after-hours phone duty

As you may or may not already know, we are "on call" for the funeral home on a rotating basis (sharing the responsibility with the other resident apartment couple). This evening I answered the phone and said "Deathtime [not actual name] Funeral Home; this is Amanda." In response, I heard "Hi. This is Grim Reaper [not actual name]." Pause.

This particular pause was a little too lengthy for me to just feel comfortable carrying on in anticipatory silence. What I should have done was say "Hi Grim, how can I help you?" But I, being me, can't do something NORMAL spontaneously. Of course not. So my response? A chipper "Hi!" Then another pause. I giggle awkwardly.

Finally, Grim cut straight to the chase with the reason for his call: "My wife just passed away." 

Clearly I do not know how to handle this job.