Phone Calls and Video Conferences Guide PDF

ENGLISH FOR ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL PURPOSES PHONE CALLS AND VIDEO CONFERENCES: AVOIDING THE HAZARDS Ms. Cristine Joy A. Obando, LPT LEARNING OBJECTIVES: At the end of this lesson, the students are expected to: Determine the communication contexts in which phone calls...

ENGLISH FOR ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL PURPOSES PHONE CALLS AND VIDEO CONFERENCES: AVOIDING THE HAZARDS Ms. Cristine Joy A. Obando, LPT LEARNING OBJECTIVES: At the end of this lesson, the students are expected to: Determine the communication contexts in which phone calls and video conferences are most suitable. Identify the do’s and don’ts of phone calls and video conferences; and Make meaningful contributions to simulated phone calls and video conferences. After watching the video, answer the questions below. What was the customer's reaction to the first call? What led her to this reaction? What changes did you observe during the second call? How did the agent adjust his manner of communication? When you take phone calls, how do you speak with the person on the other line? Generally speaking, do you speak like the agent during the first call, or the second call?  Two modes of telecommunication will be covered in this lesson: audio calls and video conferencing. In the professional realm of the 21st century, both modes should be mastered by the working man and woman. The Prominence of Phone Calls Since its invention in the late 19th century, the telephone has been used in long-distance communication for personal and commercial purposes (Mitel, n.d.). In the present day, billions of landline phones and mobile phones aré used all around the world (Borth, n.d.). As a matter of fact, almost every legitimate company, organization, and business enterprise uses either the telephone or the mobile phone as its primary means of communication. PHONE CALL OR EMAIL?  The first decision you have to consider is whether the phone call is the most suitable mode for the purpose of your correspondence. O'Hare (2012) states: "Email sent or received today should only be important to your near future. If input is required for today's work, pick up the phone." The distinction, then, lies with the sense of urgency. If you send an email, your recipient might respond within hours, not minutes. This is perhaps acceptable for certain queries or requests, but if your concern is more immediate, you need to place a phone call. Wallwork (2014), on the other hand, prescribes phone calls "if you want to establish a good relationship" as these can facilitate lengthy, substantial conversations. He also favors phone calls for the purpose of resolving "misunderstandings that have already arisen via email." ETIQUETTE: DO’S AND DON’TS OF PHONE CALLS  If you decide that a phone call is the best option for your intended purpose, you need to know exactly how you will execute the communication process. First, realize that there is a purpose for the distinction between company phone lines and personal contact details. If you are trying to reach someone within your own organization (especially someone with a higher rank or designation), it is more formal and courteous to contact them via phone lines in their business office. Of course, if you have established a close working relationship with them, and they evidently give you the permission to use other communication lines, you can opt for their personal mobile number or instant messaging platform. If you have a transaction, question, or concern to raise with another company, look for their official hotline. If they utilize phone extensions, try to find the local number of the person or office you are trying to reach, Rather than having to go through an operator, or multiple call transfers, you can directly reach the intended recipient of your call if you know the local number.  This time, learn about do's and don'ts to be considered by a caller, and some solid advice to be implemented by a receiver. A. If you are the person who is placing the call, remember these bits of good advice (Best 2015.): Before you even dial the number, make sure that there is no background noise that will distract the recipient of your call. Sit with good posture and put on a smile. Believe it or not, "body language communicates over the phone." When your call is taken, introduce yourself by saying your name, as well as your respective department or company. Ask the recipient of the call if it is convenient for him or her to engage in a phone conversation at the present time. To ensure clarity of communication, "speak slowly and clearly" in your phone conversation. B. Meanwhile, if you are the one receiving the call, here are some tips (University of Missouri Kansas City, n.d.) Strive to answer your company-issued phone as promptly as you can. If you typically accept calls from outside your organization, greet your callers by saying "Thank you for calling (name of your company). If you need to ask the caller to wait for a little while, simply say "May I put you on hold?" As much as possible, try not to keep the caller waiting for more than 30 seconds. Afterwards, do not forget to thank them for waiting. If the caller is not willing to wait, or you anticipate the delay to take longer than half a minute, offer to take the message or to call the person back. C. UKMC also prescribes etiquette for both callers and recipients: DO speak clearly and directly into the mouthpiece of your phone. Be mindful of your volume: do not shout, but do not speak in a whisper. DO display courtesy at all times. Even when the person on the other line is starting to use foul or offensive language, maintain your composure and keep calm. DO NOT have anything in your mouth (such as food or chewing gum) while you are speaking on the phone. DO NOT place the receiver of your landline phone or your mobile phone on your desk, without asking the caller to hold. ENGAGING IN VIDEO CONFERENCES  Video conferencing started to materialize in the 1920s, when Bell Laboratories tried experimental set-ups with United States government officials. Over the next decades, the technology needed for video conferencing became more accessible and affordable. By the late 1980s and 1990s, the use of video conferencing broadened "beyond the traditional office." Nowadays, video conferencing can literally be done in the palm of our hand-through the use of smartphones equipped with apps like Skype, Zoom, and Google Meet. ETIQUETTE: DO’S AND DON’TS OF VIDEO CONFERENCES  As with phone calls, there is also a "code of conduct" for participants in. video conferences. It is one thing to initiate a casual video conversation with a friend while you are snuggled up in bed; but it is another thing to formally interact with other professionals in your workspace. Regularly practice the following when initiating or joining video conferences (George, 2020):  DO confirm that video conferencing is most suitable for your purpose. Do test your hardware and internet connection beforehand. DO find a quiet, private space. DO consider blurring your background or using a virtual template. On the other hand, Lovgren (2017) cautions against the following mistakes: DON’T project your appearance using unusual camera angles. DON’T assume that video call participants can identify you all the time. DON’T perform additional work while you are in a call.  final project Form 6 groups. Conduct a video conference via Google Meet or Zoom. In this video conference, simulate an orientation for new employees in a particular company. Assign the roles to be played: One member of the group will act as a representative from the human resource department. This person will facilitate the orientation. Two members of the group will act as the newly hired employees. They will be asked to introduce themselves at the start of the orientation. In the end, they will be allowed to ask questions. The rest of the group will act as supervisors of key departments within the company.  Each member of the group may prepare an outline or script, in order to have a guide about what to say. However, only the "HR representative" and the "supervisors" may inform one another about what they plan to include in their script. Meanwhile, the "new employees" may not disclose their script to each other, or to the other members. Record the video conference, which should last between 15 to 20 minutes only. Afterwards, reflect on the experience. In your opinion, which member of your group was able to demonstrate effectiveness in video conferencing skills? Justify your answer. What challenges were encountered by the group during the video conference? How were these challenges addressed? thank you for being part of my last year in teaching at bci! see you again on your final thesis defense!