Professionals: How do you answer the phone at work?

[Ursa Majoris]

I look at caller ID and if it's an unidentified outside line or a front desk transfer I usually pick up the phone and say "F off, you stinking weasel". This works very well.

[Kid Cid]

I always answer "Good <morning, afternoon, evening, night>, Robert Smith". Unless I know the caller ID in which case the salutation is highly unpredictable.

[dmarc117]

I look at caller ID and if it's an unidentified outside line or a front desk transfer I usually pick up the phone and say "F off, you stinking weasel". This works very well.

 

 

one of the greatest inventions of our time!

[Savage Beatings]

Company Name, this is Savage

[Sgt. Ryan]

Sarge speaking or This is Sarge...

[Hugh 0ne]

This is Hugh One.

[Big F'n Dave]

If I know it's a female: "This is BFD, what can I do to you?"; or more simply, "What's up, b*tch?"

[nogohawk]

Acme Mortuary... you bag'em we tag'em

 

edited to add: I guess that could qualify for Acme Necropheliacs too

 

 

Stan's Mortuary ... you stab 'em, we slab 'em.

 

Emma's Massage Parlor ... we won't rub you the wrong way!

[rajncajn]

Outside calls "Damage Control, rajn speaking"

 

Inside calls "What's up?"

[alexgaddis]

Welcome to McDonalds can I take your order?

[Ziachild007]

Company name

 

Thats the way the owner told me to do it when I started (and he does the same) and hes been doing it for 20+ years, so I figure if thats how he wants it done who am I to argue. Of course we have mainly the same 10-15 main customers calling every day, so its a little more infomal, too.

[Cunning Linguist]

Company name, this is CL

 

if i know its a marketer by the ID, then i usually follow that with "im not wearing any pants", that usually gets the dialtone.

[Furd]

"Robert Smith" (What I say now (note, this is not actually my name)).

 

"Hello, this is Robert Smith"

 

One of these typically.

[whomper]

Robert Smith used to get injured so much that even when he played he wasnt mentioned as much on this site as he has been in this thread.

 

Our calls go through our receptionist or automated system so they know its me..I just say hello. and when I call for someone Ill say..Hello Jane please.

[Clubfoothead]

Thanks for holding this is Clubfoothead.

 

Except on Fridays. We have a caller-id type thing so when I can tell it's someone here at the office I simply answer Filthy. Johnny Filthy is my softball name.

[chiefjay]

We actually have a Robert Smith that works for us (imagine that a Smith), anyways when he calls I would like to answer it "everything is not needed ASAP M F'r", unfortunately I can't tell it's him as it just comes up SBC call or something like that. He's in sales. LOL

[muck]

Firm Name: XYZ Advisors

My Name: Hey You

 

Phone call: "XYZ. This is Hey."

[twiley]

Same here.

 

If it's Twoobs, I say, "Hey Twoobs, what's shaking?"

 

[The Holy Roller]

Welcome to McDonalds can I take your order?

 

 

 

This could work.

[Footballjoe]

Demolition - Johnson speaking

[Coffeeman]

"Hello, this is (first name)." Almost everyone else around me says the company name plus the department first before saying both their first and last name. And sometimes even add the 'how may I help you?' at the end.

 

But I find that overbearing. Either they know me, and I'm the one they wanted, or they don't...

[ABearWithFurniture]

'What do you want?'

[tonorator]

"this is tony"

[Chavez]

If someone is calling my cellphone for business reasons, they KNOW who they're trying to get hold of.

 

So I just go with a simple "Hello, this is Dave"

[Jimmy Neutron]

Are there any basic rules of etiquette here?

 

 

Oh yeah - there are a ton, especially of you are in the service business.

 

I recently attended a seminar from these people.

 

Summary of what I learned:

 

Good afternoon/monring, this is (first name)

 

Longer introductory phrases tend to be dismissed by the the listener. The good morning or good afternoon establishes a positive start to the conversation and the last word they hear in the intro is your name.

 

The Phone Pro people said not to ask if you can help them, as is quite normal. If an advasarial caller hears this, it may be a softball for them to smack out of the park - something like, "Well, I don't know. I doubt it at this point." I've seen callers do this.

 

I'd recommend Phone Pro if you or people you work with use the phone a lot. They can help handle any difficult callers you have. This is not only good for CS, but also helps keep employees more calm.