Making and Recieving Telephone Calls

Making a telephone call
On 10/10/12 a work colleague had asked me to make a phone call to Cawthorne Park about a group of learners visiting on the 16/10/12. She asked me to find out if they had any special offers for colleges or large groups. I checked out what information she needed and found out from her the age of the leaners and if they had any disabilities as this could affect if they got a discount.
I did an internet search to find the number for Cawthorne Park as this was the quickest way. I found the general enquiries number but didn’t have a name to ask for. I then picked up the handset on the phone and pressed 9 which got me an outside line and then dialled the number in. When the call was answered I told them my name and explained that I was from Barnsley College. I smiled while I was doing this as even on the phone you can pick this up. I was polite. I said that I was enquiring about any offers they may do for colleges or large groups for visits. She told me that there is a group rate at £3.95 each and for every ten people you get another person in free.
I asked if there were any other offers they do but she said there wasn’t. I thanked her for this information and her time and ended the phone call.
I then wrote down this information and passed it along to my colleague, who thanked me for doing that.
On 11/10/12 a colleague asked me to organise for SMTs to come visit the house for tea and cakes whilst the learners are there, I got given the names of the secretaries, the date and times of the visit. I called D.Turner and explained that Rheia wanted to organise this visit for the 16th November and that she wanted 3 SMTs at 11am and 2 SMTs at 2:45pm, I also gave her the names of the people RB wants to visit. DT said she would organise it between them the best times for them to go and get back to me ASAP. Before I ended the call I summarised what I had said before about the date and times and that she would contact me ASAP.

Be able to receive a phone call
My line manager received a phone call on her line but wasn’t in the office to answer it, so I transferred the call to my phone by picking up the receiver and dialling *84 and answered the phone call by saying “Hello, Learning for Living and Work, Chloe speaking.” I listened while the caller explained who he was and that he was calling from Springwell and wished to speak to SG, I told him that Stacey wasn’t in the office at the moment and would he like me to take a message. He said that he had, had a meeting with Stacey that morning about a learner transferring from Springwell to Barnsley College and he’d had another meeting that afternoon and they had agreed with the move and would like SG to call him back with the conformation of this. As this was quite confusing I wrote this down and I said I would pass this message along and I asked if he had a number she could call him back on and he gave me the number. I then summarised this all back to the caller and told me I was correct, I told him I would pass this message on to Stacey as soon as she came back in to the office. He thanked me for this and said goodbye.
When Stacey got back in to the office I explained that there was a note on her desk about the learner from Springwell she had a meeting about that morning and M.Daley would like for her to call him back and she said she would call and thanked me.

On 12/10/12 I was trying to make a call and picked up the phone. It didn’t work. I checked it was plugged in and that all the wires were in. I then asked in the office if anyone else was having problems and they weren’t. As I was new and didn’t know what to do I reported the problem to my line manager who asked if I had checked it. She then reported the problem to the help desk who fixed it.

On 11/10/12 I answered the phone in the office and said “Good morning, Learning for Living and Work, Chloe speaking how can I help you.” I waited until the caller spoke and then explained that he had come through to the wrong extension. I explained that the person he needed to speak to was in and that I would transfer the call. I then pressed R and the extension number and waited until my colleague had answered the phone. I then explained that the caller was for them and gave them the name.

To make an outside call from the office phone press “9” then enter the outside number, to pick up a call from another extension, pick up the receiver and dial *84, to transfer a call to another extension or hold the person on the line, press “R”. There is also a volume button to adjust the ringtone for when people are busy working. There are quick buttons to press for different extensions and they let you know who is using their phone at a particular time by flashing red.
The reasons for identifying the purpose of a call before making it are so that you are know who you are going to call, know the actual reason you are calling them for and so you can get anything you need together before calling them.