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I. OBJECTIVE
1. To provide guidelines on the proper dissemination of information and circulation of new rules and policies within the company
II. DEFINITION OF TERMS
(Not Applicable)
III. GENERAL POLICIES
TEXT
A. Receiving
All employees receiving text messages containing informative messages must confirm the acceptance of it by responding to the text message. The response may be thru a short reply of acknowledgement such as: “Acknowledged”, “Noted”, “Copy”, etc. All questions and inquiries must be conveyed as soon as possible to be taken appropriate action and prevent misunderstandings and misinterpretations.
B. Sending
All employees sending out text messages must ensure that all affected personnel or departments are properly informed and must confirm the acceptance and comprehension of each.
Text Messaging Etiquette:
1. Keep it short and direct.
Text messages must only contain important information. Avoid sending long messages that may confuse the reader. Keep the message direct-to-the-point to save time and for better understanding.
2. Avoid the use of abbreviations and slang or text lingo.
Business text messaging does not need to be too formal, but it doesn’t mean that it’s okay to be too informal to the point of being sloppy. Mind that not all people are aware of the abbreviations and slang/lingo used in text messaging. Use of official company abbreviations (GJVI, BBT, SSM, CDH, WD, etc.) is okay, but use of other not-related terms is not. This is to avoid confusion in information dissemination and to maintain a professional environment.
3. Be aware of your tone.
Same as personally making a call, text messaging can also present a tone. It is presented by the way the sender constructs the message. To avoid sounding abrupt and arrogant, be courteous in constructing a text message. Read the message out loud and determine whether it sounds good or rude.
4. Do not use CAPS (all in capital letters).
This is in relation to Rule #3. Using all capital letters in a text message commonly suggests shouting or screaming. The reader can easily misunderstand it and possibility of conflicts may arise. On the other hand, using all lowercase letters looks sloppy and lazy.
5. Use proper punctuations.
Proper construction of a text message includes proper use of punctuations. Text messaging may be considered an informal communication medium but in business, adding some formality is a must. Improper use or neglecting the use of punctuation marks can cause many problems. It can cause the message to be nonsensical or absurd and therefore confuse the reader and cause miscommunication.
6. Introduce yourself.
Unless you own a company-issued sim card, the sender must include his or her name in the text message. Aside from being polite, it will save the reader from confusion.
7. Proof or double check before sending.
It is important to keep in mind that rereading the message before sending it is crucial. It can save possible conflicts and further explanation or clarification. Always mention and stick to the subject to prevent miscommunication and confusion.
8. Confirm receiving.
Make sure that the reader received your message.
9. Reply to all text messages.
It is important that recipients respond to every text message that they receive. This is to confirm that the message is received and understood well.
10. For immediate or emergency concerns, CALL not text.
Text messaging is not encouraged for concerns that need immediate action or affirmation. Do not hesitate to call the person you need to be in contact with during this kind of situation. Only send a text message if your call can not get through your contact’s line (e.g. cannot be reached, the contact won’t answer, etc.).
CALL
A. Receiving
All employees receiving calls containing informative messages must confirm the comprehension of it to the caller. All questions and inquiries must be conveyed as soon as possible to be taken appropriate action and prevent misunderstandings and misinterpretations.
B. Calling
All employees making calls must ensure that all affected personnel or departments are properly informed and understood the meaning of the message.
Phone Call Etiquette:
1. Greet pleasantly.
No matter how urgent or important the issue is, it won’t hurt to open the conversation with a greeting. Starting the conversation with a cheerful greeting provides a good sensation for the person on the other line.
2. Introduce yourself.
Unless you own a company-issued sim card, the caller must introduce his- or herself first before getting to the message. Aside from being polite, it will save the receiver from confusion.
3. Be aware of your tone.
All employees must be aware of their tone especially those who happen to have a rough voice over the phone. Use your words properly and speak them in a well manner.
4. Keep it brief, direct and clear.
Keep the conversation short and to the point. Expect the other person to be busy with other work or task and spare them the long story by summarizing the situation without leaving out important points. Also, speak clearly to save time repeating phrases over and over.
5. Listen actively.
Be professional and actively listen to the person on the other line. Never interrupt or cut them in the middle of their sentence.
6. Ask permission before putting on hold.
If you need to put the person on hold for a while, do so. However, it is rude to just put them on hold without their knowledge. Instead, kindly ask their permission first or at least inform them that you have to put them on hold for a while, and be sure that it won’t take long.
7. Return call rather than on hold.
If you are not sure whether you can come back immediately or not, just tell the person on the other line that you will have to go and just call them back. Don’t put the other person on hold for too long, you’ll just waste their time. More over, return the call as you promised.
8. Confirm comprehension.
Make sure that the person on the other line understood your message. You must confirm it without making the other person feel dim-witted.
9. Consider first before making the call.
Before making a call, consider first whether the call is important. Avoid wasting both of your time by making calls unnecessarily. On the other hand, do not hesitate making a call just because you’re intimidated and feel like wasting the time of your co-employee (especially one in higher position). If it’s important and the other person’s opinion or statement is needed, don’t think twice.
10. Be sensitive.
All employees must be on-call 24/7. Do not leave the phone unanswered when a co-employee calls. Answer the call on the first ring, as much as possible. All calls are deemed to be important and must be answered. On the other hand, if making the call, be sensitive enough when no one answered at the third try. Just make the call again after a while.
E-MAIL MESSAGING
A. Receiving
All employees receiving e-mail messages containing informative messages must confirm the acceptance of it by responding to the e-mail message. All questions and inquiries must be conveyed as soon as possible to be taken appropriate action and prevent misunderstandings and misinterpretations.
