What should the person answering the phone say if the customer asks for a specific employee?

What should the person answering the phone say if the customer asks for a specific employee?

• A. What is your name?
• B. May I say who is calling?
• C. Please hold while I look that up.
• D. We do not disclose staff names.

Answer: (B)

When a customer asks to speak with a specific employee, handle it with courteous call screening. Saying “May I say who is calling?” politely asks for the caller’s identity before revealing or routing, which protects privacy and keeps the interaction professional while helping you connect the right person. It signals you’re verifying who is on the line and whether it’s appropriate to disclose that information, then you can proceed to connect the call or take a message. Other options either rush to disclose names, bypass the screening step, or don’t address privacy, which is less customer-friendly and less secure.

When a customer asks to speak with a specific employee, handle it with courteous call screening. Saying “May I say who is calling?” politely asks for the caller’s identity before revealing or routing, which protects privacy and keeps the interaction professional while helping you connect the right person. It signals you’re verifying who is on the line and whether it’s appropriate to disclose that information, then you can proceed to connect the call or take a message. Other options either rush to disclose names, bypass the screening step, or don’t address privacy, which is less customer-friendly and less secure.