Whitworth University Information Systems - The Golden Rules of Phone and E- mail. Whitworth Home Page > Information Systems > Policies & Standards > We at Whitworth want to provide the best possible service to our students, the public and our fellow employees. Good service begins with positive communication. Below are some recommended guidelines for using the phone system and email. Email Tips: Activate your . Include information regarding an alternate contact person. Whenever possible, please use the Outlook . Try to make only one main point in an email message. If you need to communicate three things to someone, you're probably better off sending three separate emails. Never send an email in anger; because of its unique nature, people can easily misread what you're intending to convey in an email. Don't assume you've received one in anger either. Don't assume anything you send will remain confidential. Don't send junk mail. We all complain about getting too much email; don't add to the problem by sending on that recipe for squirrel- flavored baked Alaska, the photos of your great niece in Oklahoma or that funny list of . Don't copy your emails to people who truly don't need them. Be especially careful to resist the temptation to play the game of . Maybe that's all you need to do. For example: . If you need more time to answer someone's question, respond and tell him/her that, but at least indicate that you received the initial message and are addressing it. Keep emails and voice messages short. Think through what you want to say in print and on the phone before you begin, and mention the heart of the message up front. Then give the background and context - - briefly! Phone Tips: Update your phone greetings, especially if you are going to be unavailable for any length of time. If you've made a change in your greeting, leave a sticky note next to your phone to remind you to switch back to your standard greeting. Make sure you know how to transfer calls. Losing off- campus callers is embarrassing for us and annoying for them. Make an effort to stay on the line to introduce the caller and subject matter to the recipient of a transferred call. When you leave a phone message, be sure to leave your name and extension, stating the information slowly and clearly. Giving your number at the speed of an auctioneer may save you a few nanoseconds, but is frustrating for the rest of us. If you promise . Alternatively, ensure that voicemail is activated if no one is available to answer and that the voicemail greeting doesn't promise someone will be there when nobody is (during lunch, for example). Remember to try to find the specific person within the department who can assist the caller. Offer to call back with answers rather than put people on hold. Also, don't forward calls to someone unless you're sure s/he can answer the caller's question. Respectful Phone and Email Etiquette. Fundamentally there is no difference between the etiquette of handling a cell phone than there is a land line. Nor is there any difference between an email and a posted letter except for the speed of delivery. When you receive any phone message, you should return it as quickly as possible, although a phone message should not be considered an emergency, unless of course it is one. Unsolicited marketing phone calls do not need to be returned. However, if a call is from someone you know, return it at your earliest convenience, certainly within 2. Other calls may or may not be returned at your discretion. I am not a fan of phone messages requesting me to call back with no explanation, no matter who they’re from. Have the decency to leave a proper message stating the purpose of your call or risk being ignored. Common courtesy is the name of the game, so be respectful of someone trying to reach you. If there is a time when you would be available to speak, indicate this in your message. Realize that you are imposing on someone else’s time, so acknowledge this. Emails should be answered the day they are received if possible. They should be answered in the format in which they were sent. Proper letter writing protocol should always be followed, being sure grammar, spelling and all punctuation are correct. Class Exercises for Telephone Etiquette. To practice pronunciation and manners of speaking clearly, engage your students in the classic game of telephone. Nothing could be less professional than a letter riddled with mistakes. The notion that clerical mistakes will get their attention is total nonsense. As with any correspondence, be sure the tone of the letter is carefully considered. As with any handwritten letter, a turn of phrase takes the place of inflection and facial expression, so be thoughtful with each sentence. Do not proofread your own writing, but do be sure someone else does this for you. Always take the high road and avoid using capital letters for emphasis. That is more suitable for a child having a tantrum. Civility is contagious. Practice it whenever possible; and it’s always possible. This is part of an ongoing series on etiquette in the workplace. Read previous posts here. About the author: Jay Remer is certified by the Protocol School of Washington as a consultant for corporate etiquette and international protocol. Telephone Etiquette PowerpointHe lives in St. Andrews, NB, Canada. Author's Website.
Fun and Games Etiquette Activities for Kids. Do your children groan when you tell them to get their elbows off the table? Do they roll their eyes when you remind them of one of the etiquette rules? If you say yes to either of these questions, they're probably suffering from manners lecture overload. If this is the case, you might want to consider turning their manners lessons into a game. Like most parents, you probably get tired of saying the same things over and over to make sure your children don't forget proper etiquette. However, there are some activities and games you can do with your children that will make learning proper etiquette more fun. You might even be surprised to see them teaching these things to their friends when they don't think you're watching. There are several advantages to playing these games: They'll learn manners in a fun way; these are great activities for quality time with the children; and the games will have them actively thinking about how to improve their manners. Telephone Etiquette and useful Telephone Tips. Presenting a professional image, both in person and on the telephone is very important in the office skills profession. All of those things will help keep proper etiquette in their minds in a positive way. What Would You Do? Make a list of scenarios and jot them down on notecards. Shuffle the cards and have each person pick one from the stack. Take turns reading the scenarios and have the person holding the card come up with as many possibilities as he or she can think of. Then open the discussion to the rest of the group. Here are some ideas for scenarios with links to references if you need help: You see a woman struggling to open a door because she has a squirmy baby on one arm and a shopping bag on the other. What would you do? See Courtesy and Acts of Kindness. A man in a wheelchair is sitting in the grocery store aisle looking up at a shelf he can't reach. You think he might want something from that shelf, but he's embarrassed to ask. What would you do? See Disability Etiquette Tips. Some kids at school made fun of your best friend's new haircut. What would you do? See Tips to Maintain Your Friendships. You worked hard on a school project with a group of friends, and they chose you to present it to the class. The teacher praises you and says you did a wonderful job but fails to mention the others. What would you do? See Etiquette of Acknowledging Others. A new family just moved in next door, and you've noticed that one of the children looks to be about your age. What would you do? See Neighborhood Etiquette. You just heard a juicy piece of gossip about one of the girls in your class at school, and you're itching to text your best friend and share the news. What would you do? See Avoid Toxic Gossip. Your family is at a dinner party with some friends, and you accidentally spill your drink. What would you do? See Proper Etiquette for Handling Mealtime Mishaps. Manners Charades. On small slips of paper jot down some actions considered . Divide the group into teams. Have the teams take turns drawing from the bowl and acting out the action. The opposing team first has to decide whether the action is . See 1. 0 Quick and Easy Tips for Everyday Etiquette. Setting a Table. Give each person a full table setting (dinner plate, glasses, soup bowls, bread plate, forks, knives, spoons, glasses, coffee cups, and dessert dishes). Set a timer for five minutes and have each person set a proper table. If you have a large group, divide them up into teams. See How to Set a Table for a Formal Dinner. Reverse Roles. Reverse the roles of the children and adults during dinner. Have each adult and older child do one or two things that are obviously bad manners and give each younger child a point for calling them out and stating what they should have done. When you play this game, make sure that the bad manners don't hurt anyone or damage property. See 8 Most Common Etiquette Mistakes.
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