Read the sample conversation paying special attention to telephone phrases.

 

Sample Conversation: Would You Like to Leave a Message? A = Secretary B = Business Client A: Good Afternoon. Stellar Corporation. B: Hello. Can you put me through to Mary Jenkins, please? A: I’m sorry. She’s at a meeting with a client. B: Do you know when she’ll be back? A: She should be back by 2:00. Would you like to leave a message for her? B: Yes. Could you tell her the new ads are finished? A: Certainly. Can I have your name please? B: My name is Jack Felspar. That’s F-E-L-S-P-A-R. I’m with Spectrum Printers. And could you have her call me when she has a spare moment. I need to discuss the billing details. A: Does she have your number? B: I think so, but I better give it to you just to be sure. It’s 314-274-5464. A: Alright, Mr. Felspar. I’ll have her call you when she gets a minute/she’s back in the office. B: Thanks. I appreciate it. Have a nice day.

 

5. Work in pairs and act out telephone dialogues of your own.

 

STUDENT A

Using the dialogue above as a guide, call Mary Jenkins and leave a message if she is not in. The role cards below contain you name, company, telephone number, and important business information that you want to convey to Mary Jenkins.

 

ROLE CARDS

1 2 You are Mike Berggson. You work for LJ computers. Your telephone number is 604-324-4321. You have to call Mary Jenkins from the Stellar Corporation and tell her that her shipment of computers has arrived. If she is not in, leave a message with the secretary. You want Mary to call you so that you can discuss the delivery and instalment schedule.   You are Tanya Griswold. You work for Krubb Interior Designs. Your telephone number is 017-367-2190. You have to call Mary Jenkins from the Stellar Corporation and tell her that you have come up with an estimate for the renovations. If she is not in, leave a message with the secretary. You want Mary to call you so that you can discuss the color of the walls and floor tiles. 3 4 You are Sara Voldemort. You work for Darkside Media. Your telephone number is 250-432-3456. You have to call Mary Jenkins from the Stellar Corporation and tell her that the advertising campaign is ready to launch. If she is not in, leave a message with the secretary. You want Mary to call you so that you can discuss payment for services. You are Dana Walker. You work for Jones and Baily Law Firm. Your telephone number is 312-556-6655. You have to call Mary Jenkins from the Stellar Corporation and tell her that she won her court case. If she is not in, leave a message with the secretary. You want Mary to call you so that you can discuss payment for services.

 

STUDENTS B

You are Mary’s secretary. The role card information below includes the boss’s whereabouts and her expected return time. When people call asking for the boss, you should give the information in the card and take a message.

ROLE CARDS

1 2 You work for the Stellar Corporation. You are a secretary. Your boss is Mary Jenkins. She is talking to a client. She is expected back in about an hour. You work for the Stellar Corporation. You are a secretary. Your boss is Mary Jenkins. She is away on business. She is expected back tomorrow. 3 4 You work for the Stellar Corporation. You are a secretary. Your boss is Mary Jenkins. She is talking to the boss. She is expected back in about 15 minutes. You work for the Stellar Corporation. You are a secretary. Your boss is Mary Jenkins. She is away on maternity leave. She is expected back at the beginning of next month.

 

Being able to make, change and cancel appointments is an important skill in Business English. Here are some expressions you can use to do this concisely and clearly.

 

6. Read and translate some useful phrases for making appointments:

Function	Useful language
Asking for an appointment	I would like to arrange an appointment to discuss… Please would you indicate a suitable time and place to meet? Are you available on the 17th? Can we meet on the 16th? Would Friday suit you? Is next Tuesday convenient for you?
Suggesting a time	Would Tuesday suit you? Would you be available on Tuesday? What sort of time would suit you? Is 3pm a good time for you? If possible, I'd like to meet in the morning.
Agreeing to an appointment	Thank you for your email. I would be available to discuss… on (date) at (time and place) Tuesday sounds fine. Shall we say around (time) at (place)?
Saying a time is not convenient	Unfortunately, I will be away on business during the week of July 6–11, so I will be unable to meet you then. I will be out of the office on Wednesday and Thursday, but I will be available on Friday afternoon.
Cancelling an appointment	Unfortunately, due to some unforeseen business, I will be unable to keep our appointment for tomorrow afternoon. Would it be possible to arrange another time later in the week? I’m afraid that I have to cancel our meeting on Wednesday, as something unexpected has come up. Would you be free to meet early next week?
Apologising	I apologise for any inconvenience. I'm sorry about cancelling.
Suggesting a different date	«I'm afraid I can't on the 3rd. What about the 6th?» «I'm sorry, I won't be able to make it on Monday. Could we meet on Tuesday instead?» «Ah, Wednesday is going to be a little difficult. I'd much prefer Friday, if that's alright with you». «I really don't think I can on the 17th. Can we meet up on the 19th?»
Asking for confirmation	Please confirm if this date and time is suitable / convenient for you.
Changing the arrangement	You know we were going to meet next Friday? Well, I'm very sorry, but something urgent has come up. I'm afraid that I'm not going to be able to meet you after all. Can we fix another time? Something has just cropped up and I won't be able to meet you this afternoon. Can we make another time?