Как вести беседу по телефону

PREFACE

Most of the important characteristics of telephone conversation are of course exactly the same as those of conversation which takes place face to face. There are, however, a number of differences which result from the medium of communication and the restrictions which it imposes. Conversationalists who can see each other are able to place a great amount of reliance on the facilities offered by such things as gesture and the presence of a common extra-linguistic context, to help in communication and the resolution of ambiguity. Telephone conversation, however, lacks these facilities to a large extent and so has a tendency to become rather more explicit than ordinary conversation.

The need for greater explicitness is further increased by the fact that sounds carried by telephone lines become diminished in their qualities of distinctiveness, and many of the small cues which help to maintain ready understanding may get distorted or lost. Thus there is more uncertainty in keeping up the give and take between participants which is so noticeable a part of face to face conversation. Utterances that are unduly long will be avoided and a speaker will tend to leave frequent pauses for his partner to say something and prove that he is still there.

Then, perhaps more often than in ordinary conversation, in telephone conversation there tends to be a set theme — people do not phone each other accidentally in the way that they may meet in the street and the information which is exchanged probably tends to be related more to a single identifiable purpose.

Finally, the highly formulaic nature of both the opening and closing of a telephone conversation may be noted — the range of accepted linguistic devices for carrying out these operations is relatively small as compared with conversation in general, the predictability of what is likely to be said at those points is probably considerably higher and the stylistic distinctiveness of what takes place is at times extremely marked.

I

TELEPHONE INSTRUCTIONS

I. When you make a call:

1. First check the code [1] (if any) and number.

2. Lift the receiver and listen for dialling tone (a continuous purring).

3. Dial carefully and allow the dial to return freely.

4. Then wait for another tone:

Ringing tone (burr-burr) the number is being called. The line is free.

Engaged tone (a repeated single note) try again a few minutes later.

Number unobtainable tone (steady note) replace the receiver, recheck the code and number, and then redial.

5. At the end of the call, replace the receiver securely.

II. When you answer the telephone:

1. Always give your name or the name of the office or your telephone number.

2. If you hear a series of rapid pips, the call is coming from a coin-box telephone. Wait until the pips stop and then give your name or telephone number.

III. When you make a call from a coin-box telephone:

1. First drop a coin piece (or pieces) into the slot.

2. Lift the receiver and listen for dialling tone.

3. Dial your number.

4. On hearing ringing tone, which means that the line is free, wait until your call is answered.

IV. When you make a call from an extension phone:

1. Wait for the switchboard operator to say: “Number, please”, or “Switchboard operator”.

2. Give the number of the person you are calling.

The operator will either repeat your number to make sure she got it right, or just say: “Thank you” and try to put you through.

3. Wait until your call is answered.

You may use a telephone operated by a system known as STD (Subscriber Trunk Dialling).

1. STD is quicker and cheaper, so dial as many of your calls as you can.

2. Maintain in your Personal Telephone Directory an up-to-date list of dialling codes and/or number of people you are likely to call. This will save you time in the future.

3. When you dial, don’t pause too long between digits.

4. If the number you want is engaged, wait a few minutes before dialling again.

5. Ask for the extension number on calls to a private exchange, this will save you time. If the extension you want is engaged it will usually pay, on an STD call, to clear and try again later.

6. If you hear a recorded announcement telling you that the trunk lines are engaged, replace the receiver and try again later.

7. Answer your telephone promptly, giving your name or the name of the office or telephone number. This saves the time and helps the caller.

You can dial for yourself calls to most places in Europe and North America.

1. First dial the code of the country or the code for the place concerned and then the subscriber’s number.

2. If you wish to know the code for a place which is not shown in the Telephone Directory, ask the exchange operator.

3. When dialling to Europe or North America don’t pause more than two or three seconds between digits, especially the last few digits. The call may fail if you do. It helps to write down the whole code and number before you dial. You will often hear nothing for a half a minute or a little longer after dialling.

4. Do not replace the receiver before you have given the equipment time to connect the call.

You may sometimes hear a series of very rapid pips. This tells you that the automatic equipment is putting your call through and asks you to hold on.

5. Should you want the operator to get your call, or if you have any difficulty in dialling your number dial the operator and your call will be connected. The three minutes minimum charge applies on all calls made through the operator.

If the number you are calling is not on STD or ISD and you cannot dial the number direct, you have to make your call through the operator. When you book a trunk-call:

1. Give the country, the place concerned and the number you want your call to be connected with.

2. Say what kind of call you want to book.

3. Indicate the duration of your call if possible.

4. Give your name and telephone number.

Trunk-calls can be as follows:

1. ADC calls. ADC, which stands for “advise duration and charge”, means that when the call is finished the operator rings you back to tell you how long the call was and how much it cost.

2. Personal calls. They are made to a particular person. A fixed charge is made for the service, but you do not pay for the time taken to find the person. If he isn’t there, the call is tried again later without further charge.

3. Station-to-station calls. They are put through to the number you give.

4. Transferred-charge calls (or collect calls). They are paid for by the person receiving the call rather than the caller.

5. Government calls (or state calls). They are usually put through with a minimum delay. Only governmental offices, embassies and trade missions are entitled to book such calls.

The charge for a trunk-call is based on the duration of the call and the distance between the charging centres.