1. Which of the following sentences are appropriate when you are
asking for somebody on the phone?
Answers:
• Yo, Mr. Jones
• Hello, could you please
connect me to Mr. Jones?
• Get me Mr. Jones, please
• Good morning, I was
wondering if I could speak to Mr. Jones?
• b and d
2. Which of the following is accurate in terms of how you should
use your cell phone in public?
Answers:
• Talk as loudly as you
like — some calls are important and more important than your surroundings.
• Use your
cell phone sparingly in public, and at a low volume. People should have the
option of not listening to your call.
• If you get upset at the
call, don't feel the need to restrain from screaming into the phone or throwing
it against a wall.
• Whisper, even if the
receiver cannot hear you properly, as you should never talk at a reasonable
volume, even in public.
3. From the list below, which are the most important techniques
for a positive telephone exchange?
Answers:
• Speaking
clearly and politely throughout the exchange and dealing succinctly with the
business concern.
• A friendly start to the
call, getting the information across as rapidly as possible, followed by making
sure the information is accurate as a secondary concern.
• Trying to get through the
call and onto the next user.
• Exchanging business
secrets that may or may not help each other's company (but are good stories),
followed by dealing with the current business decision, and ending the call
firmly.
4. When you are addressing a woman and are unsure of her marital
status, which of the following titles should you use?
Answers:
• Ms.
• Miss
• Mrs.
• Mr.
• None of the above
5. Which of the following is probably the worst way to end a
business call?
Answers:
• "Don't call us,
we'll call you."
• "Thanks for your
time. Not."
• "See ya in the next
life."
• Just hang up.
• They are
all equally bad.
6. Why is it not advisable to take your cell phone into an
important business meeting?
Answers:
• It is
rude if it rings and you are with a client or it rings during an important company
meeting, especially if you answer it.
• Someone else may need to
use your phone in the office, and if you take it in, he or she won't have it.
• The opposite is true —
never be more than 5 paces from your phone, and always keep it on.
• None of the above
7. A company employee calls the help desk of an internet service
provider to report that the speed of the internet is below the promised speed.
Which of the following would be an appropriate action to take?
Answers:
• Ask the customer for his
or her social security number.
• Disagree with the
customer.
• Promise that the internet
speed will be double the originally promised speed.
• Hang up the call, or
transfer the call without saying to where.
• None of
the above
8. Which information is not necessary for you to leave on your
personal voicemail message?
Answers:
• Your name
• The reason why you are
away from the phone
• Your
Social Security Number
• Your number
• All of the above
9. How can you convey to your listener that you need to discuss
sensitive issues over the phone, such as the exchange of personal and protected
information?
Answers:
• Tell them you will fax
the details.
• Tell them you will email
the details, although it might be by unsecured e-mail.
• Confirm
with them whether it is okay to discuss such issues before discussing them.
• Avoid these discussions
at all costs on the telephone.
10. Why is it not a good idea to always leave a lengthy voicemail
message?
Answers:
• The message can be
truncated, and therefore not communicated properly.
• The message may
experience a long delay in reaching its destination.
• Part of the message may
become scrambled and be harder to hear
• There is risk of the
message not being recorded at all, as it is a greater challenge for the cell
phone recording technology.
• All of
the above
11. Which of the following is the most dangerous use of a cell
phone and should be avoided at all costs?
Answers:
• Taking your cell phone on
a bungee jump.
• Taking your cell phone up
a mountain.
• Taking your cell phone
underwater, even if it is switched off.
• Dialing
and driving, or speaking on your phone without use of a hand-free device while
behind the wheel or operating machinery.
12. In the event that you reach a secretary when making a business
call (instead of the voice mail of the person you are calling) how should you
address the receiver?
Answers:
• Ask for the person you
are calling, but refuse to give your name.
• Ask for your party's
extension without offering any other information, and seem reluctant if asked.
• Ask for
the person you are calling and state your name.
• Ask for the person you
are calling and state your name and the purpose of your call.
13. You have to call up senior executives of your company in
different countries to inform them of the proposed date of an international
sales conference. What is the best time to call them up?
Answers:
• During your office hours.
• During
the call recipient's office hours.
