Module 4

Nature and uses of information

Module Contents

• Module Objectives
• Introduction
• External Communication
• Internal communication
• Decision Making
• Formal and Informal Communication
• Gathering and Presenting Information
• Electronic Collection of Information
• Information Retrieval
• Telephone

4.1 MODULE OBJECTIVES

When you have worked through this module, you should be able to:
• identify levels of information within an organization
• describe the nature of such information
• identify sources of information
• understand the techniques and channels for the communication of information
within and between organizations
• display an awareness of the importance of the telephone in communication

4.2 INTRODUCTION
We are all constantly collecting information; organizations are no different Data' is
the term used to describe basic facts about the activities of a business For example,
the number of hours worked by any employee on a particular machine; his or her rate
of pay. Information is obtained by assembly items of data into a meaningful form, e.g.
pay­roll. The number 010695 in this form is simply data, it could be a stock code, a
reference number or even t date.
Information is collected, organized, analyzed and then distributed to where it is
needed. The type of information will depend upon several factors: tl nature of the
business, the organizational structure and the current management style­ For example,
in a small one­person business, the owner will is responsible for making decisions,
solving problems, etc., while in a company, local managers will be responsible to the
managing director. They will be able to take some decisions and solve problems
locally while they will have to refer to a higher authority for other decisions or
company policy.
 Information can be qualitative, concerned with relative nature or degree of
excellence, quantitative, concerned with measure or amount, descriptive, concerned
with the characteristics, or emotive, concerned with tendency to excite.
Information can be obtained from sources external or internal to the organization, but
for information to be useful it must be provided on time, accurate and in a suitable
format. It is useful to remember the acronym GIGO (garbage in­garbage out). If we
start with incorrect information it may be difficult to correct it later, the error will
often become more serious as the process develops.

4.3 EXTERNAL INFORMATION

Outside or external influences are often unpredictable, we may be certain that an
event will take place, but we may not know exactly when it will occur and what
the effects of the change will be. There may be warnings of adverse weather
conditions, but we do not know until after the storm the extent of the damage and
what is involved in repairing the damage caused. Changes in health and safety
legislation may increase and amend the paperwork an organization has to produce
following an industrial accident.

4.3.1 Factors outside the organization affect the organization

If we are planning change, then we need to ask questions and find the answers
from external sources. We will need to consider questions such as:

What are the latest technological developments?

New equipment often needs to be purchased in order to keep pace with
competitors and with customers' requirements. If our customers wish orders using
fax machines, then we cannot receive that order unles have a facsimile machine.

How are the needs and preferences of our customers likely to change?
It may be necessary to research the market needs of customers. Pe becoming
physically larger, if you only produce small sizes, you limiting the market
available to you.

What is the situation on supply of raw materials or components?

If the supply of an essential raw material fails then it will be nece investigate
other suppliers of the material or production will nee changed to enable
production to continue using a different raw l Many companies are aware of the
problems created to the environ some fuels and now alternative sources of energy
are preferred.
What legislation is being considered?
 Organizations have to stay within the law of their own country ani countries that
they may export to. If raw materials used in the manuf process are prohibited,
then alternative materials need to be found manufacturing process may also need
to be changed.
By using information from external sources, companies will be abls and adapt
to meet market needs. Resources can be allocated appro necessary changes
implemented, problems anticipated and de< effectively. There can be a cost
associated with external information, 1 in an outside specialist or buying
knowledge or expertise outside the o will cost money.

4.4 INTERNAL INFORMATION

Internal information is that information which is gained from wi organization. It can
take a variety cf forms, verbal or written, and m; from historical or current records.
Some examples of internal informal
• rumours
• complaints
• tax and national insurance contributions
• orders past, current and future a rules and
regulations
• stock levels, usage and values Q suggestions.
•
Each of the above examples is an important source of information Covered in depth
in Module 5. Some information will be used by only one person or department while
other information will need to be available to several departments. Information which
is passed between departments may be used in its original form but often the
information is added to or changed. For example, an order is placed with the order
department, the production department need to be aware of the order to produce the
goods, the finance department need to invoice the customer and the dispatch
department need to send out the finished goods. Each of these departments will have
taken the information they need to allow them to complete their part of the process, it
may be ordering raw materials, calculating a sales executive's commission or
planning the route for a driver.

