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Telephone Etiquette

Job aid for WLOL course: Communicating with Participants

Practice good telephone etiquette.

Good telephone etiquette is an important customer service skill. How you answer the telephone sets the stage for the rest of the conversation between you and your customer.

The rules for face-to-face contact apply to telephone contact, whether you are speaking to participants, vendors, or other professionals. Use the following tips:

  • Use a calm and welcoming tone of voice.
  • Identify yourself and the WIC office.
  • Ask the caller's name and use it during the conversation.
  • Use prompts such as "ok," "um-hmm," or "yes" so that the caller knows you are listening.

Check out the Telephone Etiquette job aid for a printer-friendly list of helpful hints for providing good customer care over the phone. You could post this job aid near your desk as a quick reference.

Customer service is an important part of your job. That is why the nine tips are very helpful as you improve your daily  Customer Care skills. When you go to work tomorrow, keep the following in mind:

  1. Treat others as you would like to be treated
  2. Make a good first impression
  3. It’s not what you say, but how you say it
  4. Practice good telephone etiquette
  5. Respect your participants’ privacy
  6. Enjoy people and their diversity
  7. Think positively
  8. Use positive reinforcement
  9. Remember to say “Thank you!”
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