• Between 9:00 A.M. and
5:00 P.M.
• After your office hours.
14. You should not talk about personal issues on a business call
until you have established a personal relationship with your business contact.
Answers:
• True
• False
15. You should smile when you're on the phone, as it can have
which of the following effects?
Answers:
• It is an urban myth and
has no real effect — the person cannot see you.
• It
transfers into your tone of voice and can make the call more appealing.
• The caller can detect
your grin, but not always positively.
• The receiver may decide
to plug in a webcam as a result of detecting your smile telepathically.
• None of the above
16. Which things should you keep in mind while making a call?
Answers:
• Not to have a blunt or
unfriendly tone.
• Being attentive to the
customer's needs.
• Whether you are using
your own full name or first name, whichever seems more polite in the
circumstances.
• Whether you are using the
customer's full name (unless you have been permitted by him to use his first
name).
• All of
the above
17. Which of the following is the most polite and most sensible
way of handling your cell phone, when at a public performance?
Answers:
• Turn the phone off as a
rule, followed by 'silent mode' if really necessary.
• Place on
'silent,' even if you don't expect any calls, as you may have to answer one.
• Keep the phone on, but
the volume turned down.
• Leave your phone at home.
18. Which of the following is important when handling a business
client with whom you might have a long-term relationship?
Answers:
• Make sure
all the clients needs are satisfied, i.e. ensuring that you follow up on their
concerns and actually getting back to them.
• Seeing that their first
concern is met, and then letting the call end.
• Asking if you can call
them back if you are busy, albeit with lunch.
• Complimenting them for
their choice of business partner, rather than dealing with their concerns.
19. Which of the following is not an active listening word that
will let the party know that you are attentive to their phone call?
Answers:
• "Yes"
•
"What?"
• "Great"
• "I see"
20. Why should you generally not answer your business phone on the
first ring?
Answers:
• It is considered rude.
• You don't look busy
enough.
• It can catch the caller
off-guard.
• You should let the phone
ring through to your voice mail so you can talk at a time convenient to you.
• None of
the above
21. You have been given charge of handling all the incoming calls
in your office, but the calls are coming in too fast. What should you do?
Answers:
• Take the calls after a
delay, during which time some disappear, so that you spread them out more.
• Ask your co-worker to
handle the calls while you go for a long lunch.
• Set the
phone to record all incoming calls, so you can deal with them later.
• Discuss the problem with
your supervisor.
22. Which of the following is considered polite if you have an
interruption while speaking to a caller?
Answers:
• Excuse me
for a moment, please, I will be back in a matter of seconds. Is that okay?
• Wait 5 minutes, will you.
• Got to go — I'll call you
back later.
• Wait there, I'll back.
23. If your business call to someone is unexpected, what should
you do?
Answers:
• Tell them the purpose of
your call and ask them to call you back at their convenience
• Leave a message on the
voice mail or with the receptionist and ask them to call at their convenience
• Email them
and ask what the right time for calling would be
• Do call them, but first
ask if they have time before proceeding with the call.
24. Which of the following is a good idea to keep with you at all
times on the phone?
Answers:
• Your lunch
• A pen and
some paper
• Safety pins or staples
• An additional caller to
overhear the call
• All of the above
25. Why is it always good to particularize your intention behind
the call?
Answers:
• It makes
the communication clear, and is polite too - do not assume the receiver
understands why you are calling them and what you expect of them.
• It isn't, and can be
pedantic. It is better to assume that the listener has some degree of
intelligence.
• Let the caller make
assumptions, otherwise it would be rude to specify details.
• It shows them you are the
boss.
26. Which of the following should be considered while leaving a
voice mail message?
Answers:
• Leaving a message that is
short and to the point.
• Being polite and giving a
sense of what is expected in return.
• Leaving as much
information as possible, relatively briefly.
• Speaking clearly and
succinctly.
• All of
the above
27. Which of the following are considered skillful techniques for
someone learning how to use a complicated telephone system?
Answers:
• Learning all the numbers
from 0-9, and various combinations for their use when dialing.
• Knowing when to cut
someone off, transfer them, drop the call, or otherwise pretend there is interference
on the line.