4.5 DECISION MAKING

Decisions can be made based on facts or on values.
Modern decision making is based on facts gained from scientific research, mathematical
analysis, computer simulations and historical information, both quantitative and
qualitative information is used.
Traditional decisions based on expectations are made from judgments, expectations,
creativity, intuition, ideas, opinions and experience. These tend to be based on descriptive
or emotive information.
Both methods are used, often combined to give a balanced decision, an experienced
manager will be able to use experience to predict future sales figures, this decision can be
supported by research and analysis of current figures.
Decisions fall into three categories, these are: strategic, tactical and operational.

4.5.1 Strategic
These are uncertain and therefore risky as they are based on opportunities, often looking
to the future. They need long­term planning for implementation and are usually made by
senior managers. An example could be opening a new branch in an area which is
currently undeveloped.

4.5.2 Tactical
These are planned based on the resources available to meet the objectives set by strategic
decisions. Tactical decisions are made more frequently than strategic ones and are
concerned more directly with the allocation of resources. Middle managers are often
involved in these decisions. An example could be ensuring targets for the year are met
within their allocated budget.

4.5.3 Operational
Operational decisions are the ones most frequently made, they have clear defined rules
and given resources. These decisions are often made 1 supervisors or junior managers.
Because of the structured nature of this type of decision they could even be made by a
computer, for example planning how to cut shapes from a piece of material with the
minimum of waste.

Strategic and tactical decisions are not easily programmed, human judgment and intuition
cannot be replaced but a computer could be used to help crea contingency plans for
different scenarios. A computer can model 'what if situations and will not become bored
by repetitive actions. It is important th proper planning and control are exercised.

4.6 FORMAL AND INFORMAL INFORMATION

The situation where information is shared will decide if it is formal i informal. Formal
situations usually involves passing information vertically teacher instructing a pupil, a
manager planning with a department. There an accepted code of conduct when passing
formal information from a superior to a subordinate, there is more confidence that
information will pass down wards, each person acts as a filter.

Informal information is usually shared between peers or friends, it is associated with

common interests, for example you may be interested in fishier and discuss this with
other workers who share your interest, these may t management or fellow workers, the
information shared is not usual concerned with the work activity, it is more sociable.

4.7 GATHERING AND PRESENTING INFORMATION

There are numerous sources of information both within an organization an external to an
organization. Access to information may empower and it possible to have too much
information to allow decision making to occur.
4.7.1 Internal sources
These are usually found within an organization, some organizations may onl ave some of
the examples other companies may have all the examples liste e ow and more. Examples
include colleagues, grapevine and rumours, corr ny handbook, staff magazines, personnel
records including absenteeisrr k^nufes of meetings, financial reports, company sales
statistics, notic fileT S' °n"screen displays, electronic mail, public address systems,
access

4.7.2 External sources

This information is found outside the organization and may relate directly to the
organization or not. Once again some or all sources may be used. Examples include
professional and trade journals, official statistics, newspapers, radio, television,
catalogues and price lists, digests, year books, Internet, public view data systems, etc.
For information to be useful it needs to be gathered or collected in some way or other. If
there is only a small amount to be gathered from a small number of sources, it can be
done verbally however; this is not a successful option when trying to gather large
amounts of information from a variety of sources. Still the most common way of
gathering large amounts of information is by using forms. The design of a form is a job in
itself and often best left to the professional. This activity is covered in more depth in
Module 6.

