Cable & Wireless Plc staff were asked to attend a half-day session last year on how to answer a telephone. Half-a-day to learn something they already knew? The staff were sceptical, company spokesman John Instone recalls. They thought it was a waste of time -- but they soon discovered some of the bad habits many of us have acquired when using the most ubiquitous technology around.

Too often we forget there is a person at the other end of the telephone who's demanding attention. It's alright to be casual when dealing with friends, but when someone calls your company it's wise to remember that your front line sales person is the person who answers the telephone, or increasingly these days, the e-mail message.

Ever phoned a company and someone answers "Hello'' and that's it? No company name is given, or what department you have reached. Ever asked for a particular service and been immediately transferred to another person without being told their name or the section you're being sent to? Ever been put on hold without being asked if that's what you want to do? Infuriating.

"Let's face it, some people who answer the phone can make you feel as though you wish you hadn't called at all,'' Mr. Instone told Cable & Wireless staff.

"... You only get one chance to make a first impression.'' The course, which was modelled on one developed by a US-company, consists of learning a four part method of answering the phone.

The buffer is a greeting such as "Good Day''. It's an expendable starter, since sometimes when answering the phone the initial words may get cut off.

Next comes the company/department name, then the name of the person answering the phone. Pretty basic, and normal etiquette.

It's the next section that's the hard part. Companies don't consider that a good part of some employees' jobs is spent getting help for a caller, and do not allocate them the time to answer a call properly.

More often we want to get rid of the caller rather than help them. Pass the problem on to someone else and get on with work.

"More business is lost through poor service and poor treatment than through poor product,'' according to the course information. The point of the course is every caller should be helped as much as possible, and leave satisfied.

Solve the caller's problem is the basic thrust of the Cable & Wireless course.

The five forbidden phrases are: "I don't know'', "We can't do that'', "You'll have to...'', "Just a second'' and "No''.

The reasons for banning them are not obvious in some cases. "I don't know'' may be honest but it means you're not willing to proceed further and find out the answer. The Cable & Wireless course suggests an alternative such as "That's a good question. Let me check and find out.'' "We can't do that'' is unhelpful unless the caller is asking for something illegal. Very few callers ask for something impossible and will often accept a reasonable solution.

A friend of mine who owns a business was once telephoned by someone new to the Island and was told he'd heard mechanics often did jobs on the side. Would he be willing to steal a part from his business, and fix his bike on the side? My friend didn't want to lose the business so instead of getting angry he told the caller he could get him a good discount on the part. He ended up negotiating the deal and keeping the customer.

Other parts of the course teach participants how to deal with irate callers (don't offer excuses, offer help) and how to put a proper voice mail message on your machine (always give callers an option to get to a live person). I like Logic Communicatons Ltd. general manager Steve Pozzobon's voice mail message. He promises to return a message left on his phone within three business hours. Now that's a promise I like.

The telephone etiquette course imparts the message that the way in which employees answer the telephone, or e-mail, or fax, can impact strongly on a company's image.

Cable & Wireless is offering to hold brief, informal (and free) courses for companies which want to help their employees answer the telephone better.

Contact Mr. Instone at 297-7148 if you'd like to re-learn how to use the instrument sitting on your desk.

Tech Tattle is a weekly column which focuses on technological issues. If you have any ideas for topics please call Ahmed at 295-5881, WIRE WE SUFFERING? -- Getting one's lines crossed is a frequent affliction especially when it comes to answering the phone. Maybe it is time many of us got a line on answering those calls. Cable & Wireless believes they can help.