Have you ever thought of calling a person but got stopped by the thought of disturbing him/her? There are times when you are so busy that you are not willing to take any calls.
However, there are also times when a person calls you and you talk for an extremely long time. There are times when you are not busy in any way but you are not willing to talk.
A person may feel uncomfortable telling you to call back or lie about being busy. If you don’t want to force a person into having a phone conversation with you, you may want to ask if the person is available to chat or not.
Below is a list of several ways to ask that question.
15 Polite Ways To Ask If You Can Call Someone
- Can I give you a call?
- Are you up for a call?
- Do you have a second?
- Are you available?
- Can I phone you?
- Can we talk over the phone?
- Are you free?
- Can I have a moment with you?
- I want to call you. Should I?
- Permit me to call you.
- Are you busy?
- May I call you when you’re free?
- Will you be willing to talk over the phone?
- Tell me whenever you’re up for a call
- What time can I call you?
Can I give you a call?
You can ask to call a person with this question. This question can be said to anyone. If you are speaking with a junior, this works perfectly. If you are speaking with a senior, this works perfectly.
If you are speaking with a friend, this works perfectly. If you are speaking with the opposite gender, this works perfectly. You can use this for virtually everyone including your boss.
When you ask this question, you give the person the option to say Yes or No. However, most people like to give reasons if they say No. Some people can be very uncomfortable with lying.
This can make a person feel forced to say Yes when he or she is too tired to enjoy a phone call. Some people are only okay with saying No when they can confidently claim to be too busy for the call
If you don’t want anyone to feel forced to receive your calls, you can ask your question in several different ways. Keep reading.
Are you up for a call?
You can ask to call a close friend with this question. This question can be used with several people who are close to you and people who you are comfortable with using informal words around. This works with your friend.
You can use this when talking with your distant spouse. If you are speaking with a junior, this is perfect. However, it may sound quite weird if you are speaking to a senior, though he or she may not call you out for it. It will definitely sound absurd to say this when speaking with your boss.
When you ask this question, you are asking if the person is available. You are asking if the person wants to have a call with you because you want to have a call with him/her.
This should give a person the opportunity to say No but some people still find it hard to say No to that. There’s no perfect solution for that. This question makes a person feel free to say No with no further questions asked about why he or she would not be taking calls.
Do you have a second?
You can ask to call anyone with this question but you may have to state that you are about to call the person in some cases. You can use this question when talking to a close friend.
In some cases, you don’t even have to tell the friend that you are about to call but that doesn’t fix the issue of having people forced to have a call with you. If you are talking with the opposite gender, you can use this.
You can use this when talking to a junior and a senior. You can even use this for your boss. In all of these situations except that of your close friend, you have to state that you are about to give the person a call.
When you ask this question, you are asking if the person is available. However, you are not stating that you are about to call. You have to add that immediately after. The purpose of saying this initial question is to ask if the person is available.
Indirectly, this question also suggests that the call will be short because you only asked for a second. For this reason, the conversation has to be kept as brief as possible.
Are you available?
You can ask to call a friend or a junior with this question. In some cases, you don’t have to ask your friend but if you are hoping to have a long chat, you may want to ask so you don’t cause any discomfort. You can ask to call a junior by saying this. You can also ask a senior but you have to give your reason for wanting to call the person.
You are asking if the person is available but you are not stating that you are about to call. The person may ask what you need or why you are asking, then you can inform the person about the call before calling. The person can say he/she is busy or may suggest that you should text him/her.
Can I phone you?
You can ask to call a person with this question. You can use this for virtually everyone. You can ask if you can phone your boss but you have to state your reason or purpose for wanting to do so.
You can ask a junior and even a senior and you will have to state what you want to talk about. If it is a friend, you may state your reason. He/she may be expecting you to talk for a long period so you will be told if he/she is not up for a long conversation over the phone.
This question is very appropriate and it helps the person to easily say No if he is she is not willing to talk over the phone.
Can we talk over the phone?
You can ask to call a person with this question and you may get a response like No, let’s keep chatting if the person is not interested. This sounds absurd if you are talking to your boss or a senior unless you have good reasons to make the request
Are you free?
You can ask to call a person with this question. You can use this when talking to a friend, the opposite gender, or a junior. You shouldn’t use this when talking to your boss.
This question, however, does not suggest that you plan to call so it is important to ask if you can call after you ask this question. The person may be less busy but unwilling to take calls.
If you call immediately after a person says he or she is free, the person may be forced to keep talking even though the person is not interested.
Can I have a moment with you?
This is similar to saying Can I have a second with you? You can ask to call a friend, the opposite gender, or a junior. If you will be using this question while talking to a senior or your boss, you have to make sure you have a good reason to request attention.
This question does not directly state that you will be calling the person. However, when the person agrees and you call, the person can accept the call and endure till the conversation is over even if he/she is not willing to have the call. This is because you asked for a moment.
This suggests that the conversation will be short. Therefore, you have to keep it as brief as possible.
I want to call you. Should I?
You can ask this question but it doesn’t make it easier to say No. It sounds weird to ask a senior or a boss this question. You should only use this question if you are thinking of having a casual conversation and your boss may not be interested in that.
As mentioned earlier, the person may be unwilling to say No because you may feel displeased. The person, however, may say No and suggest a preferred way to have a conversation with you.
Permit me to call you
You can ask this question if you are talking to your boss or a senior. It will sound very absurd if you are saying this to a friend since you can always call him/her without even asking.
This question sounds very formal so you should only use this to have an official conversation. If you are talking to the opposite gender or someone you want to have a casual talk with, this request will be improper.
Your boss or your senior can always respond freely. Therefore, you will know if they want you to call or not.
Are you busy?
This is similar to asking Are you free? However, this question may be perceived differently. You can address anyone with this question. You can say this to your boss but you have to go straight to the point.
The same applies if you are talking to a senior unless you both often have casual conversations. You can say this to your friend and simply say you want to chat on phone. The same applies when talking to the opposite gender.
There is a high chance the person will ask what you want and you can say that you want to call. The person can easily say he/she doesn’t want to receive a call.
May I call you when you’re free?
This is one of the best ways to ask if you can call someone. You can ask your boss, a senior, and the opposite gender. It may sound slightly weird when talking to a friend since you probably have easy access to each other.
This gives the person the chance to decide what time you both can have a long conversation. It is not the best way to ask if you want to talk with the person right away.
However, if the person is free, he/she could easily say so and you can have your conversation. If the person is not, he/she can pick a different time and you will know you don’t have to force him/her to talk.
If the person becomes unwilling to talk at the time that he/she had scheduled a call with you, then he/she will be forced to talk or give another excuse.
Will you be willing to talk over the phone?
This is a question you can ask ahead of the moment you plan to call. The person can easily say I’m not sure if I will be available. Send a text. When the person says this, he/she won’t be lying because it can be unpredictable.
You shouldn’t address your boss with this question. It sounds absurd.
Tell me whenever you’re up for a call
This is another great way to ask for a call. This should only be used when you plan to have a casual conversation.
By saying this, you are letting the person decide when you should call. The person also does not have to give you a specific time. This makes it the best option because the person will inform you the moment he/she wants to talk and you can have your conversation.
If the person gives you a time earlier, he/she could be unwilling before then. However, this statement lets the person only ask for the call when he/she is ready. This also lets the person forget about your request and never ask for your call.
What time can I call you?
This makes it easier for the person to make a decision. The person gets to choose what time you can call. The person can also simply say I don’t know when I will be available. I will inform you when I am free. When the person says this, he/she won’t be lying because it can be unpredictable.
You can also address your boss with this question but there has to be a reason or a purpose for the call.