Once a form has been completed, the information needs to be taken off it, today this can
be carried out using a variety of techniques. It can obviously be read and the information
written down or keyed in to a computer. This is generally a slow labor­intensive process
as if the information is keyed or written down a series of validation and verification
techniques may be applied to the information.
Verification means that the information is entered twice and compared, if it matches
exactly then the data have been entered correctly, any differences need to be corrected
before continuing.
Validation is a way of checking that the information is possible or plausible. For
example, the date 01.07.95 is possible so is valid and would pass a validation check
however, 01.70.95 is not valid, there are not 70 months in a year and so this would fail a
validation check.
There are a variety of validation checks available; these include control totals which are
calculated by adding similar data items, as are hash totals. See Table 4.1 for an example.
Invalid character checks ensure that all the characters entered are of right kind. For
example, names only contain alphabetic characters or spc pay­roll numbers only contain
numeric characters.
Table

Pay­roll numberNameHours worked3454S.

Smith401243T. Jones423355R. Singh442189W
.Lieu61Hash total 10241Control total187
Field length checks are possible where data fields must contain a set nun of characters,
for example pay­roll numbers may always contain four di A pay­roll number such as
1234 would be accepted but 105 or 19443 w< be rejected. Sometimes the data must fit
within a known range, for exan where people can work between the ages of 16 and 65
years, a range c could be used to check that the ages are entered correctly. The age may i
be calculated from the date of birth, but could still fail if it does not fall beti the range 15­
66. The months of the year must be 1­12, the days of the m must be 1­31.

The most common validation check is the check digit, these are usi ensure that the
numbers have been entered correctly. The last digit oi right is usually the check digit.
Check digits are often calculated i modulus 11 arithmetic. For example, the pay­roll
number 345, if we divid by 11, the remainder is 4, so the check digit is 4 to give a pay­
roll numl 3454. If 3445 was entered, dividing 344 by 11 gives a remainder of 2 so 5 ci be
the check digit.
Barcodes and International Standard Book Numbers (ISBNs) make i weighted modulus
11 check digits.

For example, 1­85554­059

1 × 1 0 =10
8 x 9 = 72 5 x 8 = 40 5 x 7 = 35
5 x 6 = 30
4 x 5 = 20 0 x 4 = 0
5 x 3 = 15
9 x 2 = 18
Total = 240; 240/11 = 21 remainder 9.

The total divided by 11 gives a remainder of 9.

The remainder is then taken from 11 to give the check digit 1 1 ­ 9 the check digit is 2.
This means the ISBN is 1­85554­059­2.
If the check digit should be 10 then X is used.
Validation checks are used where the data are entered by a person. Today, information
can be captured often without human intervention. If the computer can read the
information held on the form, it is faster and there is less likelihood of error.

4.8 ELECTRONIC COLLECTION OF INFORMATION

Punched cards and punched tape were the first commercial storage media used to enter
information into a computer via a document reader. Information in binary form was
punched onto the card or tape.
Kimball tags are small punched cards used by some retail stores to record sales details.
The tags contain a full description of the article. The individual details simplify re­
ordering and the complete record will be used for periodic sales and stock analysis.

4.8.1 Optical mark recognition ­ OMR

These detect marks made on specially prepared source documents. The mc common
examples are multiple­choice answer sheets, questionnaires ai menu selections in
hospitals. The user makes his or her choice from the on available and marks it using a
pencil.
 Figure 4.4 on the next page shows a sample examination paper, for each the questions
the candidate fills in the box for the answer they think is correi If they wish to cancel a
answer, they do not erase it but fill in the whole b< as the reader may still be able to
detect the pencil mark. The form is then re< by an optical mark or mark sense reader.
Optical mark readers read betwee 100 and 200 documents per minute.
Advantages.
• Data are quickly and, usually, accurately captured.
• No machine is needed to complete the source document.
• The data preparation stage is largely eliminated.
Disadvantages.
• The mark system can only be used if there are limited number c alternatives.
• The marks must be clear and accurate or they will be misread. The source
document must be handled with care, if they are creased, dirt or torn they may not
be read.
• The cost of designing special forms and purchasing reading equipment ca be high.
• Some data preparation staff will be needed to correct and re­enter misread or
rejected documents.

