Phone Etiquette

July 26, 2007 - 11:30 AM by Stephanie

Hanan Cohen, blogger behind Webster 3 (Hebrew), self described “Internet activist” and force behind the mega English/Hebrew/Israeli/Arab world blog collator English Webster, has put up an entry (in Hebrew) that is uber Israeli and most certainly worth translating.

Colloquial Phone Etiquette
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The phone rings and if I’m in the office the number doesn’t come up on caller i.d. If I’m on my cellphone and the number is blocked or I don’t recognize it:
???: ????, ???? ???
Me: Hello, Hanan here.
???/???: ???? ???. ?? ??????
Caller: Hi Hanan. How’s it going?
???: ???? ?? ????.
Me: It depends on who’s asking…
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I now have two options for continuing the conversation
?????? 1.
First Option: (Caller) Hi. It’s Jane/John Doeberg (poetic license. It’s in the fine print…slf)
???/???: ????, ????/? ?? ???

???: ???? ?? ???, ??? ???? ??????
Me: Hi there Jane/John. What can I do for you?
?????? 2.
Second Option: (caller) Why? Does is it change for different people?
???/???: ???? ?? ????? ???? ?????

???: ??. ??? ??? ???? ?????? ??? ????? ??? ???????? ??? ????? ?? ????.
Me: No. But that’s the tactful way of suggesting a caller identify him/herself.
???/???: ?????. ??? ?? ???.