Taking incoming calls

These points are important in the way your organization handles incoming calls:
•The phone should not ring more than 3 times before being answered:
This is the norm for efficient business organizations. You will appear seriously slack and unprofessional if your phone rings many more times than this. If you do not have the personnel to answer all incoming lines, take the unanswerable phones off the hook. If you pick up a phone that has rung many times, then apologize to the other person.

·Everyone should have responsibility for answering phones: You will seriously annoy anyone who has to hang on waiting for service: not only are you wasting their time, you are also keeping them in a stressed condition where they are ready to talk at a moment's notice. Everyone within an organization should have responsibility for answering phones: if nothing else this will keep front-line people on their toes if they know their managers are having to do their jobs!
·Don't answer the phone while eating: This either sounds indistinct or sounds like having your ear nibbled!
·Always ring back: There is nothing more frustrating than waiting for an important call that is not returned for many hours. By not returning a call you are slowing the other person's achievement of their goals.
Many of these points are simple courtesies. Always bear in mind that the time of the person you are talking to is limited, and that they are forming an opinion of you and your organizations efficiency while you are on the phone.