Telephone Conversations

Telephone is the quickest way of communication and is most fre-quently used under pressure of time. It is used as a rule to get or pass on information but negotiations are very often carried out over the phone. Important telephone conversations, e.g. concerning prices, terms of pay-ment or claim, are to be confirmed by letter with appropriate signatures to provide legal evidence of the deal achieved.

Thematically telephone talks embrace a number of topics with phrases of politeness, specialized lexicon and the chosen communicative grammar-patterns used in oral speech. At the beginning of a conversation whatever the topic, the secretary should provide his/her name, his/her boss's name, his/ her company and the purpose of the call. Mostly fre-quent topics are:

- Greetings, small talks and closings. To save the time in the opening and closing of telephone conversations set phrases are quite common:

"Hello, Mr Brown's secretary. What can I do for you?" – "Hello, could I speak to Mr Brown, please?"– "I'm afraid Mr Brown is on the other line/is not in at the moment". – "Could you tell him Mr Blake phoned?"– "I'll be glad to. Let me take down your number. " Or: "Who's that call-ing?"- "It's Mr McQuady". – "What was that again, please? Could you spell out your name?" The most common words used when one spells outhis name on the phone are: Alpha for A; Bravo for B; Charlie for C; Delta for D; Echo for E; Foxtrot for F; Golf for G; Hotel for H; India for I; Juli-et for J; Kilo for K; Lima for L; Mike for M; November for N; Oscar for O; Papa for P; Quebec for Q; Romeo for R; Sierra for S; Tango for T; Uniform for U; Victor for V; Whisky for W; X-ray for X; Yankee for Y; Zulu for Z.

- Making an appointment or putting it off: I'm Mr Hammond's secre-tary. I'm phoning you to confirm your appointment for Thursday morning

10 o'clock. Unfortunately, Mr Hammond can't keep the appointment for this afternoon. He makes his apologies to Mr Blake.

– Placing an order: We '11 be sending you a letter confirming this deal

and enclosing two copies of a formal order with all the data for sig-nature.

We'll take steps right away to be able to carry out your order in the time required.

– Getting or passing on information: We may ship the first lot of the goods ahead of schedule. Is that all right with you?

– The arrival of inspectors: I'd like to confirm you that our inspectors will arrive in London tomorrow. So you can expect them at the facto-

ry

Monday morning. We’ll get everything ready.

– The delay in shipment: Unfortunately we have bad news for you – shipment of the first machine will be delayed. Do you know the con-

tract

stimulates for the Seller to pay penalty in case of delay in delivery? Force majeure: The Dockers of Hull are on strike, but our vessel is at

the port by now. Try to find out chances at your end and I'll do it at mine. Then contact me again.

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