4.8.2 Optical character recognition ­ OCR

These incorporate a video camera which scans the page and identifies eacl character by
the pattern of reflected light. If a standardized font is used sucl
Developments in this area are continuing and many OCR devices can now read
handwritten documents and allow you to take the text and put it into a word processor to
continue working on it or make any necessary changes. They can be used for signature
verification.

Turn­around documents such as meter reading sheets are a commo method of data
capture used for this process. The computer prints out th sheet for each customer,
including name address and account number. Th meter reader enters the reading and then
the computer reads the sheet an calculates the bill.

Optical character reader speeds vary between 100 and 1500 documents per minute.
Advantages.
• Data are quickly and, usually, accurately captured.
• Data preparation stage is largely eliminated.
• Computer can produce documents in OCR font for use as turn­around documents.
• OCR fonts can be read by eye and machine.

Disadvantages.
• High­quality printing may be required.
• Document must be handled with care, creased, dirty or torn documents may not
be read.
• Cost of designing forms and purchasing specialist equipment may be high.
• Some data preparation staff will be needed to re­enter misread or rejected
documents.

4.8.3 Magnetic ink character recognition ­ MICR

Magnetic ink characters are used extensively by banks. The characters on the cheque are
printed using an ink which contains iron filings and can therefore be magnetized
The stylized font allows the information to be read by machine and the human eye. The
process is very fast and extremely accurate. When the cheque is paid into the bank, a
magnetic encoder will be used to print the amount in the space provided. Forms which
are going to make use of MICR often have a space ready for the information to be printed
into.

Advantages.
• Data preparation stage is largely eliminated.
• MICR characters can be read by machine and human eye.
• Documents can be read even if creased or dirty.
• MICR offers high security.
• To deter forgers cheques are not printed on plain paper but on paper covered with
intricate patterns of lines and words.
Disadvantages.
• Very high­quality printing is required.
• Accuracy needed when reading the documents.
• Cost of equipment is high.

The use of barcodes has escalated during the last few years. A barcode is a group of lines
of various thickness and spacing. The code is read using i light wand or laser scanner. A
barcode can contain a great deal of informa tion. Barcodes are frequently used in
libraries, on books (representing ISB> numbers), in retail outlets at the point of sale and
for a whole range of stocl control applications.

Many barcode readers are now connected to point­of­sale terminals whicl provide
customers with a detailed record of their purchase, maintain up­tc date stock levels, keep
a continuous record of the money received from sale; re­order goods from warehouses
and suppliers as soon as they are requirec and produce daily sales summaries.
Advantages.
• Quick and accurate data capture.
• Data preparation stage is eliminated.
• High­quality printing not required, forms part of the packing. Disadvantages.
• Barcodes can only be used for relatively simple codes and reference numbers.
• They can only be used to input the code printed on them.
• Their main use is to identify an item to which they are attached rapidly.
Point­of­sale terminals (POS) are becoming increasingly popular as they provide the
customer with an accurate bill and they will monitor the stock in and out of a
supermarket, large store or warehouse. When the barcode is read, the item is identified,
the description and price are found and printed on the customer's bill and the stock level
is reduced by one. If the stock level falls below the re­order level then an order for the
item is automatically generated and sent to the relevant supplier. This process is
continued for each item purchased until eventually the bill is calculated.
4.9 INFORMATION RETRIEVAL
Many people now use either credit cards, store cards or cash cards. The widespread use
of these have lead many people to use the term 'the cashless society', today many
transactions take place by passing pieces of plastic or giving account numbers rather than
actually giving cash. The money is transferred electronically from one bank account to
another.
Cash dispensers or ATM (automatic teller machines) are appearing in a variety of places
today. If you insert the cash or credit card into the machine and correctly type in the PIN
(personal identification number) then you can withdraw cash up to a preset limit or carry
out a variety of other banking activities, such as ordering a statement, transferring money
or finding the current balance in your account. Many of these cards will let you withdraw
money wherever you are in the world.