• Using a switchboard,
keeping people on hold, transferring calls, recording calls, and generally
dealing with multiple callers.
• a and b
• All of
the above
28. What does 'screening your calls' mean?
Answers:
• Choosing
which calls to answer, and which not to answer, based on the name or number (or
absence of a number) that shows up when about to receive the call.
• Applying a safety cover
to your cell phone, often a transparent plastic cover called a 'screen'.
• Making a list of all the
calls you've received in the last month, in order to calculate if your cell
phone bill is accurate or not.
• Deleting all the missed
calls, received calls and dialled numbers from your cell phone.
29. At what time during the day should you try not to make
business calls?
Answers:
• 7 a.m. to 9 a.m.
• 7 p.m. to
midnight
• 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
• 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.
• a and b
30. Which of the following is commonly regarded as a cell phone
nuisance that could be toned down or otherwise discarded?
Answers:
• Having stickers all over
your phone.
• Having a dangling key
chain.
• Having a
loud and annoyingly musical or distracting ringtone that you let play for
several extra seconds before answering the phone.
• Having a brightly colored
phone that lights up when it rings.
• None of the above
31. Which of these factors does not need to be considered before
you make a phone call?
Answers:
• The person whom you're
calling.
• The purpose of your call.
• A brief
joke to break the ice.
• The best time to call.
• None of the above
32. When is it acceptable to use the 'silent' mode on your cell
phone?
Answers:
• When you do not want to
disturb others around you.
• When you are expecting an
important call, and do not wish others to be interrupted.
• When you wish to be notified
by your phone without it ringing and alerting everybody in the room, or
wherever you are.
• When you wish to attend a
meeting or a public event, but still wish to know when you have been called or
received a voicemail or text message.
• All of
the above
33. During the course of your work, you answer a telephone call
from an angry customer who has a lot to say. How should you deal with the
situation?
Answers:
• Simply say "sorry I
have said whatever I could" and hang up.
• Raise your voice and try
to reason with the customer.
• Ask your co-worker to
handle the call.
• Ask the customer to call
again after some time, and be prepared with your answers the next time he or
she calls.
• Patiently
listen until the customer has made his or her extensive complaint, and then
begin to reason with him or her.
34. What is 'cell phone tag'?
Answers:
• A playground game where
kids chase each other and 'tag' the next person who then chases the other kids.
• A series
of missed calls between two people, whether calls are returned but again the
person is not available, are said to be 'playing cell phone tag.'
• The price tag on a cell
phone in a shop, whether used or new.
• The chip inside the phone
that can be replaced, or transferred between compatible networks.
35. Why is 'Privacy' considered one of the 7 Pillars of Telephone
usage, and generally important when making calls?
Answers:
• It makes the call
important and secure to both parties, especially when it is a business call.
• People like things to be
private and secretive - it makes them feel special, like they are tricking the
world.
• It's not - privacy should
always be secondary to communication and letting everyone know as much as
possible.
• The information could be
damaging if leaked into the wrong hands, especially in the case of financial or
legal decisions.
• a and d
36. What will happen if you waffle, mumble or speak generically to
your listener?
Answers:
• The message may not be
understood correctly, and confusion may occur.
• He or she will lose
attention and generally reflect poorly on the caller.
• You make the job of
communication harder for both of you.
• They will probably have
to call you back to clarify what is expected.
• All of
the above
37. How do you speak to someone in a business relationship whom
you do not know well?
Answers:
• Try and discuss personal
matters as it will help you to get to know them — ask about their family,
weekends, hobbies.
• Keep the
conversation polite but business-like, as professionalism is important at all
times, until you know them better.
• A combination of jokes
and business commands.
• Grovel a little bit, so
they can feel powerful in the business relationship.
38. What is a good way to begin a business call to a person whom
you do not know, and who is not expecting the call?
Answers:
• Just begin talking
business, he or she will realize soon enough.
• Interweave what you are
talking about with who you are, and the message will be crystal clear.
• Spend 5 minutes
introducing yourself before getting to the point — it will save time later.
• A simple
introduction followed by a sentence or two not only shows good phone etiquette,
but allows the receiver to set the forthcoming information in context.