keigoLesson 87

Answering and Transferring a Call — Manager

Situation

Where
At the office phone
Who
You and a caller / manager
Goal
To take a business call and transfer it politely.

Conversation

Show

A

Thank you for calling. This is ABC Corporation.

B

Hello. Is Mr. Sato from the sales department available?

A

One moment please. I'll connect you now.

B

Thank you.

A

I'm sorry. Sato is away from their desk at the moment.

Vocabulary (10)

degozaimasu

to be (very polite)

Politest copula, used in customer-facing speech.

irasshaimasuka

is … available? (honorific)

Honorific 存在 question about another person.

otsunagisuru

to connect (a call)

Humble form for transferring a call.

tadaima

right now (formal)

Formal 今, used in phone keigo.

sekiohazusu

to be away from one's desk

Standard phrase for someone temporarily unavailable.

shoushou

a little / a moment

少々お待ちください = "please wait a moment."

junbi

preparation

準備しておきます = "I will prepare it in advance."

shiryou

materials / documents

資料を共有します = "I will share the materials."

shimekiri

deadline

締め切りはいつですか = "When is the deadline?"

shinchoku

progress

進捗はいかがですか = "How is the progress?"

Grammar

お + Verb stem + いたします

Humble action toward the listener: お繋ぎいたします.

Verb te-form + おります

Humble ongoing state about your own side: 席を外しております.

Honorific verb

Honorific for いる/来る/行く regarding others.

Cultural Notes

Workplace etiquette

On the phone, refer to your own colleagues without 様/さん (佐藤は…) — humbling your in-group toward an outside caller.

Formality level

Highest keigo. Phone manner is a core part of Japanese business training.

Common mistake

Don't say 佐藤さんは席を外しています to an external caller; drop the honorific for your own side: 佐藤は…。

Quiz

What does "でございます" mean?

What does "いらっしゃいますか" mean?

What does "お繋ぎする" mean?

What does "ただ今" mean?

What does "席を外す" mean?

What does "少々" mean?

How is the pattern "お〜いたします" used?

How is the pattern "〜ております" used?

How is the pattern "いらっしゃる" used?

What is the goal of this conversation?

Flashcards

Turn this lesson into flashcards

Save all 10 vocabulary items to your deck and review them later with spaced repetition.