B. Sending
All employees sending out e-mail messages must ensure that all affected personnel or departments are properly informed and must confirm the acceptance and comprehension of each.
Electronic Mail (E-mail) Messaging Etiquette:
1. Create a clear and direct subject line.
A good subject line provides a hint on what the message is all about. It must be short, clear and direct.
2. Use company-issued e-mail address.
Each employee is given an official company e-mail address. It must be used in every e-mail conversation to other employees.
3. Keep the message brief and direct.
The body of the message must be kept short and to the point. Summarize long discussions but avoid omitting important details.
4. Avoid the use of abbreviations.
Use of official company abbreviations (GJVI, BBT, SSM, CDH, WD, etc.) is okay, but use of other not-related terms is not. This is to avoid confusion in information dissemination and to maintain a professional environment.
5. Don’t send junk or chain letters.
E-mail messages must only contain important information or discussions. Employees must never send junk or chain letters (spam messages). This is to avoid flood and clutter in everyone’s inboxes.
6. Mind the humor.
It is natural that employees are friendly with each other. However, important discussions must not be mixed with humorous posts. Also, since e-mail messaging is not made personal or face-to-face, some humor posts can be misinterpreted.
7. Be aware of your tone.
Same as text messaging, e-mail messaging can also present a tone. It is presented by the way the sender constructs the message. To avoid sounding abrupt and arrogant, be courteous in constructing an e-mail message. Read the message out loud and determine whether it sounds good or rude.
8. Do not use CAPS (all in capital letters).
Using all capital letters in an e-mail message commonly suggests shouting or screaming. The reader can easily misunderstand it and possibility of conflicts may arise. On the other hand, using all lowercase letters looks sloppy and lazy.
9. Use proper punctuations.
Proper construction of an e-mail message includes proper use of punctuations. Improper use or neglecting the use of punctuation marks can cause many problems. It can cause the message to be nonsensical or absurd and therefore confuse the reader and cause miscommunication.
10. Create your signature.
Every employee must create a signature for their own e-mail address. The signature must include their name, designation, e-mail address and contact number. This is to ensure that your recipients (other employees) know who you are and your role in the company.
11. Proof or double check before sending.
It is important to keep in mind that rereading the message before sending it is crucial. It can save possible conflicts and further explanation or clarification.
12. Mind your recipients.
The list of your recipients must be considered thoroughly. Make sure to send the e-mail message only to all involved and affected personnel. This is to ensure effective information dissemination and to avoid flooding the inbox of other employees not related to it.
13. Confirm receiving.
Make sure that the person received your message.
14. Reply to all e-mails.
Not only is it polite, but hitting reply to each and every e-mail received will confirm that the message is received and understood well.
15. Use of “Reply All”
The use of “Reply All” must be considered before doing. “Reply All” is only used when the message to be sent concerns everyone in the group discussion. If the message is intended for one or two persons only, refrain from using it to avoid flooding other employees’ inbox.
FAX
A. Receiving
All employees receiving faxed documents containing informative messages must confirm the acceptance of it by responding to it or notifying the sender. All questions and inquiries must be conveyed as soon as possible to be taken appropriate action and prevent misunderstandings and misinterpretations.
B. Sending
All employees sending out faxed documents must ensure that all affected personnel or departments are properly informed and must confirm the acceptance and comprehension of each.
Fax Etiquette:
1. Make a call first before faxing the document.
Before you fax the document, call the other line first and alert the intended receiver or the person you wish to send the fax to. This is to ensure that there is someone to receive your document on the other line.
2. Give instructions.
If your intended receiver is not available, leave an instruction to the other person on the line. Get the person’s name and designation so you know who to follow up or whom to confirm the handing over or passing of the document.
3. Cover page or fax header.
Use the official company cover page or fax header when faxing a document. Fill out the necessary details. This is a good back up to Fax Etiquette nos. 1 and 2 when no one is receiving your call and/or the person who entertained you forgot your instructions.
4. Confirm receiving.
Once you finish faxing the document, call again the other line to confirm if they receive the document (except when no one is receiving the call).
5. Inform fax error.
If you are the one receiving the document, inform the other person when there is a fax error so that they can resend the document.
PRINTED DOCUMENTS
A. Receiving
All employees receiving memos, letters, or any printed documents must sign on the receiving form as confirmation of receiving the document. All questions and inquiries must be conveyed as soon as possible to be taken appropriate action and prevent misunderstandings and misinterpretations.
B. Sending
All employees sending out memos, letters or printed documents containing informative messages must ensure that all affected personnel or departments are properly informed and must confirm the receiving of each. Monitoring of receiving must be done by sending out a receiving form together with the document.
Document Circulation Etiquette:
1. Choose your circulation list.
Determine the list of personnel or departments involved. Do not hesitate to leave out others who are not affected or do not have a role to play in this.
2. Print a copy for each.
Produce a copy for each personnel or departments concerned. Do not expect them to know and accept everything written in the document without giving them a copy to read and ponder on.
3. Produce a receiving form.
When giving out copies of the document, prepare a receiving form where the recipients can sign and confirm acceptance of the document. File it for future reference.
4. Confirm comprehension.
Make sure that the other person understood your intended message. You must confirm it without making the other person feel dim-witted.
IV. PROCEDURE FLOWCHART
Flowchart Title
(Not Applicable)
V. REFERENCE/INTERFACE PROCESS
Document Title
(Not Applicable)
VI. FORMS AND RECORDS
Form Title
(Not Applicable)
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