Information about the account is encoded into the magnetic stripe on the back of the card
while the front gives the name of the account holder, the account number and an
indication of the validity of the card. The PIN is important and should not be disclosed to
anyone else. It is a unique identifier which is held in the banks computer records, it is not
held on the card.

The customer inserts the card into the ATM. The account number is read and stored in
memory. The computer searches the customer file for this customer's file. The customer
then enters his or her PIN and this is compared with the PIN held in the customer's file, if
they match the transaction continues, if not the customer is prompted to re­enter the PIN.
If the customer gets the PIN wrong three times then the ATM will not return their card.
If the PIN matches, the customer will be prompted with the required service and the
transaction will continue. When the transaction is complete, the customer file is updated
and the customer's card is returned to them along with cash, statement or whatever was
requested.
The use of cash and credit cards has increased rapidly over the last few years, many retail
outlets now accept payment via credit card. The card is swiped through a card reader
which reads the account information encoded on the magnetic stripe on the back of the
card and the account is checked electronically to ensure there are sufficient funds
available and that the card has not been stolen before the transaction is completed. A PIN
may also be required to allow this transaction to be completed.
Improved telecommunications have not only enabled companies to carry out financial
transactions it has also given greater access to electronic information which may be
stored on a computer in another branch of the company, in another state, in another
country or even in another continent. Modems, multiplexors and satellite links have made
the world seem a much smaller place. The Internet has given access to numerous
databases including specialist information on law, medicine, finance, agriculture, etc. The
information may be biographical or current and the network is flexible enough for users
to change their line of enquiry as they progress. Software sui World Wide Web browsers
allow you to search effortlessly for inform, and without realizing it you may have visited
databases in the Ui States, Russia, Japan or even the U.K. The Internet itself began in mi]
institutions in the U.S.A. but soon grew to a world­wide resource. It is pos for CUGs
(closed user groups) to subscribe to information which is restr to their particular group.
Major banks and government institutions wou very concerned if all their dealings were
available to the general public.
The use of facsimile machines continues to grow yearly, these enabk to send a copy (like
a photocopy) of documents to other fax machines v\ it is either printed out or displayed
on screen. The fax machine may separate device attached to the telephone line or may be
built into computer. Many companies now receive and place orders usinj; machines.
These differ from telex machines as the document you see is a of the original, it may be
handwritten, a picture or a typed document advantage of a fax compared to a telephone is
you do not have to be pr to answer it, the message will be delivered providing the fax
machi attached and switched on. A hard copy is produced.
Electronic mail is becoming more widely available, this allows com] users to
communicate with other computer users. It is based ar telephone connections and
modems. To use electronic mail you n« mailbox which identifies who you are and where
you are, it is like address, e.g. FBloggs@[Link]. To send mail you need to
1 who you are sending the mail to and a means of getting it to them, t usually via
communications software and an information provider. You prepare your message on
screen and post it. The communications sofl telephones your local provider who then
collects your mail and route! the recipient. To send a message via email can take only a
few seconds it is possible to have a reply within minutes. The main advantage of eled
mail is you do not have to wait until the person can answer the telepl once you have sent
your message it will sit in the recipient's mailbox unti read their mail. You can also send
multiple copies of the same document do not need to write or type out the document
several times, word pro< and then send it wherever you wish.

4.10 THE TELEPHONE

The newer methods of communicating are still based around the telep and the use of the
telephone still continues to be essential to any bus For this reason the information in this
section is deliberately designed as comprehensive as possible and it includes practical
advice design improve both our skills and attitude. The material is divided unde
following headings:

• telephone technique
• attitude to the telephone
• customer expectations
• listening and speaking
• product knowledge of the telephonist
• personal qualities of the telephonist
• taking telephone messages
• gaining cooperation from extension users
• Difficult calls and callers.
Each section is designed to offer opportunities for you to think about, discuss and
understand the various exercises which they contain.

