Miss Manners: Thanks, but I must get back to work

Dear Miss Manners: I work for a remote-receptionist company. My co-workers and I answer calls for companies and individuals all over North America, and we do it well. We are bright, educated, friendly women; many of our clients tell us that their callers assume we are in-house receptionists. The callers have no idea we are answering from hundreds, even thousands of miles away.

Given the nature of our job, my co-workers and I simply have to be quick and skilled.

I am happy to work for a company that takes such good care of its clients and ecstatic to work with a group of lovely, well-mannered women. The only problem is this:

It often happens that a caller, somewhat overcome by having reached an actual human rather than a recording, begins to spout praise that simply will not stop. It is not uncommon, during the course of an average work day, to speak with someone who continues to say things like, “I can’t tell you how refreshing it is to speak with a real, live person. And you are so polite, and have such a lovely phone manner. How long have you worked for this company? How are you being paid? …” and so on.

This is flattering, but (rude questions about salary aside) our clients are charged by the minute, so any extra time we spend making small talk with a caller is only kicking up the bill.

Could Miss Manners please suggest a humble, concise way of responding to such praise? I have found that a simple “thank you” is not enough to end the torrents.

Gentle Reader: You do have to get back to work, or others will not be able to reach you. That is what you must tell your admirers: “Thank you, but please excuse me now. I don’t want to keep other customers waiting.”