Good etiquette on the phone in business situations is a skill that every company should have mastered. Here are some tips for how to sharpen your organization’s phone skills.
Those who work in Customer Service or provide call center services may not realize the importance of their role when it comes to customer satisfaction. No matter what the service or product, these roles are the front line when it comes to interactions between the customer and the company. To that end, the person who answers the phone for a business may be the only real link that the customer has with the business.
Even with all of the technology that exists today, people still prefer a personalized experience and, at the same time, they want to know that the business is a leader in their industry. These ideals can be projected or destroyed in the amount of time it takes to answer the phone. These business phone etiquette tips will help you exude a professional and personalized image to your customers.
Use a Professional, but Friendly Greeting
The way you greet a person in any situation will set the course for how the rest of the conversation goes. Since you don’t have the luxury of body language to help convey your intent, you have to put a friendly tone into your professional greeting and entire phone etiquette in order to open the doors of communication for the customer. Consider how you feel when you deal with a customer service representative. A lack of a greeting, or a rushed tone can set your teeth on edge … as it will your own customers.
Maintain Understanding
Whether the customer calls to place an order or to complain about an issue they have with a product or service, it isn’t your job to argue with them. In fact, sometimes people just want to be heard, and they want their feelings to be validated. Even if you can’t fix the situation, be sure to give them the information they need while also conveying your empathy. Avoid allowing yourself to sound frustrated. Even customers who don’t get what they want are more likely to return if the situation is handled correctly.
Stay Focused
You may have things going on at home, or you may be doing data entry as you wait for phone calls. However, when the phone rings, all of your focus should go to that call. You never know who is on the other end of the line, and the moment you pick up the phone you should simply assume that this is the most important task of the day-each and every time. You never know when it really might be just that. Callers can tell when you’re distracted, so give them your undivided attention, because that’s what they deserve anyway. Good phone etiquette demands that you understand that your customer took the time to call you, so they should get your best.
Whether you work in a large Customer Service department, or you are the one and only person in your company, these tips will help you provide customers with the best possible experience. In short, treat the person on the other end of the phone as you would want to be treated. Be professional, attentive, accommodating, and focused. Remember that your job is to make sure that person feels as if their needs are the most important to you in that moment.
Here at Signius, each of our agents have a singular focus: the call they are on in any given moment. The attention, focus, and assistance we provide for each caller is what has established us as a leader in the industry. Contact us today if you’d like some additional pointers on business phone etiquette or if you’re interested in handing over your customer service calls to our professionals.
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