1- Understand how to make telephone calls.
1.1 Describe the different features of telephone systems and how to use them.
Telephone systems have many different features this allows us to handle and manage calls in a professional manner.
· Call holding- places a caller on hold so you can perform another task. This could be to locate paperwork, find client/customer details, retrieve information from another member of staff or contact another colleague to divert the call along to.
· Call waiting- lets you know when there is a caller waiting on another line and wishes to speak to you. This is shown by a flashing light, beeping tone or both.
· Re-directing- are available on telephone systems were you may be required to forward a call to another colleague. Usually the features for re-directing state ‘redirect’ or ‘transfer’.
· Answer phone- records messages of callers when no one is available to take the call.
· Teleconferencing- enables more than the ‘caller’ and ‘receiver’ to be involved in a single phone call. There are now often enhanced with the use of a camera and computer.
· Text messaging- features enable you to send and receive text style messages, alike a mobile phone.
1.2 Give reasons for identifying the purpose of a call before making it.
Knowing the purpose of a call before making the call is important as the call will sound professional, be concise and you will obtain all the information you require, it may also be useful to have questions you need answering written down and to have any relevant information to hand. By doing this it means the call obtained all the information needed so there shouldn’t be any need for another call to re-ask questions you should have asked in the original phone call.
1.3 Describe different ways of