Telephone technique
Answering the telephone is an important duty because when you are working in an office
you are representing your firm and the tone of your greeting and the manner in which you
handle the calls creates a favorable or unfavorable first impression.
Telephone systems.
There are three main kinds of telephone system and various interconnecting devices
which facilitate the task of oral communication by telephone.
• Internal. On internal telephones you are able only to talk to people inside the firm
by means of another telephone extension. You cannot make outside (external)
telephone calls.
• External. On external telephones you can dial external telephone numbers only.
 • Both. On some telephone systems you can dial internal extensions as above, but if
you have to make an external call you are able to get an outside line. Often this is
done by first dialling 9 to connect you to the dialling tone for the outside line.
Switchboards.
In a firm which has several extensions a switchboard is necessary to receive and route the
incoming calls to the required person or department. There are two main types:
• PMBX ­ an abbreviation for private manual branch exchange ­ is a system in
which the telephonist makes all the connections between the extension users and
the incoming and outgoing calls.
• PABX ­ an abbreviation for private automatic branch exchange ­ is a system
whereby the extension users may dial their own calls; the switchboard operator,
however, must receive and route incoming calls.

Answering machines.
It you wish to provide a 24­hour telephone service you may connect the telephone to an
answering machine. This gives a prerecorded announcement, perhaps asking the caller to
leave a message on tape.

Recording machines are common in offices and, indeed, now appear in more and more
homes. They are very cheap and many people think them essential. Yet they aren't
everywhere ­ why not?

There is no doubt that many people are frightened to leave a message on an answering
machine. Perhaps they are surprised not to be able to speak to a person; often the lack of
feedback puts them off. They may leave no message at all, or may become almost
incoherent. Sometimes the message that greets callers can confuse them too. On the other
hand, that message gives you time to collect your thoughts and decide on what to say.
When communicating with an answering machine, be clear, precise and brief. Say who
you are, the time of your call, the person to whom you want to speak, your message ­ and
your own telephone number.
Many owners of answering machines are just as bad! They prepare poor messages; they
don't listen to the tape for a long time; they don't call back Maybe they are frightened of
the technology too? Or maybe they do not want to pay for a follow­up call. That gives a
very bad impression to callers ­ and may lose you clients.

Attitude to the telephone

Do you feel relaxed and comfortable using the telephone or are you feeling stressed and
threatened?
A good telephonist will be comfortable and relaxed using the telephone and hopefully
communicate easily. Not all people, however, feel confident using the telephone so the
telephonist needs to understand why some people feel ill at ease
• not being able to see
• not being able to gesture
• not knowing the caller
• not being prepared
• not being able to hear/speak properly.

Customer expectations
What does your customer expect?
In the competitive world of work, today's customer is looking for:
• an attentive and understanding service
• an efficient, quality service
• Empathy.
Some people find empathy difficult to understand. Empathy is the ability of an individual
to enter into another's personality to imaginatively experience their experiences, and to
offer constructive advice.

To illustrate empathy it is perhaps easiest to compare it with sympathy. For example,

sympathy: 'I'm sorry to hear that you have lost your job ­ such a pity.' Empathy: 'I'm sorry
to hear that you have lost your job ­ you will want some work to carry on with. I can help,
as I have plenty of work you can assist with for a few months.'
Expecting these services are a customer's right.
Remember: if contact with customers is not professional, efficient, interested and caring
they will go elsewhere.

