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Using the phone

Why do Russians enjoy talking on the phone?
Should you make work-related phone calls on the weekend or after work?
Answering the phone
Asking for the person you are calling
It is interesting to note that even foreigners who know Russian well and who can explain themselves easily often have trouble when speaking on the phone. It is not surprising that this happens, given that when communicating visually you can see the person with whom you are speaking, so that facial expressions, gestures and the context of the conversation will help you, whereas when communicating by telephone yoia can associate only by means ol speech. So, it is good to know the rules of telephone conversation, at least the elementary ones.

Like everyday communication, the rules of communication by phone depend upon the per-j son whom you are calling. If you are calling your friends, youl interaction will be the same as when meeting. The beginning of your conversation will be «Привет!» (“Hi!”), and the end will be «Пока./ До встречи./ До завтра.» (“Bye./ See you soon./ See you tomorrow.”). If the person you are calling is not there, you will hear «Его нет. Перезвоните попозже./ Позвоните через 10 минут.» (“He’s not here. Call back later./ Call back in 10 minutes.”), or you may be asked « Что ему передать?» (“Would you like to leave a message?”). In reply to this guestion you can say «Спасибо, ничего» (“No, thanks”), «Передайте, что звонил…» (“Please tell him that …called”) and give your name, or «Передайте, чтобы он позвонил …» (“Please ask him to call…”) and give your name in the dative case.
If you are being called and you pick up the phone, you should say: «Алло!/ Да!/ Я вас слушаю!» (“Hello!”). A typical mistake that foreigners often make is to translate word by word from their na-( tive language, saying «Здесь Том Грин.» (“Tom Green here.”). To the guestion «Кто это?/ Кто вы?/ Это Том?» (“Who is that?/ Who are you?/ Is it Tom?”), you have to reply «Это Том Грин./ Да, это Том Грин.» (“This is Tom Green./Yes, it’s Tom Green.”).

When placing a call to a business, you should address the per-son to whom you are speakinq as «вы» and use neutral forms of greeting and farewell («здравствуйте./ До свидания.» — “Hello./ Goodbye.”). If you place a call to a business, they will usually identify the type of business and its name when they answer the phone: « — Фирма (название)…/ Банк …/ Институт …» ” — Firm! (name) …/ Bank …/ Institute …” If you hear only «Алло!» (“Hello!”), you should clarify whether or not you have reached the intended] party: « — Это фирма …?/ Это-банк…?/ Это институт…?»” — I Is this the firm … ?/ Is this the bank … ? / Is this the institute … ?” If yol receive a confirmation («Да» — “Yes”), you can keep speaking. Ш you call a business as an individ-j ual, you do not need to introduce yourself. If you call a business as Я representative of an organization,! you should introduce yourself and add a form of greeting, such as «Здравствуйте, это Том Грин, из фирмы …» (“Hello! This is Tom. Green from the firm …”)

Often in business conversations, the impersonal construction is used when the name of the speaker is not important. For example, one might begin with: « — Это говорят из посольства .,./ Вам звонят из фирмы …» ” —  calling from the … Embassy./  calling from the … company.” ( “You are being called from the … company.”)

When calling a business, it is j customary to ask for someone using their first name and patronymic, or if the organization you are calling is large, just their last name. Asking for people using last names tends to be done in large organizations where first names and patronym-l ics may not always be known to the person answering the phone. For example: «Можно Андрея Николаевича Смирнова?/ Будьте добры  Смирнова!» (“May I please speak j to Andrey Nikolayevich Smirnov?/Smirnov, please”). As in a personal conversation, if the person you are  calling is not there, you will hear:! «- Его (её) нет./ Он (она) будет позже./ Он (она) будет через 2 часа./ Что ему (ей) передать?» “-   He/she is not here./ He’ll/ she’ll be back later./ He’ll/sbe’B be back in 2 hours./ Would youl like to leave a message?” And, like in a personal conversation, if asked to leave a message you can give the following answers: «— Спасибо ничего./ Я перезвоню попозже/ Передайте, что звонил … (ваше\ имя)./ Передайте, чтобы он по\ звонил … (ваше имя в дательном] падеже)». ” — No, thanks./ I’ll call back later./ Please tell him that… (your name) called../ Please ask him to call… (your name in the dative case)”.
Telephone conversation can be concluded just as any regular] conversation, with various forma of saying goodbye: «— До свидания./ До встречи./ До завтра.»\ ” — Goodbye./ See you soon./ Seel you tomorrow”.
If you didn’t understand or didn’t quite catch something, youj can say: «— Извините, я не пот нял./ Извините, что вы сказав ли?/ Повторите ещё раз, пожал луйста./ Повторите погромче»] “- Sorry, I didn’t understand.^ Sorry, what did you say?/ Coul« you repeat, please?/ Could you repeat a little louder, please?”

And finally, a general comment about telephone etiquette. You need to take the initiative whe» seeking or giving information ovej the telephone. It is not customary in Russia to offer or seek explanal tions over the telephone. If the perers in Russia freguently notice Russians’ tendency to resolve problems over the phone. In manv countries, it is uncommon to make work-related phone calls on the weekends or after work, but sucW a custom does not exist in Russia. On the contrary, extended conversations with friends, relatives, and even with colleagues and business partners are acceptable. This is especially true if your colleague gave you his home telephone himself and suggested that you call. Perhaps one of the reasons for this is that in Russia there never used to be time-based charges for calls made within a city. Only since thel first of February 2007 have time-based charges begun to be introduced in Russia, but with them have appeared unlimited calling plans that allow you to make callsj within a city without time limitations for only 380 rubles a month. As for long-distance and inte: national calls, these have alwa; been charged by the minute.
In conclusion, it should be not ed that in Russia, as in other couil tries, the use of mobile communi cation has spread very widely a; of late, such that even children school have mobile phones.