Is it polite to pick up the phone only naming your first name ? If not, what would be more polite without being overly polite ?
Yes, mentioning your fisrt name is polite but a standard answer on lifting the phone could be:
Good morning. Xyz Technologies. Susan speaking. How may I help you?
How to answer as a private person : "Good morning. John speaking. " ?
***NOT A TEACHER***If I understand your question, you want to know what to say when the telephone rings and you pick it up. Am I right? Here in the United States, almost everyone just says, "Hello." Nothing more. I didn't know that people in other countries often give their names. Did I misunderstand your question? I thought "Hello" was the standard greeting everywhere. Thank you.Is it polite to pick up the phone only naming your first name ? If not, what would be more polite without being overly polite ?
We do the same in Poland, but it is not very good. I can't remember how many times I mistook someone for someone else and said stupid or sometimes even secret things to them.
No, never! That would be extremely rude in my culture!Do you sometimes just say "yes" or "yeah" picking up the phone?
***NOT A TEACHER***I just remembered something interesting (well, I think it's interesting!). I hear that traditionally in Japan, when you pick up the phone, YOU don't say anything. It's the caller who starts to speak first. Of course, this is the 21st century, and customs are changing fast. I recently asked some young Japanese people. A few said some people still observe this custom. Maybe some members in Japan can enlighten us.Is it polite to pick up the phone only naming your first name ? If not, what would be more polite without being overly polite ?
Good morning. Xyz Technologies. Susan speaking. How may I help you?
It's probably easier in English, because you can always say "you" talking to anyone. In Polish, we have to choose between "you", "sir" and "madame" - it's very rude to choose any wrong form. It's hard when you call your buddy who lives with his family. It's hard to tell his voice from his father's, who you don't know. Whatever you say can turn out ridiculous or rude. But it's not that much of a problem. It's worse when you're sure you're talking to your buddy, girlfriend or whoever and start with something that shouldn't be said to anybody else. It did actually happen to me, not even once.After the person says "Hello" and I think it's the person I was calling, I would say "Hi Mary, it's Barb." If it wasn't Mary, she'd say "You have the wrong number" or "This is Missy. Let me get Mary for you."
If I don't know the person (say the mother of a friend of my daughter's), I'd say "Hi, this is [my full name]. I'm Becky's mom. Is this Mrs. Smith?"
Do you mean it has happened to you more than once?It's probably easier in English, because you can always say "you" talking to anyone. In Polish, we have to choose between "you", "sir" and "madame" - it's very rude to choose any wrong form. It's hard when you call your buddy who lives with his family. It's hard to tell his voice from his father's, who you don't know. Whatever you say can turn out ridiculous or rude. But it's not that much of a problem. It's worse when you're sure you're talking to your buddy, girlfriend or whoever and start with something that shouldn't be said to anybody else. It did actually happen to me, not even once.
No, that would be the opposite. If it hasn't happened once it hasn't happened at all.Yes, that's what I meant. Would "even not once" or "not once, even" be better?