Answering the phone and responding to inquiries

iDevice ikoon How to get on

Here you are going to learn how to answer the phone and respond to inquiries.

  • At first think about your everyday work and how often do you have to answer the phone.
  • Which are the main questions you are asked?
  • After that read the Do-s and DON'T-s of answering the phone.
  • Then you can analyze your real situations with DO-s and DON'T-s. Are there any differences?
  • After that watch a video of two receptionists handling the same situation and compare their behaviour
  • Finally look up the useful phrases and do the practice exercises.


Telephone always plays a very important part in hospitality industry. People all over the world call for making booking or asking for information or transferring messages to the guests or for various other purposes. If you work at the hotel you certainly have to answer the telephone calls. It happens mostly with front desk staff but also in the back office. Here you can find some basic techniques and some useful tips while answering any call in the hotel business.
DO-s
  • Answer the telephone promptly within three rings
  • Say the name of the hotel, your name and appropriate greetings
  • Always have pen and paper in hand to make the records
  • Listen carefully, pay close attention to the details being expressed by the caller
  • Make the callers feel that they have your undivided attention, mention the name of the caller, if possible
  • If you have to ask the caller to hold, explain, why. Wait for the callers agreement before putting him/her on hold
  • If you say that you call back do it as soon as possible, tell the caller the approximate time you can do it.
  • Repeat back in any details and follow up in writing (if necessary).
  • Close the conversation politely. Always say "thank you for calling".
  • Never give wrong information, if you don't know the answer, transfer the caller to the right person.

DON'T-s

  • Let the telephone ring more than three times
  • Answer the phone with "hello" or "yes".
  • Ask the caller to hold on while you scramble for pen and paper
  • Say "hold on" and leave the caller wondering if he/she is still being attended
  • Forget to call back
  • Say you cannot help and not offer the caller to someone who can.
  • Say "he hasn't come in yet" or "she hasn't come back from lunch yet" or "he/she is in the toilet". People don't want to know the reason and are given a wrong impression.
  • Hang up without thanking the caller for calling
  • Keep talking to another person while answering the phone
  • Eating something while answering the phone.
iDevice ikoon Watch the video

You are going to watch a video of two different receptionists answering the same call. Pay attention to their behaviour and usage of language. Analyze the two situations at the point of a view of the hotel manager. How do you solve the situation with the first receptionist? Can you do anything to avoid such kind of behaviour at the front desk. Pay attention to the DO-s and DON'T-s.

 

CLICK ON: BOOKING A ROOM to begin.

iDevice ikoon Making and responding requests

CLICK on: MAKING REQUESTS.

  • Go through the useful expressions and practice using the expressions by having a dialogue similar to the ones on the web-page with a partner,one partner taking the role of the guest and the other the role of the staff. For additional practice, switch roles. Practice the dialogue several times, trying to use all of the expressions noted above.
  • Then role play the following situations with a partner, one person taking the role of the guest and the other person taking the role of a hotel staff.

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