Dear Queenie,
When you’re talking on the phone and another call comes in (I have “call waiting”) should you answer the second call and tell them you will call back or just ignore it? And if you answer the second call should you put the first caller on hold or tell them you will call back?—Telephone Etty Ket
Dear Etty Ket,
It depends on how important the second call is.
Generally speaking, the person to whom you already are talking takes precedence, so if you take a moment to answer the second call to tell them you will call back you should not keep the first caller waiting for more than minute or two.
And if you absolutely must take the second call immediately, you should apologise to the first caller and then be sure to call them back as soon as possible.
