him or her know if you’re looking it up• Transfer call, if possible

• Do not end call abruptly



Effective Use—Take Complete Messages

• Date and time of call• Complete name of caller• Telephone number with area code• Caller’s business affiliation• Pertinent information needed for return calls

– Restate message to caller for accuracy

• Person’s identity taking the call– For forms, use initials– E-mail automatically identifies sender



Effective Use—Explain Your Manager’s Absence

• Be careful of explanation– Use statements like “He is away from his desk at

the moment”– Avoid statements like “He’s still at lunch”– Don’t use the “in conference” excuse

• If in meeting, suggest time when you expect him or her back

• Offer assistance in your manager’s absence



Effective Use—Transfer Calls Properly

• Explain that you are transferring caller to someone else who can handle call– Give caller name and number of person to

whom he or she is being transferred

• If you don’t know where to transfer or you don’t know answer:– Tell caller you will find out and ask if you

can call them back within a “short” timeframe with answer



Effective Use—Answer a Second Telephone

• If two telephones ring at same time:– Answer 1st one and ask if you can put them on

hold in order to answer another call– Answer 2nd call, state that you are on another line,

and ask if you can put them on hold

• Return to 1st call– Thank them for holding– Ask how you may direct their call



Effective Use—Answer a Second Telephone (continued)

• Local Callers:– Offer to call second person back,

after you explain that you are on another call

– When finished with first caller, dial second caller



Effective Use—Answer a Second Telephone (continued)

• If second caller is a long-distance call, do not offer to call back– Ask someone else to take call, or– Tell long-distance caller that you

interrupted a local call to answer• Excuse yourself long enough to tell first caller you’ll be

with them in a minute• Complete long-distance call as quickly as possible• Do not keep first caller waiting for more than a minute



Effective Use—Know When to Answer

• Whose telephones are you responsible for answering and when?

• Do you interrupt managers in meeting with telephone message?

• Tell caller your manager is not available for call before you ask who is calling.



Effective Use—Distribute Messages Promptly

• Delayed messages can cause costly and or embarrassing situations for your manager

• Place messages where they will not be lost or covered up

• Inform caller that you will be sure to deliver message. You cannot guarantee that call will be returned!



Effective Use—Distribute Messages Promptly (continued)

• Besides taking message, many requests can be handled by you or by other employees

• When manager phones in to check on office, provide brief summary of activities and incoming phone calls

• Your job is to collect, use, and provide information



Effective Use—Screen Calls

• If you must screen calls, probe courteously for information– Determine if caller can be referred to someone

else who can help the caller

• Ask how manager wants you to handle callers who won’t identify themselves

• Screening calls– Saves your manager time– Assists the caller



Effective Use—Screen Calls (continued)

• All calls must be handled. Know about your organization – never leave caller guessing.



Effective Use—Handling Angry Callers

• Deal with situation– Find out what caller wants

• If not possible to do what person wants, suggest alternatives

– Share information– Agree on a solution– Follow up



Effective Use—Using Automatic Answering Services

• Interactive Voice Response (IVR) can be programmed to:– Respond after predefined number of rings– Respond between specific times of day.

Play variety of announcements– Prompt the caller through menu of options

to acquire information or leave message– Repeat message based on length of time

caller is on hold



Effective Use—Point-to-Point Calls

• Talk to anyone who answers

• Charges begin when phone is answered

• Two types of point-to-point calls:– Direct Distance Dialing (DDD)

• Caller dials number without assistance

– Operator-Assisted• Collect calls, using pay phone, charged to

credit card, or need to bill third party



Effective Use—Person-to-Person Calls

• Operator assisted

• Provide operator name of person you are calling and number, and if you wish call to be returned

• Charges begin when that person answers



Effective Use—Calling Card Calls

• May or may not need operator assistance

• Equivalent to direct debit card

• Has magnetic stripe on back that updates (debits) amount each time call is made

• Convenient and cost effective



Effective Use—Directory Assistance

• Dial 1 + Area Code + 555 + 1212– Use area code for geographic location you want – If necessary, see phone book for this information

• Provide operator with name of city or town and name of person

• Hang up, then dial number, using:– 1 + area code + seven-digit number provided by

operator

• Pay a charge for service



Effective Use—Conference Calling

• Used when three or more telephone stations are connected across network that supports conversation

• Setup through:– Telephone operator (fee charged), or– Use special “conference” feature available on

most business telephone sets

• Time is prearranged• If you handle:

– Call first number, put on hold, call second number, release hold



Effective Use—Time Zones in the United States

• The United States is divided into five zones:

• Atlantic• Eastern• Central• Mountain• Pacific

• Know time zone for city you are calling



Effective Use—Time Zones Around the World

• The world is divided into 24 time zones• The zones are one hour apart• Standard time is calculated from

Greenwich, England– Greenwich Mean Time is zero– Each of zones, in turn, is designated by a

number representing the number of hours by which standard time of zone differs from Greenwich Mean Time



Effective Use—Receiving Long-Distance Calls

• If call is point-to-point – quickly connect to appropriate person. Charges start instantly.

