Page 76 - Perfect Phrases ESL Everyday Business

Your Voice Mail

If you need to speak to someone immediately, [you may press
zero for the operator, call my secretary at ext. 234].
I am on vacation until , but I will be checking
[phone messages, e-mail, faxes].
I will be on vacation from to without
access to voice mail or e-mail. Please contact .
I will be out of the office from to with
limited access to voice mail and e-mail.
If you wish to send me an e-mail, the address is .
If you wish to send a fax, the number is .

Culture Hint: Mostly everyone in the United States has voice
mail on office telephones, home phones, and cell phones. Some-
times people put their cell phone numbers on their business cards,
especially if they are often out of the office.

Idioms and Other Vocabulary

Canned message: prerecorded telephone message to put
on your voice mail
Limited access: often, when people are out of their offices
for several days, they cannot return voice-mail or
e-mail messages. By saying that they have limited
access, they are letting others know that they may
not be able to listen to or read messages or respond
to them. These messages often will refer the caller or
sender to someone else who can provide immediate
assistance.

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