Hints and tips

In this section you can find useful advice on how to get the most out of using a telephone.

General advice
- Call Steering
- If using the telephone makes you anxious
- Taking down messages
- Taking too long when dialling a number
- The telephone rings too quietly
- Will my pacemaker be affected by a telephone?
Deaf and hard of hearing
- Hearing aid compatible phones
- Using the phone without a hearing aid
- Analogue behind the ear hearing aids
- You can use your hearing aid switched to "M" with any phone
- You can only use your hearing aid switched to "T"
- Analogue "In the ear" hearing aids
- Using the phone with a digital hearing aid
- Digital ‘behind the ear’ hearing aid
- Digital ‘in the ear’ hearing aid
- Using the phone hands-free
- Headset option
- Using cordless and mobile phones
- Advice for Cochlear Implant users
- Textphones
Speech and language
- Speech impairment
- Communication aids
- Laryngectomy
- Stammering

General Advice

By following the tips below you can make it easier both to be understood and to understand other people over the phone:

Always speak clearly into the mouthpiece of the phone.
Hold the mouthpiece of the phone below your bottom lip and against your chin - try not to move the mouthpiece of the phone under your chin as this can make it more difficult for you to be heard.
Do not shout if the person on the other end of the phone cannot hear you properly. Try speaking a little slower than normal, without stressing or exaggerating words.
If repeating what you have said doesn't work, try saying the same thing in a different way.
If it is difficult to understand the speech of the person you are speaking to, concentrate on what they are saying, not how they are saying it.
If you can't understand what the person on the other end of the phone is saying, ask them to repeat it. Never pretend you have understood when you haven't.
If the person you are speaking to has a speech impairment such as a stammer, don't finish their words for them or guess the end of the sentence.
If the person you are speaking to takes a long time to say things, be patient and don't interrupt.
Keep questions simple and ask closed questions whenever possible (so the person only has to say yes or no).

Call Steering is an automatic service which helps you get through to the right person when you phone a big company or shop. Once you have got through, you will hear a recorded message telling you which button to press on your phone keypad. Sometimes this can be confusing, especially if you are not sure which department deals with your query. Remember:

The message may be repeated if you wait a short time
You may be connected to an operator if you don't press a button before a certain time has gone by
You may be able to press a button which will connect you to an operator

If using the telephone makes you anxious

It is always a good idea to make some preparations before you start an important phone call, such as when you need to call a business. If you sometimes get flustered or forget what you want to say, here are some ideas that help you stay in control:

Have a pen that works and some paper near you and a flat surface to write on. Before you start, write down:

What you are ringing about
Any relevant reference number, dates or amounts of money paid

During the call don't be afraid to:

Ask for the name of the person you are talking to
Ask the other person to repeat what they said
Ask the other person to explain anything they have said if you didn't understand it (especially if they have used any jargon or special words)
Repeat what the other person has said to make sure you heard it correctly

Taking down messages

Taking down a message can be a problem if you write slowly or struggle to hold a handset and a pen and keep a piece of paper still at the same time. Some options are:

Using a telephone with a hands-free option so that the voice of the person you are talking to comes out from the front edge of the telephone, not from the handset. This leaves you with both hands free.
An answering machine or message service such as BT Answer 1471 can take a message to play back later.
If you have a telephone answering machine with two way record, you can tape both sides of the conversation and play it back later to remind yourself of what was said. You should advise the other person you are doing this.

Taking too long when dialling a number

If you dial slowly because you can't see the number buttons or have poor control over your hands or fingers, you may only get so far through a number before the automatic voice tells you to hang up and try again. If so, try these suggestions:

Use a telephone with memory buttons where you can store numbers that you want to ring frequently.
Try a telephone with large buttons so that you can see the one you are aiming for more easily if you have poor eyesight, or have more to aim at if you don't have good control over your hands.
A telephone with a pre-dial option lets you key in all the number and check it is correct before you press dial.

Remember, once the automatic voice cuts in you can:

Ignore the message and continue dialling until you have put in all the number
Put down the handset, wait a few seconds and then pick it up again (or just press down and release the switch-hook, the little lever that moves down when you replace the handset)
Press the Last number Redial button
The phone will now dial the number for you

The telephone rings too quietly

One of the main reasons for the telephone ring being too quiet is that people often put a mat under it to protect the table surface. This muffles the volume of the ring, making it hard to hear. Standing the phone directly on the table surface can make a difference - as can placing it on something like an up-side-down empty biscuit tin! Understandably not everyone wants to have a tin on their table, so you can try turning up the volume of the ringer. Most telephones allow you to have the ringer volume turned off completely, on Low or on High. If the ring is still too quiet an extra bell or extension Tonecaller may solve the problem. See BT products that can help you.

We will supply one of these alerts, free of charge, with a socket doubler for easy installation next to the telephone to our residential customers who are hard of hearing - call 150 to request this.

