Telephone Procedures
When you call any place of business as one of its current or potential customers, you expect courtesy, and this affects your feelings about that business as a whole. Likewise, our students, visitors, friends and donors judge us by our courtesy in answering the telephone, taking messages and conversing on the telephone. Often the telephone is the only contact that other persons have with us, and courteous telephone calls will always greatly enhance the College's image and success.
Therefore, when answering the telephone you should:
- Answer all calls promptly and pleasantly; keep a smile in your voice.
- Always identify yourself when you answer.
- Take messages when appropriate.
- Make inquiries tactfully.
- Give your undivided attention to the caller.
- Avoid unnecessarily long conversations.
- Treat the telephone as one of your most valuable business tools.
While personal telephone calls are essential from time to time, they should be held to an absolute minimum in order to maintain the business interests of the College as the primary focus while we are at work. Personal long distance calls are not permitted and are in violation of College policy. Personal cell phones should be turned off while at work so as not to distract or disturb other staff or the business of the College. If you need to make a personal call during the day, it should be made on your break or at lunchtime.