In a Healthcare environment, Nurses should be extra mindful of how we are communicating to Patients/Clients.

1. Telephone Etiquette
Dr. Sumity Arora
Panna Dai College of Nursing, Deen Dayal Upadhya Hospital
Delhi

2. Telephone Etiquette
• Email, WhatsApp, Instant Messaging, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram,
Snapchat - there are so many ways to communicate with customers
and clients nowadays! However, despite all the new ways we have to
speak with our Customers, Patients and clients, many of them still
prefer to hear a friendly and competent voice over the phone.
• In a Healthcare environment, Nurses should be extra mindful of how
we are communicating to Patients/Clients.

3. Good telephone etiquette
• 1. Representing the Practice:
• When you’re speaking to patients or clients on the phone you are the
first representation that they have. Being polite and clear will go a
long way!
• 2. Handling difficult calls
• Online communication is great, but most of the time Patients and/or
clients will prefer to speak to someone friendly and helpful –
particularly if they are experiencing problems.

4. • 3. Customer Service
• The baseline of providing excellent customer service is to communicate well
with your patient/clients and this is especially important when speaking to
them on the phone.
• 4. Efficiency
• Answering the phone quickly and dealing with enquiries swiftly will give your
Practice a good reputation and help customers to feel valued.
• 5. Smile :)
• When you smile whether you are talking on the phone or face to face, your
voice sounds different. Consider how smiling might enhance the callers'
experience when listening to your voice. (where appropriate of course)

5. • 6 - Acknowledge that you’re listening as the person talks
• Say, “Yes, I understand” or “I see.” You don’t want the patient to have to say,
‘Are you there?
• 7. - Never use slang on the phone
• Want to screw up patient satisfaction in your medical practice? Use words like
“Yep” or “Yup” or “Uh-huh,” which can sound unprofessional or even
disrespectful to some callers. Say yes and no, and use complete sentences.
• 8- Hang up the phone gently
• Or better yet, let the patient hang up first. A hang up that’s too hard can seem
angry to the patient.

6. Thank you