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Making and answering phone calls is part of daily life. But if English is not your first language, business telephone calls can feel intimidating.
Don’t worry! We’ve gathered 50+ essential English phrases for business telephone calls to help you sound professional, confident, and polite.
We’ve organized them into categories so you can quickly find what you need, whether you’re answering, leaving a message, or dealing with a difficult caller.
What Is a Business Phone Call?
A business phone call is a professional telephone conversation between two or more people, usually related to work matters such as customer service, sales, negotiations, updates, or problem-solving.
Unlike casual calls, business calls follow a polite, structured tone and aim to communicate clearly, efficiently, and professionally.
In the following section, you will learn useful expressions you can use in your business phone conversations.
English Phrases for Business Telephone Calls
Here are 50+ English phrases for business telephone calls:
1. Answering the Phone
When you pick up the phone at work, it’s important to greet the caller politely and professionally.
Useful Phrases:
- Good morning / Good afternoon, [Company Name], [Your Name] speaking. How can I help you?
- Hello, this is [Your Name]. How may I assist you?
- Thank you for calling [Company Name]. How can I direct your call?
- [Your Name] speaking. How can I help you today?
2. Asking for the Caller’s Name and Details
If you’re not sure who’s calling, you can politely ask for their name and the reason for their call.
Useful Phrases:
- May I ask who’s calling, please?
- Could you tell me your name, please?
- May I have your company name?
- What is this regarding?
- How can I help you today?
3. Asking the Caller to Wait (Putting on Hold)
Sometimes you need time to check information or transfer the call. Use these polite phrases:
Useful Phrases:
- Could you hold for a moment, please?
- Please hold while I check that for you.
- Would you mind holding for a few seconds?
- I’ll put you through in just a moment.
- Thank you for holding.
4. Transferring the Call
If the caller needs to speak to someone else, here’s how to transfer them smoothly.
Useful Phrases:
- I’ll transfer you to [Name/Department].
- Let me connect you with [Name/Department].
- One moment, I’ll put you through.
- I’m connecting you now.
- I’m afraid [Name] is not available at the moment. Would you like to leave a message?
5. Taking a Message
When the person the caller wants is unavailable, you may need to take a message.
Useful Phrases:
- Can I take a message?
- Would you like to leave a message?
- Can I let them know you called?
- May I have your contact details?
- I’ll make sure they get your message.
6. Leaving a Message
When you call someone and they’re not available, you might need to leave a message.
Useful Phrases:
- Could you tell [Name] that I called?
- Please let [Name] know that I’ll call back later.
- Can you ask [Name] to call me back?
- Could you give [Name] this message, please?
- My number is [Your Phone Number].
7. Clarifying Information
If you didn’t understand something, use these polite phrases to ask for clarification.
Useful Phrases:
- Could you repeat that, please?
- I’m sorry, could you say that again?
- Could you spell that for me?
- Let me just confirm that.
- Did I understand you correctly?
8. Confirming or Summarizing
To make sure you and the caller are on the same page, summarize key details.
Useful Phrases:
- Let me confirm that.
- So, you would like me to…
- Just to clarify…
- If I understand you correctly…
- I’ll send you a confirmation email.
- Let me wrap things up…
9. Ending the Call Politely
Finish your business call professionally and courteously.
Useful Phrases:
- Thank you for calling.
- I appreciate your time.
- Have a great day!
- If you have any other questions, feel free to call us back.
- Goodbye, and thanks again.
10. Handling Difficult or Angry Callers
When things get tense, these polite phrases can help calm the situation.
Useful Phrases:
- I understand your concern.
- I see what you mean.
- Let me see what I can do to help.
- I’m sorry for the inconvenience.
- I’ll look into this right away.
- Thank you for bringing this to our attention.
- I appreciate your patience as we resolve this matter.
Sample Business Telephone Dialogues
Situation 1: A customer calls a company to inquire about a delayed order.
- Receptionist: Good afternoon, GreenTech Solutions, this is Sarah speaking. How can I help you today?
- Caller: Hello, this is Alex Chen from FutureWorks. I’m calling about an order we placed last week — I’d like to check on the delivery status.
- Receptionist: Of course, Alex. May I have your order number, please?
- Caller: Sure, it’s 4529.
- Receptionist: Thank you. Could you hold for a moment while I check that for you?
- Caller: Yes, no problem.
- Receptionist (after a short pause): Thank you for holding, Alex. I’ve checked with our shipping department. The order was delayed due to a stock issue, but it’s scheduled to be shipped tomorrow.
- Caller: I see. Could you please confirm the expected delivery date?
- Receptionist: Yes, it should arrive by Friday, May 30th.
- Caller: Great, thank you for the update.
- Receptionist: You’re welcome. Is there anything else I can assist you with today?
- Caller: No, that’s all for now. Thanks again!
- Receptionist: Thank you for calling, Alex. Have a great day!
- Caller: You too, goodbye!
Situation 2: A customer is upset because a product they received is faulty.
- Receptionist: Good afternoon, BrightTech Customer Support. This is Emma speaking. How can I help you today?
- Customer (angry tone): Yes, this is Mark Stevens. I’m really frustrated — I received a defective product, and no one has responded to my email!
- Receptionist (calm, polite): I’m very sorry to hear that, Mr. Stevens. I understand your concern, and I’ll do my best to help you. Could you please provide your order number?
- Customer: It’s 88321.
- Receptionist: Thank you. Please hold for a moment while I look up your order details.
- Customer: Alright.
- Receptionist (after checking): Thank you for holding, Mr. Stevens. I can see that you reported the issue yesterday. I sincerely apologize for the delay in our response. Let me look into this right away.
- Customer: I just want this resolved as soon as possible.
- Receptionist: Absolutely, I understand. I will escalate this to our quality team, and we will arrange for a replacement or a refund — whichever you prefer.
- Customer (calming down): A replacement would be fine.
- Receptionist: Great, thank you for confirming. Just to clarify, we’ll send you a new product by express delivery, and you’ll receive it within two business days.
- Customer: Okay, thanks for sorting this out.
- Receptionist: You’re very welcome, Mr. Stevens. Thank you for bringing this to our attention. If you have any other questions, feel free to call us anytime.
- Customer: Alright, thanks again.
- Receptionist: Thank you for calling, and have a great day!
- Customer: You too. Goodbye.
Bonus Tips for Business Telephone Calls
- Speak clearly and at a moderate pace.
- Smile while you speak — your tone will sound more positive!
- Keep a pen and paper handy to take notes.
- Always confirm important details before ending the call.
Final Thoughts
Mastering these English phrases for business telephone calls will help you communicate more confidently and professionally on the phone. Having the right words ready makes all the difference whether you’re making sales calls, supporting customers, or coordinating with colleagues.
→ Want more business English tips? Check out our other posts on business email phrases, starting a business meeting, and formal email writing!