How to respond depending on the reason for absence of the person in charge
Here we have compiled typical responses for each reason why the person in charge is not available. We will whatsapp lead also introduce some general-purpose phrases that are not offensive.
When a person in charge is temporarily out of the office, it is appropriate to reply, “I’m sorry, but ____ is away from her desk.” People may be away for various reasons, such as to eat or go to the bathroom, and the reason may not be immediately clear. If they are not away for a long time, such as on a business trip, say, “I’m away from my desk.” This is a versatile phrase, but it suggests that they will return to their desk soon, so it is not appropriate when attending a long meeting.
Other calls in progress
If the person in charge is on another call and cannot answer the phone right away, say, “I’m on the phone right now, so it may take a little while.” Depending on the content of the call, you may be able to answer the phone in a few minutes, but there are also cases where you may have to answer the phone for several tens of minutes. When dealing with customers, it is appropriate to assume that you will not be able to do you need any prior answer the phone for a long time and to respond in a way that suggests that you may have to keep them waiting.
Absent in a meeting
You can respond by saying something like, “XX is currently in a meeting. He is scheduled to return at XX o’clock, so please ask him to call you back. Is that okay?” If the meeting is data on long and it is difficult to call back during business hours, you can say, “I’m in a meeting today and won’t be able to answer the phone. I would like to contact you tomorrow. Is that okay?”
