| A | B |
|---|
| Acceptance | An element of active listening that entails listening objectively without judging content until the caller is finished. |
| Active listening | An effective communication skill that requires you to understand the message from the caller's point of view. |
| Auto announcements | Similar to answering machines, but activated only when all incoming lines are busy or after hours when the caller is prompted to leave a message or to call back during business hours. |
| Caller identification (ID) | A telephone service that displays the caller's number on your telepone. |
| Calling card | Card equipped with a magnetic strip to accommodate placing a class; the charge is authomatically billed to your personal or business account. |
| Call forwarding | A telephone service that allows the telephone system to forward a call to another number when you are busy or away from your desk. |
| Call management services | Phone services such as displaying caller's number on your telephone and forwarding your call when you are busy or away from your desk. |
| Conference call | Phone conversation between three or more parties in different geographical locations. |
| Country code | The national prefixto be used when dialing to one country to another. |
| Direct-distance dialing (DDD) | A method of making long-distance call that allows the caller to dial the number directly with no special assistance from an operator. |
| Empathy | Seeking to understand what the caller wants to communicate rather than what you want to understand. |
| Greenwich zone | The starting point of standard time, or zero zone. |
| Inflection | Varying the tone of your voice to stree meaning and add emphasis to what is said. |
| Interactive voice response (IVR) | Programmable system that allows a response after a predetermined number of rings; response at specific times of day; a variety of announcements; prompts to lead the caller through a menu of options to acquire information or leave a message; and repeating messages based on the length of time the caller has been on hold. |
| Interconnect equipment | Telephone equipment purchased or leased from suppliers other than from telephone companies; equipment is digitally controlled from a central office and provides a variety of services. |
| Key telephone | Equipment that provides flexibility in making and receiving multiple calls simultaneously by using multiple buttons. |
| Long-distance call | Any calls placed outside the local calling area. |
| Operator-assisted call | Unlike a direct call you make yourself, a call that requires special attention. |
| Person-to-person call | Phone calls in which you call a specific individual by dialing "0," the area code, and the telephone number, and have the operator assist you. |
| Point-to-point call | Telephone call made to any individual who answers the telephone. |
| Prepaid calling card | The equivalent of a direct debit card, a card with a magnetic strip on the back that stores the original purchase value of the card and updates that amount each time a call is made. |
| Pronunciation | Saying each work correctly, clearly, and distinctly by moving your lips, tongue , and jaw freely. |
| Telephone answering service | A switchboard attended by an operator who answers subscribers' telephones at designated hours. |
| Telephone tag | Nonproductive method of teleponing back and forth by parties trying to reach each other without success. |
| Time zone | Standardized boundaries to establish time of day based on the degree to longitude. |
| Voice mail | Telephone answering system that stores messages digitally. |