Listening and speaking

Communication is a two­way process ­ the understanding we aim to create must be
accurate in every way. When we talk to people face to face we have the great advantage
of seeing how they respond to our message. We can easily recognize the glazed look
when someone has not quite grasped our meaning and we can act on that and try saying it
in a different manner until we are satisfied that we have got the right message across. On
the telephone we are hampered because all visual contact is gone. We therefore rely
heavily on:
• listening ­ concentrating on what we hear
• speaking ­ our voice, its tone and the words we use.
We often regard speaking as an active process and listening as a passive oni However,
listening well can be a lot more difficult than speaking, and require a lot more effort.
Listening. On the telephone it is just as easy to stop listening for variou reasons, i.e.
• having preconceived ideas about what the caller is going to say
• being distracted by something in the office, either visually or by sound
• the caller having an uninteresting voice
• panicking because of our own inexperience.
•
One of the best solutions to poor listening is to concentrate our minds on th subject matter
by taking notes. Having a telephone pad and pen next to th telephone at all times is
important. Taking notes right from the beginning o the conversation saves repeating
small but often vital factors later on anc minimizes the effect of distractions going on
around us. We need to make sun that the caller knows we are listening. When speaking
face to face we usi many non­verbal signs to indicate this, e.g. nodding. On the telephone
w< need to use verbal nods like:
• I see'
• 'yes'
• 'right'
• 'mm'
• 'fine'
to indicate that we are still there and that we are listening.
Speaking. As we have no visual contact on the telephone we cannot use nonverbal body
signs to help attract and keep the listener's attention ­ we have only our voice. However,
it is not just what we say (words) but the way we say it (tone) that is important in creating
the right image. We need to make the best of these two elements to make up for the loss
of visual contact.
Words are the tools of the speaker's trade so when speaking on the telephone use words
which:
• form pictures in the mind of the listener. For example, instead of saying 'hold on'
and disappearing, try, T need to check that in our files, but it shouldn't take a
moment'
• are jargon­free and pitched at the level of the caller ­ a typical example is: Caller:
'Can I speak to your accounts department?' Telephonist: 'Is it bought ledger or
sales ledger you want?' Since most people do not know the difference, we should
reply, 'Yes,­what is it in connection with?'
• are not too familiar or colloquial. Avoid things like: yeah'; 'OK'; 'dear'; 'Guv';
'love'.
• are positive and helpful. Avoid using negative words like: 'busy'; 'don't know';
'haven't a clue'. Instead, use phrases like: T will find someone who can help you.'
'Can I call you back in ten minutes when I have found the answer?'

The tone of voice conveys the way we are feeling about the conversation, the caller, or
the way we feel at that particular time. The following positive and negative emotions can
all be conveyed by our voice:
• enthusiastic or bored
• tired or alert
• aggressive or calm
• Confident or unsure.

When the telephone rings we must put everything out of our mind and concentrate on the
person at the other end of the telephone. In this way we can avoid sounding harassed,
annoyed or conveying any number of negative emotions. We need to listen carefully and
adopt a positive and professional approach in our choice of words and the way we sound.

Product knowledge of the telephonist

In order for you to assist your caller, and the company you work for, you must have a
sound product knowledge and be familiar with, and have access to:
• all departments and their extension numbers
• all personnel and their extension numbers
• directories and classified directories
• Personnel appointment books.

To do your job well you need to be prepared for any eventuality that may occur in your
duties. Since you are dealing with people and will be taking messages it is important that
the basic necessities are always available at your workstation:
• pens and pencils
• rubber
 • notepad
• message pad or book
• lists of departments/telephone numbers/personnel/extension numbers.
•
Personal qualities of the telephonist
To fulfill customer expectations on the telephone of:
• an attentive and understanding service
• an efficient quality service
• empathy
the professional telephonist must demonstrate some personal qualities in th service
provided to all callers. Some of the main qualities expected of a telephonist are listed in

Taking telephone messages

One of the main complaints from people at work relating to leaving telephone messages
is that people simply do not ring back.
Unfortunately, if a message is taken for someone who does not ring back, it is seen by the
caller as the telephonist's fault. The caller will assume that the message was not passed on
and will therefore blame the telephonist.
How can we ensure that messages are dealt with promptly and efficiently?
There are three equally important stages to effective message taking:
• being prepared
• taking the message
• making sure it is dealt with.
Being prepared. At the outset, it must be acknowledged that taking a message is really
the lowest form of help that can be given. It should only be offered as a last resort after
other avenues have been explored.

Many people when answering someone else's telephone will simply say, J'm sorry, he is
out. Can I take a message?' It would be more helpful if the jeply went ­ 'I'm sorry, he is
out. Can I help you at all?' Very often you can help, and the call is dealt with then and
there.