Will my pacemaker be affected by a telephone?

Cordless and mobile telephones use radio frequency signals to transmit calls. If you wear a pacemaker it is possible for these signals to interfere with the way it works. We always recommend that you consult your doctor or pacemaker manufacturer if you intend to buy and use a cordless or mobile telephone.

Deaf and hard of hearing

Hearing aid compatible phones

A selection of phones with volume controls and inductive couplers can be found in the BT Shop. Other recommended features are listed in Which phone is right for you? You can also download Sound Connections our guide on hearing better on the phone and gives practical advice on using a phone with or without a hearing aid.

Using the phone without a hearing aid

If you have a hearing impairment but prefer to use the phone without a hearing aid you should follow the tips below to make sure you are getting the clearest conversation possible.

If you are speaking to someone you don't know, explain that you have a hearing difficulty and that you may need them to repeat what they have said
Always hold the earpiece of the phone directly in front of your ear canal (ear hole)
Hold the phone against your ear as even a small gap can reduce the volume of the conversation
Try using a phone that includes a speech amplifier and volume control

Analogue behind the ear hearing aids

Your hearing aid has three different settings "O" for Off, "M" for Microphone and "T" for Telecoil.

You can use your hearing aid switched to "M" with any phone. The most important thing to remember is that when you are wearing your hearing aid, the plastic mould will block your ear canal, so do the following:

Instead of holding the phone against your ear hole, hold the earpiece of the phone against the microphone, which is at the front of your hearing aid next to the air tube
If your hearing aid whistles move the earpiece nearer to your eyebrow until the whistling stops
You may need to adjust the volume of your hearing aid
You can also use a phone which includes a volume control or incoming speech amplifier

You can only use your hearing aid switched to "T" if the phone you are using includes an inductive coupler or loop (look out for the ear symbol on the packaging). Once your hearing aid is switched to "T", do the following:

Hold the earpiece of the phone against the back of your hearing aid, trying different places until you find one where the sound becomes clearer
You may need to adjust the volume on your hearing aid
You can also use a phone with a volume control or incoming speech amplifier
You can use the 'T' setting on all BT Payphones and some cordless phones

Analogue "In the ear" hearing aids

If you wear an analogue "In the ear" aid:

Don't hold the phone earpiece flat against your ear as this may cause your hearing aid to whistle
Rest the edge of the phone earpiece either just in front or just behind your ear canal ( ear hole) until you find a position that is comfortable
You can also use a phone with a speech amplifier and volume control if necessary
If your aid has a "T" switch:
Switch your hearing aid to the "T" position
Rest the edge of the phone earpiece either just in front or just behind your ear hole until you find a position that is comfortable
This technique will only work with phones that include an inductive coupler or loop. All BT Payphones and analogue cordless phones have inductive couplers fitted as standard

Using the phone with a digital hearing aid

Digital hearing aids are supplied with various settings and controls. As they are all different we cannot recommend specific adjustments for use with the phone. When you are having your new digital hearing aid fitted it is important to find out the best setting for use on the phone, then follow the advice below depending on whether you use a "Behind the ear" or "In the ear" hearing aid.

Digital ‘behind the ear’ hearing aid

If your digital hearing aid does not have a "T" setting, check with your hearing aid supplier which setting you should use. Then follow the advice below:

Instead of holding the phone against your ear canal (ear hole) hold the earpiece of the phone against the microphone, which is at the front of your hearing aid next to the air tube
If your hearing aid whistles move the earpiece nearer to your eyebrow until the whistling stops
You can also use a phone which includes a volume control or incoming speech amplifier
You may be able to use some digital cordless and mobile phones
If your digital hearing aid has a "T" setting and your phone includes an inductive coupler or loop (look out for the ear symbol on the packaging), use your hearing aid in the following way:
Hold the earpiece of the phone against the back of your hearing aid, trying different places until you find one where the sound becomes clearer
You can also use a phone which includes a volume control or incoming speech amplifier
You can use this facility on all BT Payphones
We do not recommend using digital cordless or mobile phones with digital hearing aids on the "T" setting.

Digital ‘in the ear’ hearing aid

If you wear an "In the ear" aid, follow the advice below:

Don't hold the phone earpiece flat against your ear as this may cause your hearing aid to whistle
Rest the edge of the phone earpiece either just in front or just behind your ear hole until you find a position that is comfortable
You can use also use a phone with a speech amplifier and volume control if necessary

If your aid has a "T" switch:

Switch your hearing aid to the "T" position
Rest the edge of the phone earpiece either just in front or just behind your ear hole until you find a position that is comfortable

This technique will only work with phones that include an inductive coupler or loop. All BT Payphones and Analogue cordless phone have inductive couplers fitted as standard.

