Controlling Personal Calls at the Office

By Nancy Friedman

PERSONAL CALLS...we all get them at work. Home, family, friends, even co-workers just wanting to chat about the weekend plans.

If you allow personal calls at the office, is the privilege being abused? Here are some ideas and tips to help control personal calls at the office.

First...and it’s a MUST. Let staff know your guidelines on personal phone calls. And if you’re looking around and thinking, "Gee, we don’t have any guidelines," now is a good time to develop one.

It will help all concerned if there are guidelines, and specific ones, on personal calls at work. We’ve gathered up a few suggestions. Hope they help.

Guideline #1: NEVER let an in-person customer wait while you are on a personal call. (Even if you are on a business call, the customer needs be acknowledged. Most effective would be EYE contact with a gentle smile and nod that you recognize they are standing there.)

What we hear most about employees on a personal call at work is the fact that the employee doesn’t even look up and nod. If you can, offer the person who is standing there something about your company to read – perhaps a pamphlet or new product brochure.

Guideline #2: Sometimes employees may just not know how to tactfully tell a friend or relative they’re at work and unable to talk. They may not know how to tactfully end a conversation. They may be embarrassed to tell them. Here’s a couple Telephone Doctor tips on how to handle that situation graciously:

"Aunt Mary, I’d like to hear more about your trip, but I’m at work and need to finish a project I’m working on today. Let me call you later tonight when we can talk more in depth. Thanks for calling. Talk with you later."

OR

"Hi, Sue. Good to hear from you. Can I give you a call later on today, around lunchtime, or near 5? I’m working on something now that needs my full attention."

Important. Let your employees know that if a co-worker or supervisor approaches them at their desk they are expected to put their personal call on hold. Perhaps end the conversation at that point. Personal calls can wait...other office personnel shouldn’t.

If the supervisor or another co-worker is on a legitimate business call, attempt to use the client’s name during the call. It makes it easier for the person standing there to realize that it is a business call. (Besides, using the customers name also helps to build rapport.) There’s not an intelligent manager around who would intentionally interrupt a business call.

If one employee is receiving too many personal calls, it’s time for, as they say, “intervention.” Let the employee know they certainly may have a few personal calls, if you allow them; however, lately it seems to be over the top. Would they please ask those callers to do so either during lunch or closer to 5? Or perhaps you can call them at home tonight. Emergencies? Not a problem. Just let other office personnel know about it.

Nancy Friedman is president of Telephone Doctor®, an international customer service training company headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, specializing in customer service and telephone skills. She is a KEYNOTE speaker at association conferences and corporate gatherings and is the author of four best selling books. Call 314-291-1012 for more information or visit the website at www.telephonedoctor.com.

Published in Networking Today, November 2005.