Everyday Etiquette for Office Life

　　Telephone

　　As your company's representative， your phone manners should be impeccable1. Too many workers who are abrupt on the phone rationalize2 their behavior by saying it's okay or even expected——since they're at work， but this isn't true. You are putting across3 your company's image and should work just as hard at it on the phone as you would in person.

　　There are several accepted ways to answer a telephone at work. You can simply say " Hello" or you can say your name， as in " June Johnson speaking." You don't need to say the company's name if a receptionist or a secretary has already done so. Try to speak in a pleasant， unrushed voice. If you are rushed and can't talk， it's better to say this and make plans to call back later. Don't rustle4 papers or work while you're speaking on the phone. If you're really too distracted5 to speak， then reschedule the call.

　　It's okay and sometimes even necessary to screen6 your calls. But there's a right and a wrong way to do this. First train your secretary to do it politely. It's better to ask " May I know who's calling？" than " Who is this？" or even " Who's calling？" Second， don't instruct your secretary to say you are out when you are in. It's acceptable to be in but too busy to talk at the moment——and it's always better to be honest. Callers sense the difference， and besides， it may not look good if you're always out.

　　It's rude not to return telephone calls——regardless of whom they are from. You might be ignoring a potential customer. Many people today don't bother to return phone calls， and if you work for someone else， It's highly unlikely that such behavior is acceptable. When you do return calls， try to place them yourself. If you must have your secretary make the call， then get on7 the line immediately. It's not polite to keep someone waiting when you've placed the call.

　　Handling Mail

　　Good manners also dictate8 that you handle your mail promptly and courteously9. Unless mail is obviously mass-produced， it should be deemed worthy of a reply. Most bosses don't like discovering that their employees are unresponsive to business calls and letters.

　　Faxes and E-Mail

　　The arrival of fax machines and desktop computers in most offices has also given rise to10 a new etiquette regarding their use. Never assume that either a fax or e-mail is private. And with that in mind， never send any communication via either method that you wouldn't like to have your boss， or even your entire office， read. Most fax machines are located in public places， so anyone who passes by can read them， and some businesses routinely screen their employees' e-mail. （That's not necessarily polite， but it's easier to keep e-mail impersonal than to tell the boss she can't read it.）

　　辦公室的日常禮儀

　　電話

　　作為公司的代表，你打電話的舉止應(yīng)該是無可挑剔的。許多在打電話時舉止粗魯?shù)墓ぷ魅藛T給自己的行為找理由，說那是可以接受的，甚至理應(yīng)如此，因為他們正在工作。但這是說不通的。你實際上是在為公司樹立形象，因此應(yīng)該就像面見對方一樣盡可能打好電話。

　　接工作電話有幾種廣為接受的方式。你可以只說"你好"或說出你的姓名，如"我是瓊·約翰遜。"如果接線員或秘書已經(jīng)說出了公司的名字，你便不必再說。通話時盡量聲音悅耳，不急不躁。如果你手頭正忙無法說話，最好實話實說，告訴對方一會兒再打過去。通話時不要讓紙張瑟瑟作響，也不要邊說邊工作。如果你實在無法集中精神通話，那就安排另外通話的時間。

　　有選擇地接電話是可以的，有時甚至是必要的。但是如何做則有正誤之分。首先訓(xùn)練你的秘書要有禮貌。最好問"我能問是哪位打來的嗎？"，而不是"誰呀？ "，更不是"誰在打電話？".第二，不要教你的秘書在你在的時候說不在。說工作太忙無暇通話是可以接受的——以誠相待永遠是上策。打電話的人能聽出不同， 況且，如果你總不在也不太好。

　　不回電話是無禮的——不管電話來自何人。你或許會錯過一個可能成為客戶的人。當今許多人不屑回電話，但如果你身為別人的雇員，如此行為恐怕難以接受。當你能夠回電話時，盡量自己做。如果你必須先讓你的秘書代勞，那么應(yīng)盡快接過電話。如果電話是你打的，讓對方久等是不禮貌的。

　　處理信件

　　得體的行為舉止也體現(xiàn)在你能及時有禮貌地處理信件。除非是那些大量散發(fā)的`郵件，每一郵件都值得予以回復(fù)。許多老板不愿看到他們的雇員對商務(wù)電話和信函遲遲不予答復(fù)。

　　傳真和電子郵件

　　傳真機和桌面電腦進入大多數(shù)辦公室以后也產(chǎn)生了一種新的有關(guān)使用傳真機和電腦的禮儀。決不要認為傳真或電子郵件是私人的。清楚這點就不要使用它們發(fā)任何你不愿讓老板甚至是整個辦公室都能讀到的信件。大部分傳真機放在公共地點，所以每位經(jīng)過的同事都可以看，而有些公司例行公事地檢查雇員的電子郵件。（那不見得是禮貌之舉，但讓電子郵件成為非私人郵件要比告訴老板請勿閱讀更容易些。）

　　注釋：

　　1.impeccable adj.無可挑剔的

　　2.rationalize vt.就…作自我辯解

　　3.put across 使被人接受，使被人理解

　　4.rustle vt.使沙沙作響

　　5.distracted adj.思想不集中的

　　6.screen vt.篩選，檢查

　　7.get on 繼續(xù)

　　8.dictate vt.要求

　　9.courteously adv.謙恭有禮地

　　10.give rise to 引起，導(dǎo)致，為…的原因