Communication and technology

Call

You may choose to call someone when the communication is:

– Urgent

– Complicated and easier to talk through than it is to put into email or text

– Personal or a sensitive matter

– Long and organic (e.g. you call a friend for a chat to hear how they are)

Tips:

– Find a quiet place to make a phone call, away from background noise

– If needed, plan what you’re going to say beforehand (you could write down some key questions to remind you during the call)

– Have a piece of paper and pen ready to write down key information you learn from the phone call and need to remember (e.g. appointments, addresses, phone numbers)

– Start the call by introducing yourself and explaining the reason for your call

– Refrain from calling a colleague or organisation outside of business hours

Text

You may choose to text someone when the communication is:

– Not urgent

– Informal (e.g. to a friend or family)

– Simple

Tips:

– Start by addressing the receiver (e.g. Hi Amadou)

– Avoid using text abbreviations that the receiver may not understand (e.g. JSYK = just so you know)

– If it’s your first time texting the person, they might not have your phone number saved in their contacts, so you’ll need to finish the text with your name so they know who the text is from

Email

National Relay Service