Phone etiquette and call handling

Answer professionally, use holds and transfers properly, take messages someone can act on, and close calls cleanly.

Skills you'll practise

Open a call with a greeting that identifies the company and yourself and offers help
Place a caller on hold and transfer a call following a hold and warm-transfer standard
Take a phone message that contains everything the recipient needs to act
Verify a caller's identity before discussing account details
Close a call by confirming the next step and the contact details

1.Handling calls professionallyVideo · 2 min
2.Answering and opening the callLesson · 15 min
3.Holds, transfers and messagesLesson · 16 min
4.Difficult lines, voicemail and closing the callLesson · 14 min
5.Phone etiquette and call handling: knowledge checkKnowledge check · 22 questions
6.Phone etiquette and call handling: practical exerciseKnowledge check · 1 question
7.Final exam8 questions · passing it completes the course, so people who already know the material can test out

The lessons and questions are written from these references, so learners can go back to the original.

General telephone customer-service practice (greeting, holds, transfers, messages, verification)
General customer-service and support practice (listening, de-escalation, ownership)

Tell us about your team and we'll walk you through setup, from choosing jobs to your first skills check.