– If taking message, restate message for accuracy, and then place on appropriate person’s desk

• Person-to-person – Charges start when that person answers phone.– If manager is not in, you can tell operator when he

or she is expected– If manager is to return call, carefully record call-

back information



Effective Use—Placing International Calls

• Countries with area codes are accessed like those in U.S. – use: 1 + area code + number

• Dial foreign countries directly – use:– 011 + country code + city code + local number– Most codes are found in telephone directories

• Use operator assistance, when person-to-person, credit card, third party billing, etc.– Use “01” + country code + routing code + local

number



Effective Use—Long-Distance Calls Log

• Record of outgoing calls and specially handled called

• Computer logs can help management produce timely reports

• Review this report for accuracy

• Analyzing outgoing calls may help reduce phone costs



Interconnect Equipment

• Telephone equipment organizations purchase or lease from suppliers other than from telephone companies

• These systems are controlled at central office

• Most mechanical exchanges are replaced by electronic digital switches



Interconnect Equipment (continued)

• Digital switches are programmed controlled– Caller ID– Call Forwarding– Speed Dial– Redial– Electronic Memory of names and numbers



Common Telephone Equipment

• Touch-Tone Telephone– Provides regular service and tone

transmission

• Key Telephones– Flexibility of making/receiving multiple calls

simultaneously

• Wireless Telephones– Uses radio waves rather than phone wires



High-Tech Conferences

• Companies use telecommunications in office to conduct electronic meetings, including teleconferences and videoconferences

• Reduce travel cost and losses in productivity that can result from time spent away from office



Telephone Message Systems

• Automatic Recording Machines– User turns on recorded message for callers

to hear when phone can’t be answered

• Answering Service– A switchboard attended by operator who

answers subscribers’ telephones at designated hours

– Message and number is taken



Telephone Message Systems (continued)

• Answering Service (continued)

– For emergencies, subscriber may reach client during after-business hours

• Voice Mail– Processes incoming and outgoing calls– Ensures no calls are missed– Avoid telephone tag– Learn to use correctly to avoid annoyance and

frustrations to caller



Private Branch Exchange (PBX)

• For calls coming into and going out of office

• Handles inside calls made between telephone extensions within office

• Requires full-time operator



Private Automatic Branch Exchange (PABX)

• Allows users to dial another extension directly without operator

• For outside calls, dial 9 prior to number

• Some features are shown on right:

• Redials busy lines• Redials last number• Stores up to 30 numbers• Informs a person that call is

waiting• Can answer another’s phone

by using a code• Call forwarding• Place calls on hold while

dialing another number



CENTREX

• Every telephone within CENTREX system has same three-digit prefix

• To call in-house, dial only extension



Hybrid and Virtual Telephone Exchange Systems

• Uses office PCs and Internet

• Take advantage of existing equipment and Internet– Provides familiar voice services and local

control at fraction of cost of traditional office telephone exchanges



Telecommunications Services

• Voice– Most common of services

• Consists of telephone, dial tone, and international telephone network

– Inbound calls coming into home or office at your company’s expense

– Outbound calls are paid for by caller. Calls made from your office or home

– Faxes operate under this type of service



Telecommunications Services (continued)

• Data– Designed for information to transmit from,

and receive through, your office computer system

– Point-to-point connection or Wide Area Network (WAN)



Telecommunications Services (continued)

• Wireless– Services not dependent on terrestrial wires

and cables for transmission– Services include:

• Microware systems, radio broadcast and reception, wireless telephone services, and direct-to-home television services



Voice Recognition

• Systems that translate spoken word into language computer can understand– More than 95 percent of time

• You “voice” instruct computer for:– Appointments – then computer remembers

and reminds you later when you say day– Phone numbers – computer displays when

you say person’s name



The Internet

• Sending and receiving e-mail

• Transferring data files

• Joining newsgroups

• Performing remote computing

• Researching topics of interest



Getting Connected

• To join Internet, you need:– A computer– A modem– An ordinary voice-quality telephone line

• Local Internet service provider (ISP) will supply software needed for connection



International Phone Calls

• International calls may not go through as expected.

• Consider and know the following:– Your own office phone system– Correct format for dialing international numbers– International holidays– Time zone differences– Language barriers

Procedures for the Automated Office, 6/e By Sharon Burton and Nelda Shelton ©2005 Pearson...

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Transcript of Procedures for the Automated Office, 6/e By Sharon Burton and Nelda Shelton ©2005 Pearson...