As the primary answering machine for your company or as a virtual receptionist who answers calls for many companies, you may have the difficult task of checking the spelling of callers’ names. It is not an easy task, especially when the callers are waiting for you to become familiar with them. Skipping verification can help make virtual answering services sound like they’re in-house, but there are certainly times when correct spelling can’t be beat. For example, if you’re following the call with an email, addressing Jon as John will help you get off on the wrong foot. The next time you need to confirm your spelling, try these helpful tips:

1. Do you know the name of the caller? Guess! If you think you know how to spell the name, remove the fieldwork from the question for the caller and try:

“And is ‘Tony’ spelled ‘TONY’?”

If you are correct, all the caller has to do is say yes. And if you are missing a few letters, the caller has easy access to make corrections:

“It’s actually ‘Toni’ with an ‘i'”.

“Wonderful! Thank you very much!”

If you’re not sure how to spell the name, start with a question like “Would you mind spelling that for me?” and follow up by confirming what you’ve heard.

2. Caller ID is your friend. Even if you work in a virtual receptionist service, you probably have access to a caller ID. Take a look at the caller ID to see if the caller’s name can be similar and use it as a starting point. However, remember that the caller ID is not always correct; they may be calling from a relative’s phone or the phone company might have made a typo, so don’t use it as a replacement for verification. However, Caller ID can be a great tool to help get the ball rolling.

3. Have a phonetic alphabet handy. A phonetic alphabet can be a dream when deciphering between similar sounding letters. “Is the ‘P’ as in ‘Paul’ or the ‘B’ as in ‘boy’?” Try using the alphabet used by the police and military, or make your own!

4. Look for duplicate information. Are you making a note of the caller’s email address as part of your message? Many email addresses include the name of the party; do not hesitate to consult it when you are verifying information. If you have already confirmed how the caller spells their name, simplify by asking: “That’s [email protected];” Katy “, as in her first name, period” Smith “, as in her last name, on ABC. Company dot com, correct?”

5. Follow the directions of the caller. If the caller immediately mentions, “I called about 10 minutes ago; is Sheila available to chat now?” there is a chance that you or another virtual receptionist have already confirmed your information. Do a quick search of any logs of your call or messages, and if there are, use that information for your call. As a bonus, if the other party is not available yet, you can refer to your previous message: “It seems Sheila is still in her meeting, however I see her message here from before. It’s 503-445-6900 is still the best number to contact you, Karen? “

6. Have an explanation ready. If you feel any doubt on the part of the caller, try to politely explain why you are checking the spelling and mention that you would hate to pass on incorrect or incomplete information. Then, request the information again:

“John asks me to check the spelling of all his messages, and I wouldn’t want to misrepresent your information. May I ask how you spell your last name?”

If the spelling is absolutely necessary, give callers a break and try to anticipate their responses when you can. A little courtesy goes a long way on the phone!