I simply say I have a student in my office and would love to give the person on the line my individual attention and would it be ok if i call them back in 5 10 15 minutes?
We handle it by answering the phone, we want to show urgency
Candace, sure. It sounds like you are giving both students ample time as well as respect by asking permission to excuse yourself.
Dr. Jean Norris
If I am with a student, I excuse myself and address the caller. If they have a lot of questions, I inform them I am with another student at the moment but would love to speak with them more and ask if it is possible to schedule an appointment so they can get all the information at one time that they are seeking.
I control the front desk at my job; therefore, I am the first point-of-contact when someone walks through our door. In an effort to maintain a great first impression on our visitors, I ask if they would please give me just one second and give a nice, but breif, answer for the phone lines. By this, I mean I answer with the standard greeting and then transfer to the appropriate person who takes the call from there. 99% of people are very understanding of this, since it is one of my main tasks, and after the call(s) is taken care of, we continue our conversation as if there was no break. The other 1% aren't thrilled, but they understand.
Nelson, thanks for sharing this. It looks like you value both audiences and are professional and polite in your response.
Dr. Jean Norris
I excuse myself from the person I'm interviewing and introduce myself to the caller and thank the person for calling in. After the caller speaks to me or asks a question, I then tell the caller I appreciate their interest and that I'm looking forward to speaking with them about their career as I'm helping the student in my office at this time. I then ask for a mutually agreeable time to return the call.
Bob, that's in interesting idea. I like that you limit your excuses to one per interview. I wonder, what has the response been from the students you work with?
Dr. Jean Norris
It depends on what kind of inbound call it is. I work with another admissions rep so if is a new inquiry to the school and I am in the middle of an interview, I will ask the administrative assistance to have the other admissions rep take that call. If it is someone I have interviewed in the past, I will quickly look at my notes on that individual and then excuse myself from the interview and take that call in another office.
I also will excuse myself only once during the interview process. If I get more than one call during my interview, I normally will take the call but I will tell the person on the phone that I am in the middle of an interview and I will call them back within an hour.
Chris, sure that's a great practice. You are making sure that each person is being taken care of and that shows great respect for each involved.
Dr. Jean Norris
Most likely I would have reception notify the called that I am with a client assure them I will be contacting them shortly espcially if the meeting with student is an intial one. I feel its important to give that student my undivided attention out of respect.
I appreciate your feedback here Diane. I like the idea of giving the student something to do while you are not in the room. This will help keep them engaged while you are away for a moment.
Dr. Jean Norris
I usually will place the caller on hold for a moment, ask the student what they need, and if they are filling out paperwork, they can do that while I help the person on the phone.
I follow suit to most that have responded here. I ask the student to excuse me and usually have something available for them to write or read while I am on the phone.
Antonio,
So the ringing bothers you so you pick up the call, right? Although it doesn't sound like an ideal situation, it sounds as if you are making the best of the situation. What, in your opinion, would be the ideal situation when you are meeting with a student and the phone rings though?
Dr. Jean Norris
Well,that sound really bothers while you are with someone either giving orientation or interviewing, so I prefer to excuse myself, pick it up. introduce myself and get name and number to return the call back cause I am busy with some else.
Honestly, they have never said anything to me about it. When I apologize for taking the call, they all seem to understand.
Jennifer, interesting point. It sounds like you acknowledge the interruption before it even happens so that the students have that expectation in mind. You are honest with them, up front and also apologetic which shows respect for the student as well. I'm curious, what have students said about this practice?
Dr. Jean Norris
I explain to the student in the beginning that I may need to take calls during our time. If an inbound info call comes in, we are required to take the call. I apologize to the student and proceed to take the call. Once the call is completed, I apologize again to the student and continue with our interview process. At times I feel as this is rude to the student I am sitting with but at the same time it shows them that there are other people interested and eager to come in & possibly start.
Thanks for sharing some of your approaches, Evelyn. I get the sense that you do your best to serve your students to the best of your ability when it comes to taking calls while you're meeting with a student. I also like your suggestion of connecting the caller to another individual who can attend to their questions right there and then. How often are you able to use an option such as this in your office?
Shannon Gormley
