Lesson 13 — Phone Calls: Making & Receiving

Polite phrases for calling, answering, leaving voicemail, spelling names, and handling bad connections.

Core Phrases

Making a Call

  • Hello, this is [Your Name] calling.
  • May I speak with [Person], please?
  • Is now a good time to talk?
  • I’m calling about [topic].

Answering

  • Hello, [Company/Name], how can I help you?
  • May I ask who’s calling?
  • One moment, please. / Please hold.
  • I’ll transfer your call.

Clarifying

  • Could you please repeat that?
  • Could you speak a little more slowly?
  • How do you spell your last name?
  • Let me read that back to you.

Dialogue (Appointment Call)

Receptionist: Good morning, City Clinic. How can I help you?

Caller: Hello, this is Abel Kassa. I’d like to schedule an appointment.

Receptionist: Sure. May I have your date of birth, please?

Caller: It’s March 4th, 1995.

Receptionist: Thank you. What day works for you?

Caller: Next Tuesday morning, if possible.

Receptionist: We have 9:30 AM. Does that work?

Caller: Yes, that’s perfect. Could you text the address?

Receptionist: Of course. I’ll text it now. See you next Tuesday at 9:30.

Caller: Thank you. Have a nice day.

Leaving a Professional Voicemail

Keep it short: name, reason, callback info.

Hello, this is [Your Name]. I’m calling about [purpose].
You can reach me at [your number]. 
Please call me back when you’re available. Thank you.
      

Speak clearly. Repeat your phone number once at the end.

Spelling Names & Taking a Message

Bad Connection Fixes

Practice

  1. Role-play: Call a clinic to make an appointment (time, date, reason).
  2. Leave a 20–30 sec voicemail using the script.
  3. Practice spelling your full name and confirming a phone number.

Quick Quiz

1) The best way to start a professional call is…

2) If you didn’t hear the name clearly, you should say…

3) A clear voicemail should include…

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