General Advice

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

1. Always speak clearly into the mouthpiece of the phone.

2. 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.

3. If the person on the other end of the phone can't hear what you are saying don't shout. You should just speak a little slower than normal without stressing or exaggerating words.

4. You may need to repeat what you have said. If this still doesn't work try saying the same thing in a different way.

5. If the person you are speaking to has speech that is difficult to understand, concentrate on what they are saying not how they are saying it.

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. If the person you are speaking to takes a long time to say things, be patient and don't interrupt.

9. Keep questions simple and ask closed questions whenever possible (so the person only has to say yes or no).