English for Phone & Video Calls at Work

What to say when you can't hear someone, when you need to hang up, and how to leave a professional voicemail — the phrases that don't come up in writing.

Starting a call professionally

Phone calls (no video) still open a little differently than video calls. If you're calling someone: "Hi, this is [name] from [company], is now a good time?" If you're answering a call for work: "[Company name], this is [name], how can I help?"

On a scheduled video call, the equivalent is simpler since you already know why you're both there: "Hi everyone, thanks for joining." "Can everyone hear and see me okay?" is a completely normal, expected opener — not a sign something is wrong.

When you can't hear or understand someone

Don't guess and carry on — asking is expected and never seen as rude on a call. "Sorry, you're cutting out a little — could you repeat that?" "I didn't quite catch that last part." "Could you say that again, a bit slower?" "Sorry, there's an echo on my end — can you hear me okay?"

Buying yourself time or checking something mid-call

You don't need to answer instantly. "That's a good question — give me one second to check." "Let me just pull that up." "Can I come back to you on that in a moment?" are all normal, professional ways to pause without going silent and confusing the other person.

Ending a call and leaving a voicemail

To close a call: "I think that covers everything — I'll send a follow-up email with next steps." "Thanks for your time, talk soon." For voicemail, a short, structured message works best: your name, company, reason for calling, and a callback number — spoken slowly since the listener may need to write it down: "Hi, this is [name] from [company]. I'm calling about [reason]. You can reach me at [number]. Thanks, talk soon."

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