TELEPHONE CONVERSATIONS


The following telephone conversations are aimed at secretaries or other professionals who have a basic level of English or people at intermediate level who sometimes get international calls and fear they can´t understand.

Até pessoas com quase nenhum conhecimento de inglês podem atender ligações internacionais. Abaixo estão alguns diálogos básicos típicos entre a pessoa que liga, o caller, e a pessoa que atende, a secretária. Também tem um glossário com expressões e vocabulário básicos usados nessas situações

S = secretary
C= caller (aquele que está ligando)

1)
S: Alô
C: Hello, I´d like to speak to Oswald please
S: Hold on a minute please
O: Oswald speaking

2)
S: Alô
C: Hello, Can I speak to Mr Mercury?
S: Pardon?
C: Mr Mercury please?
S: Sorry, could you repeat that, please?
C: Mr Mercury
S: Could you spell that, please?
C:M –E-R-C-U-R-Y
S: Alrit, hold on a minute, please; transferring you
C: Thanks

3)
S: Alô
C: Helen, please
S: Hold on, please, I´ll see if she is in.

After 1 minute,
S: I´m sorry but she is not in.
C: Ok, I´ll call her later

4)
S: Alô
C: Is Mr Kioshi there?
S: Yes, hold on … connecting you to his extension

5)
S: Alô
C: Hello, is Helen there?
S: No, she isn´t. Could you call her later?
C: Yes. When will she be back?
S: In the afternoon.

Possible alternatives for in the afternoon: in a few minutes, in 20 minutes, after lunch, at 5 p.m

6)
S: Alô
C: Hello. Is Peter there?
S: I´m afraid he isn´t. Would you like to leave a message?
C: No, thanks.

7)
S: Alô
C: Hello. Mrs. Santos, please
S: I´m afraid she isn´t available right now.
C: Could you take a message?
S: Sure.
C: Tell her John called. Thanks

8)
S: Alô
C: Hello. Mr. Silva, please
S: I´m afraid he is out for lunch.
C: Could you write a message?
S: Sure. Your name, please?
C: Peter. Thanks

Common expressions:

Hold on
Pardon? = Perdão (não entendi, poderia repetir?) = Sorry
Could you repeat it, please? = Poderia repetir, por favor?
Could you spell that, please? = Poderia soletrar isso, por favor?
Transferring = connecting
I´d like to speak to = gostaria de falar com
Can I speak to …? = Posso falar com …?
I´ll see if she´s in = vou ver se ela está
I´m sorry, but she´s not in = Sinto muito, mas ela não está
I´ll call her later = Ligarei para ela mais tarde
Could you call her later? = Poderia ligar para ela mais tarde?
When Will she be back? = Quando ela estará de volta?
Would you like to leave a message? = Gostaria de deixar um recado?
Could you take a message? = Poderia anotar um recado?
Sure = Certamente
Tell her John called = Diga-lhe que John ligou
I´m afraid she isn´t available right now = Receio que ela não está disponível agora
Out for lunch = fora para o almoço

Common vocabulary:

Extension = ramal
Message = recado
Call = ligar
Mr = Sr
Mrs = Sra

Hint = dica

Se estiver difícil de entender o recado para anotar, diga que a ligação está ruim
The connection is bad. I can´t hear you (não estou te ouvindo). Can you call later?
Ou em últimos casos I can´t speak English very well
Ou Hold on I´ll get someone else to answer (Aguarde Vou chamar outra pessoa para te atender) Mas se você decorar os diálogos acima, não vai precisar chamar ninguém, você dará conta.

If you memorize the conversations above, you won´t need to ask anybody´s help, you´ll manage on your own.