Abstract: A method and circuit which allows a telephone user having a conversation with a second party in a telephone system having call waiting to effectively respond to an incoming call from a third party without having to engage in conversation with the third party. To accomplish this, the user presses a key on a customer premises equipment (CPE) which initiates a first flash hook operation which places the second party on hold and connects the CPE to the third party. A pre-recorded message corresponding to the pressed key is then transmitted to the third party. The CPE then performs a second flash hook operation which disconnects the third party and removes the second party from the hold state. A plurality of keys, having a corresponding plurality of pre-recorded messages can be provided, thereby allowing the user to respond to the third party with different messages. The CPE can include CIDCW capabilities which enable the user to learn the identity of the third party before selecting the pre-recorded message.