However, for those occasions when we do have to take a message we should well
prepared with a suitable message pad. It is important to use a special pad or form,
otherwise important messages get lost in other papers on someone's desk or in­tray. It is a
good idea to have them printed in a distinctive colour so that they stand out.

Taking the message. Having a clear and logical sequence to the message pad helps in
taking a message quickly and accurately. It is most important when taking messages for
the telephonist to repeat back to the caller all of the message to ensure that it is
completely accurate. It is important that you tell the caller what action you will take to
relay the message, for example: 'Mr Baker will be back in the office for a meeting at 3
o'clock this afternoon. I will see if he can call you back before this, and, if not, will ask
him to call you directly after his meeting.'
Make sure it is dealt with. The telephonist has a responsibility to ensure that the action
promised to the caller is carried out! It may mean leaving the message in the most
prominent place for the person to see, or it may mean speaking with the person to ensure
the message has been received and will be dealt with. You may even check later that this
has been done.

Gaining cooperation from extension users

The relationship between telephonists and extension users is not always as it should be.
In some organizations it is almost traditional to complain about the telephonists ­ after all,
they are easy targets who are often situated in an isolated place, unknown by sight and
name to many staff.

Ideally, telephonists should be able to explain in person to extension users how they can
help to provide an efficient service. It is a useful inclusion in the induction programme of
new employees. If this is not possible ­ and even if it is ­ instructions from the telephonist
can be listed alongside instructions on how to use your telephone extension. Some
important points which might be included:
• The telephonist's priority is to answer incoming calls.
• Note the busy times when the telephonist may not be available to answer internal
queries.
• If someone is absent from your office or section, inform the telephonist so they do
not waste time trying to locate him or her.
• Inform the telephonist if your section or office will not be able to answer the
telephone due to meetings ­ personnel elsewhere, etc.
• Advise the telephonist if you are expecting an important call and need to be
tracked down ­ where you are likely to be, etc.
• Inform the telephonist if staff in your section/office/department have left or have
been transferred.

• Advise the telephonist of any new members of staff joining

section/office/department.
• Inform the telephonist of temporary staff working with you ­ their r how long they
will be with you, etc.
• Inform the telephonist if your extension number changes.

Difficult calls and callers

Many things can go wrong during a telephone call, some due to d people, others caused
by mechanical problems. Most of the mecl difficulties are out of our control, for example:
• crossed lines
• being cut off
• bad lines where we cannot hear the other person clearly
• Wrong numbers.
How do we deal with these problems?

Crossed lines. We can usually tell when someone dials in on our calls, the dialling makes
it impossible for us to continue speaking. When the ference stops, we should establish
whether anyone else is on the 1 saying: T think we have a crossed line. Perhaps you
would hang up anc your number.' It is important to be polite in your conversation.
Being cut off. The general rule if we get cut off is that the person whc the call should
redial. However, if it is an important client and we ha telephone number, it is a good idea
to ring them back. When we st conversation again we should avoid getting bogged down
discussing fault it was that we got cut off.
Bad line. If the line is really bad it is best to clearly conclude the call, as the caller that
you will immediately call back.
Wrong numbers. Sometimes we can find ourselves through to the wronj °er even if we
have dialled the right number.

• Accept responsibility for whatever is being complained about. You have become
the organization to the caller.
• Apologize on behalf of the organization.
• Avoid taking any of the insults personally. Often people complaining just want to
get it off their chest ­ once they have calmed down the problem can be dealt with
simply and constructively.
• Finish the call positively by informing the caller clearly of what action you will
take.
• Take your follow­up action immediately and ensure that someone deals with the
complaint swiftly. Make sure that someone rings the caller back if you have said
that they would be contacted.
A caller not getting to the point. If a caller does not seem able to get to the point it is best
to ask direct questions to obtain the information which will help you determine the nature
of the call. Sometimes offering alternatives can help the caller make up his or her mind,
e.g.
• 'When did you receive the goods?'
• 'Are you requesting a refund or replacement goods ­ which would you prefer'
Keep questions and alternatives simple, to the point, and be sure to be pleasant and polite
in your conversation.