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Great
Telephone Tips...
Top
10 Telephone Basics by Shep Hyken
This
article is not just for the front line people who
deal directly with customers. All of this
information is
applicable to everyone, from a receptionist to a
warehouse manager to a CEO. Having good
telephone
skills helps build stronger relationships with
everyone! Whether the call is incoming or
outbound, the
following can be applied to virtually every call.
So, let’s get back to basics. Phone skills
are an important part of the job. The way
you handle your
phone is as important as a face-to-face meeting.
So take the time to go over some of these
basics.
Here is my “top ten” phone skills list.
1. Let’s start with enthusiasm. Try to
convey some type of enthusiasm. From
beginning to end, show
that you care about the person you are talking to.
You don’t need to act overly excited about
your
phone conversation. Just have a positive
attitude. It is contagious.
2. Be sure to smile. Even though you are on
the phone, the other person can sense a smile from
you.
Some telephone experts recommend putting a mirror
on your desk to remind you when you are not
smiling at the customer. For people who are
on the phone all day, a mirror may not be a bad
idea.
3. How do you sound on the phone? Using the
right tone of voice creates atmosphere on the
phone.
This ties into the first two on this list. Is
your enthusiasm coming through? Do you have
a positive
attitude? Is your phone conversation
strictly business? Is it lighter or
personal? Your tone and voice
inflections will create an impression and help the
person on the other end understand what you are
telling
them.
4. Say “Hello!” (or good morning, good
afternoon, etc.) Have a warm greeting or
opening. Welcome
people into the conversation. Don’t make
them feel as if they are an interruption. If
you are too busy,
then let someone else or your voice mail pick up
the phone. That is lot better than a
greeting that sounds
like, “Yah, what do you want!”
5. Say “Goodbye.” Have a strong closing.
At the minimum, be sure to say goodbye
before hanging up
the phone. How many times have you expected
someone to say goodbye, have a nice day, etc. only
to
hear a click? Don’t do that to your
customer!
6. When talking to a customer, avoid company or
technical terminology that they may not
understand.
Everybody has had this happen at one time or
another. Someone tries to tell you something
and you
have absolutely no idea what he is talking about.
It sounds like it could be English, and it
is. But, you
still don’t understand it because it is
technical jargon. Technical terms or
industry buzz-words can put a
customer in an uncomfortable position. They
might feel dumb because they don’t understand
you. Or,
they may feel frustrated and become impatient.
7. Don’t get angry, even if the customer is.
It is not always easy to keep calm,
especially if the customer
is angry about something you have no control over.
(Chances are they are mad at something that
has
already happened.) If a customer is
complaining and angry, let them vent. Most
likely they aren’t mad
at you personally. Ask them questions
to show that you care. Don’t add to their
aggravation. You
might ask them to repeat the problem just to make
sure you understand. Be a good
listener.
8. When transferring - ONLY ONCE! If you are
transferring to someone else, make sure that
person is
available. Don’t put the customer on the
hold, transfer, hold, transfer, hold, transfer,
routine. (I hate
when that happens!)
9. Control the “hold” button on your phone.
A survey in USA Today conducted by Nancy
Friedman (a.
k.a. The Telephone Doctor) showed that customers
hate, more than anything else relating to the
phone,
to be put on HOLD! There are really only two
reasons to put someone on hold: to transfer to
someone
else or to get information.
10. More on controlling that “hold” button.
If you are going to make a customer wait on
hold, for any
reason, let them know how long they will have to
wait. When you say a minute and it really is
just a
minute, it will probably seem a lot longer to
them. So, if you are asking them to hold for
an extended
period of time, it is probably best to call them
back. Promise to call at a specific time.
Then, keep your
promise!
Shep
Hyken, CSP is a professional speaker and
author who works with companies who want to
develop loyal relationships with their
customers and employees. For more
information on Shep’s
speaking programs, books, tapes and learning
programs contact (314)692-2200 or Shep@hyken.
com.
(http://www.hyken.com)
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Answers
& Free Resources
for
your toughest customer service
challenges
» Managing service professionals
»
Getting
angry customers to back down
»
Resolving
complaints without giving the store
away
»
Negotiating with customers
like a pro
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