Phones

Answering the Phones

Answering the Annenberg Admissions Office phone line is an important task for the interns. Remember you are the voice of Annenberg – be friendly, intelligent, efficient and helpful.

* Smile while you talk; so that your voice sounds pleasant to the caller *

Answering Incoming Calls

Answer the phone on the first ring, “Good morning/afternoon this is the USC Annenberg Admissions Office. How may I help you?“
After you hear the question, if they haven’t already said, ask if they are interested in undergraduate or graduate studies, and then which degree program/major they are interested in. For undergraduate you should also ask if they are a freshman or transfer applicant.
If you do not know the answer to their question, you should
- Put the caller on hold and ask the Officer of the Week
- Take a message and let the caller know that an admissions officer will call them back within 48 hours
  - Be sure to complete a pink phone message form – fill in each line with the date, time, caller name, to, message and your first name (in case follow-up is necessary)
If they are a current USC student you can transfer them to the advising office EXCEPT Progressive Degree questions, which are handled by admissions

Transferring Calls

Transfer calls to the appropriate USC offices
Before transferring the call ALWAYS give the full number, including area code, to the caller
While the caller is on the phone, press the transfer button and then dial the 5-digit extension. Once the call is connected, press the complete button.

Outgoing Calls

To dial out, press [ 9 ] then [ 1 ] then the area code and number. USC numbers are only require the last 5 digits

ALWAYS REMEMBER

Do NOT apologize for our processes, selectivity, deadlines, etc. It is just the way it is and you are simply stating the facts
Do NOT refer callers from prospective students to graduate or undergraduate advisors, even if it is an advising questions, our office is responsible
Do NOT take verbal abuse from a caller, say “I am ending this call” and report the situation to an admissions officer immediately
Do NOT call back missed calls listed in history- only call back voicemails.
DO report strange phone calls to the Officer of the Week – it is also helpful if you are receiving a lot of the same questions to alert an admissions officer

Voicemail Instructions

Accessing the Zoom Voicemail

Voicemail can be acessed on usc.zoom.us and the Voicemail tab
Log in using the credentials below:

Username: ascadm

Password: #ssRecruitme2022

For messages that you know the answers to, you may call back and then delete the message from the Zoom application
For messages that you do not know the answers to, please write down the caller’s information and question on the pink “while you were out” sheet and give it to the Officer of the Week. You may then delete the message from the Zoom application
All messages on Zoom Voicemail must be cleared before the end of the shift.
Email notifications are also sent to “Zoom Phone Voicemail” folder on the ascadm email. You must also clear out the folder for every shift.

Greetings: if asked to change the greeting, our standard voicemail greeting is:

“Thank you for calling the USC Annenberg Admissions Office. An admissions representative is currently unavailable to take your call. Our hours of operation are 9:00 AM to 11:30 AM and 1:00 PM to 4:30 PM, Monday through Friday. (Insert “We will be closed __ ” dates for holidays) Please leave a detailed message with your full name and USC-ID if applicable, and an admissions representative will return your call within 2 business days. Thank you and have a great day.”