Using the phone hands-free

If you wear two hearing aids or use an older style body worn hearing aid you may find it easier to use a phone that includes hands-free facility (sometimes called "loudspeaker"). Follow the advice below to make better use of your phone:

Switch your hearing aid(s) to the "M" setting
Press the hands-free or loudspeaker button on the telephone without lifting the handset
Instead of listening through the phone earpiece you will then hear the conversation through a microphone on the front edge of the phone and be able to speak back in the same way

Headset option:

BT headsets do not include inductive couplers although they are available from other suppliers
You can use a headset either without your hearing aid or with your hearing aid switched to "M"
You can hear a conversation in both ears at the same time by using the handset and headset together (To do this pick up the handset before pressing the headset button and hold it to one ear while the headset is being used on the other ear)
If you are a lip reader the headset option lets you have someone else listening in who can lip-speak or repeat information to you

Using cordless and mobile phones

It is possible for hearing aid users to use both cordless and mobile phones by following the guidelines below:

Cordless

If you use an analogue hearing aid DO NOT use a digital cordless phone as this is likely to cause interference with your hearing aid

All current BT analogue cordless phones include an inductive coupler so that you can use your hearing aid switched to "T"

Some analogue cordless phones include a handset volume control
If you use a digital hearing aid we recommend that you use a digital cordless phone
If you find it difficult to hold a conversation because of your hearing impairment some digital cordless telephones let you send text messages (SMS) to a mobile or landline phone

For details of cordless phones suitable for people with hearing impairments go to BT products that can help you.

Mobile

Modern mobile phones are digital and you should be able to use one if you wear a digital hearing aid.

You will get interference if you wear an analogue hearing aid but you can buy an inductive neck loop that works when your aid is on the "T" setting and will allow you to hold a normal conversation by keeping the phone away from your hearing aid.

You could also consider using SMS text messaging.

Advice for Cochlear Implant users

Cochlear Implant users can have difficulty on the phone, particularly with unfamiliar voices.

Some Cochlear Implants are fitted with a Telecoil setting.

Any telephone with an inductive coupler (sometimes called a loop) fitted in the handset is compatible, as long as the Telecoil is switched on.

The telephone earpiece will need to be positioned near to the external part of the implant rather than to the ear and it is worth trying slightly different places until you find the sound becomes clearer. This may take some practice.

A telephone adapter is available for Cochlear Implants that do not have a Telecoil. Contact your implant programme for more information.

To help you choose the best product for your needs, we have teamed up with healthcare and independent living specialists across the UK so you can try out different BT equipment. Visit our Try Before You Buy section for details of Resource Centres in your area.

For more information visit the National Cochlear Implant Users Association wensite. The RNID also has a useful factsheet on Cochlear Implants.

Textphones

If your hearing loss has become so severe that you can no longer use a standard telephone you can still keep in touch by using a textphone. This has a keypad and a small screen so that you can type what you want to say and read the response.

More information is available at Textphone Communication.

Speech and language difficulties

Speech impairment

Some people are unable to speak naturally because of an illness or a disability. They may communicate via a sign language, such as British Sign Language (BSL) or Makaton, or they may use a communication aid to speak for them.

Communication aids

Some people who have difficulty with speech use a piece of electronic equipment called a Communication Aid. To use it you press a button, or type what you want to say. A synthesised or recorded voice then reads out what has been typed in.

It may take a while to get used to the sound of the synthesised voice. Use the ideas below to help make the conversation easier:

The synthesised voice on some communication aids may be quite soft so try to have your conversation in a quiet room. If possible use a phone with an incoming speech amplifier
It can take a while for the person using the communication aid to enter what they want to say, so be patient
Try not to interrupt or guess the end of a sentence
If you are not used to talking with someone who communicates using a communication aid, it may help to begin by asking 'closed questions' so that the other person only has to say "yes" or "no"
For more advice on communication aids visit the Communication Matters website.

Laryngectomy

A laryngectomy is an operation to remove a person's voice box because of an illness such as cancer. Some people who have had a laryngectomy need to use an artificial voice aid to help them speak. Artificial voices can sound strange if you haven't heard one before. We hope the advice below will help you understand more about phone calls with someone who has a laryngectomy:

If you receive a call from someone using an artificial voice, concentrate on what the person says, not how they sound
Give the person time to speak
It's OK to ask the person using the artificial voice to repeat something if you can't understand
It might help to ask closed questions so the other person only has to answer "Yes" or "No"

Stammering

Stammering or stuttering is a communication problem. People who stammer have difficulty saying words when they want to. Certain situations, such as using the phone, can make the stammer worse. If you stammer and have difficulty with the phone read the British Stammering Association guide to using the phone. We have also put together some tips for having a phone conversation with someone who stammers:

It may help the person who stammers if you speak a little more slowly than normal
If you receive a call from someone who stammers concentrate on what they are saying and not how it sounds
If the person you are speaking to has a stammer, do not finish their words or guess the end of the sentence