phrasal verbs for call centers

Phrasal Verbs for Call Centers: A Comprehensive Guide for English Learners

Phrasal verbs are essential in call center communication, as they help convey actions and responses naturally. This guide covers common phrasal verbs used in call centers, their meanings, examples, and exercises to test your understanding.

1. Call back

Meaning: To return a phone call.

Example 1: “I’ll call you back in 10 minutes with the details.”
Example 2: “She asked me to call back after lunch.”
Example 3: “Our system shows that you requested a call back yesterday.”

2. Hold on

Meaning: To wait on the phone.

Example 1: “Please hold on while I check your account.”
Example 2: “Can you hold on for a moment?”
Example 3: “He asked me to hold on while he transferred the call.”

3. Put through

Meaning: To connect someone to another person or department.

Example 1: “Let me put you through to our billing department.”
Example 2: “I tried to put the call through, but the line was busy.”
Example 3: “She was put through to a manager for further assistance.”

4. Hang up

Meaning: To end a phone call.

Example 1: “Don’t hang up—I can help you with that issue.”
Example 2: “The customer hung up before I could resolve the problem.”
Example 3: “After the call, she hung up and logged the details.”

5. Look up

Meaning: To search for information.

Example 1: “I’ll look up your account details now.”
Example 2: “Could you look up the latest policy for me?”
Example 3: “He looked up the error code in the database.”

6. Go over

Meaning: To review or explain something.

Example 1: “Let me go over the steps to reset your password.”
Example 2: “We need to go over the contract details again.”
Example 3: “She went over the instructions carefully with the customer.”

7. Follow up

Meaning: To check on progress or take further action.

Example 1: “I’ll follow up with you tomorrow to confirm the appointment.”
Example 2: “The team will follow up on your complaint within 24 hours.”
Example 3: “He promised to follow up after the issue was resolved.”

8. Break down

Meaning: To explain something in simpler terms.

Example 1: “Let me break down the charges for you.”
Example 2: “She broke down the process into easy steps.”
Example 3: “The agent broke down the technical jargon for the customer.”

9. Sort out

Meaning: To resolve a problem.

Example 1: “We’ll sort out the billing error right away.”
Example 2: “Can you help me sort out this issue?”
Example 3: “The supervisor sorted out the misunderstanding.”

10. Get through

Meaning: To successfully make contact by phone.

Example 1: “I couldn’t get through to customer service earlier.”
Example 2: “She finally got through after waiting for 20 minutes.”
Example 3: “The line was busy, so he couldn’t get through.”

Exercises

Exercise 1: Fill in the Blanks

Complete the sentences with the correct phrasal verb from the list: call back, hold on, put through, hang up, look up.

“Please _____ while I transfer your call.”
“I’ll _____ your order details in the system.”
“The customer _____ before I could assist them.”
“Can you _____ me to the technical support team?”
“The agent promised to _____ within an hour.”

Exercise 2: Match the Phrasal Verb to Its Meaning

Phrasal Verb	Meaning
Follow up	a. To wait on the phone
Break down	b. To resolve a problem
Sort out	c. To check on progress
Hold on	d. To explain simply

Exercise 3: Create Sentences

Write a sentence using each of the following phrasal verbs: go over, get through, follow up.

________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________

Answer Key

Exercise 1 Answers

hold on
look up
hung up
put through
call back

Exercise 2 Answers

Phrasal Verb	Correct Letter
Follow up	c
Break down	d
Sort out	b
Hold on	a

Exercise 3 Sample Answers

“Let me go over the instructions again.”
“I couldn’t get through to the helpline earlier.”
“We will follow up with you next week.”