Remember!

Give the caller your undivided attention. Focus on what the caller is saying, avoid distractions, and do one thing at one time.

Let the Customer know you are listening

Give verbal feedback clues to let the customer know you’re listening. Use a variety of clues to avoid sounding bored or mechanical.

Every Call is ‘Note-Worthy'

Making notes is recommended. The human memory is not perfect. Written notes give you a record of the customer’s name and message — including correct spellings — case reviews — and accurate contact information. Tools to carry: paper for taking notes, and a pen or a pencil.

Effective and Easy Note-Taking

Remember writing takes longer than saying it. A good idea is to develop an abbreviations system for quick use. Remember to prioritize information. Always remember the objective of the call; this will help you sort what information you would want to take note of.

The Next Step

Paraphrase/Rephrase. Read them back to the customer. Tell the customer what he/she said in our own words. If the customer changes anything, correct your notes and promptly read them back.

A greeting should always be the entry point of a phone conversation

It indicates your friendliness and openness, and your willingness to provide quality service. Don’t make your greeting too long or over the top.

Give your name

This basic act of courtesy lets the caller know that he or she has reached the correct person, department or company. Mention the name of your firm.

Ask the customer if you can help

Saying “how may I help you?” completes the telephone answering etiquette by demonstrating that you and your company are ready and are available to assist the customer with his or her needs. It pays to write down the customer’s name and use it regularly in your conversation.

How to put a customer on hold

Putting a customer on hold is a frequently faced situation. Because it is an inconvenience to your customers to be put on hold, you should always ask permission before putting them on hold.

Wait for a response

“Can you hold---” is a situation so common that customers might be surprised to see you waiting for a response. The second part of putting someone on hold is to wait for a positive response from the customer’s side. As soon as the customer agrees to hold, say “Thank You” before clicking off.

Tell the customers ‘Why’

Most customers are very patient if they are politely informed as to why they must hold. They find it easier and comfortable to wait on hold if they have a mental picture of what the service associate is doing while away from the phone.

Giving the customer a time frame helps kill the I-have-been-forgotten factor and has a calming effect. Here are three examples with a suggested path of action.

Thank the customer for holding

Saying “Thank You for holding is very basic, good and common courtesy. This action nicely rounds off the on-hold sequence and acknowledges the caller’s understanding and patience.

How to Transfer a call

Customers are prone to be least tolerant when being transferred over and over again. To customers this means that the staff is too overwhelmed to care or the company just doesn’t care for them.

Explain why the call is being transferred

Always ask if a customer minds being transferred. Inform your customers who they are being transferred to and why. Also, if a customer gets disconnected he can call back and ask for the person by name.

Ensure someone is there to pick up the call before hanging up

This simple step saves the customer the frustration of being transferred to someone who is not there. By staying on the call till the recipient picks up, you are being responsible for connecting customers to a person who can help them.

Tell the person the customer’s name and purpose of call

Once the person to whom you have transferred the call responds, briefly give him the customer’s name and purpose of call. When a person does not want to be transferred, offer to take a message and see to it that the message reaches its destination.

Explain co-worker’s absence positively

Customers rarely want to hear details as to why the person they’re trying to reach is unavailable. Likewise, your co-workers will not like their private live discussed with customers.