You want to request that someone calls you back to discuss something at work. But is the phrase call me back suitable for professional correspondence?
We’ll address this question below. Moreover, we’ll show you 9 alternative ways to request a callback in your work emails.
9 Alternative Ways to Say “Call Me Back”
Below, you’ll find 10 other ways to say “call me back” professionally:
- Please call me at your earliest convenience
- Call me whenever you are free
- Get in touch with me
- Kindly get back to me when you are available
- Please call me when you have some time
- Please get ahold of me
- I look forward to hearing back from you
- Could you call me?
- Would you mind giving me a call?
1. Please Call Me at Your Earliest Convenience
You can say please call me at your earliest convenience in a formal email to a client, especially when you need to speak with that client rather urgently.
The phrase “at your earliest convenience” makes it clear that the purpose behind your call is quite urgent. Therefore, this phrase will hopefully prompt a quick response from the client.
Moreover, the addition of “please” adds a bit of politeness to this phrase so that it doesn’t sound quite as demanding as simply saying call me back.
Have a look at how we’ve used this phrase in an email sample:
Dear Mrs. Ackerman,
I have been trying to reach you regarding your contract renewal.
Please call me at your earliest convenience so that we can proceed.
Regards,
Bronwyn Lillard
2. Call Me Whenever You Are Free
The phrase call me whenever you are free is more friendly and far less urgent than the original phrase.
Therefore, you can use this phrase when you want to encourage a client to get in contact with you without sounding overly frantic.
This works well if a client has expressed interest in your business or company and you want to keep an open line of communication between you.
For example:
Dear Addison,
We’re so pleased that you’d like us to make the cake for your special day.
I have received your list of flavors and would be delighted to discuss your choices further.
You can call me whenever you are free using the number below.
Kind regards,
Cameron Poole from Cam’s Cakes
3. Get in Touch With Me
A more casual way to say call me back is get in touch with me. You can use this phrase when speaking to a colleague you are close to at work.
If you have a friendly dynamic with your peers at work, you can generally use more informal phrasing in your inter-office email communications.
The phrase get in touch with me is fairly tentative, so you can use it if the reason behind the call is not particularly urgent.
To see what we mean, check out the email example below:
Hi Ben,
Could you get in touch with me when you’ve heard back about the presentation?
Thanks,
Keelim
4. Please Call Me When You Have Some Time
The phrase please call me when you have some time works well in an email to a colleague that you aren’t particularly close to.
This phrase is polite and the inclusion of “when you have some time” makes your message sound undemanding and unrushed. Therefore, you can use this phrase if you need to speak with your colleague, but not urgently.
For example:
Dear Unathi,
I have read over the memo and have a few suggestions.
Please call me when you have some time to discuss this.
Regards,
Arnold
5. Kindly Get Back to Me When You Are Available
If you’re wondering how to say call me back in a formal way, we would recommend the phrase kindly get back to me when you are available.
This phrase is a tad wordy and stiff, but it works well if you work in a highly formal role, such as in a public office.
The phrase “when you are available” makes this phrase a tad less urgent. However, the addition of “kindly” adds some politeness which will hopefully result in a quick response from the receiver.
Let’s see this phrase in a sample email:
Dear Mr. Turnbolt,
I have considered your application and would like to speak with you to finalize some points before I make a decision.
Kindly get back to me when you are available so that we can discuss this further.
Sincerely,
Councilor Jill Trailman
6. Please Get Ahold of Me
You can use the phrase please get a hold of me when you are speaking to an employee.
This phrase implies that the receiver should make an effort to get in contact with you, even though you might be busy.
This is quite a stern demand, so this phrase works well if you are in a position of authority and want to make the urgency of your request clear.
Have a look at the following email sample:
Dear Flora,
I will be at meetings for the rest of the afternoon, but please get ahold of me the moment you hear back from Mr. Teenie’s representatives.
Regards,
Lasya
7. Could You Call Me?
If you’re speaking to a colleague with whom you have a friendly dynamic, you can generally do away with all the formal email etiquette and get straight to the point. In other words, you can simply ask could you call me?
In a busy office setting, it’s ideal to be clear and concise in your messages. After all, both you and the colleague receiving your email are undoubtedly busy, so why beat around the bush unnecessarily?
Therefore, let’s see an example that includes this phrase:
Hi Kim,
Could you call me this afternoon?
I just want to go over the points for our presentation on Thursday.
Best,
Yu-Kai
8. I Look Forward to Hearing Back From You
I look forward to hearing back from you is a professional way to say call me back when you are speaking to your boss or another superior.
You don’t want to sound too demanding in an email to your employer. However, if you need to speak with them about an issue, you can hint that you would like them to call you back using this phrase.
See the email example below:
Dear Ms. Salah,
I have spoken to the client and have a few updates to share regarding their dispute.
Additionally, I have tried to reach you over the phone without success, so I have shared my number below.
I look forward to hearing back from you.
Kind regards,
Elliot Jones
9. Would You Mind Giving Me a Call?
You can use would you mind giving me a call in an email to a co-worker that you don’t know very well. For example, you may be working on a project together but generally work in different departments.
This phrase is polite and tentative. It doesn’t ask the receiver to call you directly but rather asks whether they would be willing to do so.
Therefore, this is a good way to develop a friendly rapport with your colleague, as it shows that you respect their time and will not demand things from them.
Have a look at our final example:
Dear Jeremy,
Would you mind giving me a call sometime today?
I have a few thoughts about the project that I’d like to run by you.
All the best,
Kasheel
Is It Correct to Say “Call Me Back”?
It is correct to say call me back when you need to speak with someone urgently at work or otherwise.
This phrase is neither particularly formal nor informal, but it does have a rather demanding tone. You can reduce this by adding “please” before it, however.
Nevertheless, you should avoid using this phrase when speaking to clients or superiors at work. Although, you may get away with using it in emails to your colleagues or anyone who is your equal.
Below, we’ve drafted two email examples illustrating how you can use this phrase in practice:
Hi Chloe,
I’ve been trying to reach you all morning with an update on the Harshwitz case.
Please call me back as soon as you have a moment.
Best,
Bheka
Dear Vanessa,
I’ve left a few voicemails, but could you please call me back as soon as possible?
Regards,
Theodore
Although call me back is a grammatically correct phrase, it may come across as too impatient for professional correspondence. Moreover, this phrase is rather standardized and may begin to feel worn out with overuse.
Therefore, you can use one of the phrases from our list to mix up your phrasing or find a more polite alternative for your work emails.
