Lara: Good afternoon, you’ve reached Globex Ltd. How can I help?
Gianni: Oh, hello. Could you put me through to Jack Smith, please?
Lara: Of course! Who may I say is calling?
Gianni: It’s John, his mainsupplier in the south
Lara: Alright, hold, please! … He’s not at his desk right now. Would you like to try later?
Gianni: When will he be back
Lara: Let me look at his agenda. Ah, he’s in meetings all day until 5pm.
Gianni: Oh, I’ll be heading home then.
Lara: Would you like to leave a message?
Gianni: Yes, please. Can you tell him I’m trying to get hold of him? And ask him to call me tomorrow on
my mobile?
Lara: No problem. Does he have your number?
Gianni: Yes, he does. Thanks for your help.
Lara: You, too. Goodbye!
NOW LET’S REVIEW THE VOCABULARY!
You’ve reached… is a standard way to answer the phone and identify yourself or your company.
How can I help? is a generic phrase used to greet people calling on the phone (or at a reception desk). A more formal version is, “How can I be of service?”
To put someone through means to connect them on the phone to the person they want to speak to.
Who may I say is calling? is a very polite way of asking a caller who they are, before connecting them with the person they are calling.
Unlike Spanish, the third person is used to identify yourself. You say, It’s (your name).
In telephone conversations, ‘hold’ means wait. The opposite is hang up.
‘At his desk’ literally means that: he is in the office, working at his desk.
He’s in meetings indicates he has a lot of consecutive meetings. Another way of saying it would be “He has back to back meetings.”
To head means ‘to go in the direction of’ – in this case, home.
To (try to) get hold of a person means to (try to) get in touch with them.
No problem is an affirmative statement. It is a friendly way of saying that you will do what someone requested.
You’re welcome is a polite answer when somebody thanks you.
