TELEPHONE ETIQUETTE by Shanmuga Priya
28 February 2008INTRODUCTION:
Building Excellence through Commitment is multi-faceted. One facet of excellence, perhaps the most important aspect is communication and the universal tool for communication is the telephone. In today’s work world the phone dominates as a tool for selling, buying, researching, providing services and making lasting impressions. It can also be a source of great frustration, puzzlement and agitation. The difference between a positive and negative experience with a phone call is you. The human factor in all communications makes the difference. Customers need to feel taken care of, well informed and motivated. When you answer the phone, it’s that ‘human moment’ when customers can actually experience what it would be like working with you and your people.
We live in the society and have to deal with other people all the time. That is why it is necessary to remember about it every day. Not every person is easy to get along because each of us has its own interests and manners. To make everybody comfortable there exist special rules of behavior for every person. These rules are called etiquette. Etiquette has its history that is rather interesting. Etiquette is “a code of behavior that helps people get along with each other.” It “is not just rules for proper dress or table setting”, it covers a “wide range of behavior…and changes and adapts with societal changes.
Etiquette includes many areas of human behavior. There are: Etiquette in daily life (Introductions, Dating Etiquette, and Telephone Etiquette), Greetings, Invitations, Visiting-cards and Visits, Clothes, Table manners, Luncheons, Formal dinners, Etiquette for the Smoker, Formal Correspondence, and Funerals etc. Every day we deal with etiquette rules
Etiquette is the way of communication; it is something like a language. There exists a way of communication called Body language.
DO’S OF TELEPHONE ETIQUETTE
Whether answering the phone or making phone calls, using the proper etiquette is a must in order to maintain a certain level of professionalism. Proper etiquette leaves callers with a favorable impression of you and your department. You’ll also find that others treat you with more respect and are willing to go out of their way to assist you if you use the proper etiquette.
Pre call analysis
Prepare your mind: preparing mind requires FOCUS. Your center of interest should be on the caller and their conversation. Allowing distractions can result in important information being overlooked or worse, the caller identifies you as a poor provider of customer service and tells others.
Just because you can’t see the caller, it doesn’t mean you have the right to suspend the normal rules of politeness. Be helpful to the caller even if the subject of the call is not strictly speaking you field of responsibility.
Prepare Your Voice: Remember too that you give out subliminal signals by the tone of your voice, the clarity with which you speak, how fast you speak, the pitch of your voice.
IMPORTANCE OF TONE
Since you are not face-to-face, the most important measure of good communication in this case is voice quality and tone. Keep it positive and enthusiastic. Remember, the image the customer has of the person who is answering your company’s phone is the image the customer has of YOUR COMPANY. Is it flat, monotone or upbeat and perky? Is it abrupt, indifferent or polite and empathetic? You want to hire NICE people to answer your phone who will be NICE to your customers.
Prepare about your product: As a professional sales executive, product knowledge is the most important criteria, which is a must to keep you go on with confidence through out your carrier.
Pre call analysis will help as part in building a good rapport with the customer. And its must that you always devote your full attention to the call.
MAKING CALLS
1. Greetings
Start your Call with a warm, friendly, professional greeting including company names, dept name (if appropriate) and the person’s name who answers the call. It is suggested that the greeting end with a helpful statement that assures the caller you are willing to help.
When you call someone and they answer the phone, do not say “Who am I speaking with?” without first identifying yourself: “This is _______. To whom am I speaking?”
2. Always know and state the purpose of the communication.
3. When you reach a wrong number, don’t argue with the person who answered the call or keep them on the line. Say: “I’m sorry, I must have the wrong number. Please excuse the interruption.” And then hang up.
4. If you told a person you would call at a certain time, call them as you promised. If you need to delay the conversation, call to postpone it, but do not make the other person wait around for your call.
5. If you don’t leave a number/message for someone to call you back, don’t become angry if they are not available when you call again.
ANSWERING YOUR PHONE
1. Answer your calls within three rings (if possible).
2. Always identify yourself when you answer the phone: “This is ______.”
3. Speak in a pleasant tone of voice - the caller will appreciate it.
4. Learn to listen actively and listen others without interrupting.
5. When you are out of the office or away from your desk for more than a few minutes, forward your phone to voicemail.
6. Use the hold button when leaving a line so that the caller does not accidentally overhear conversations being held nearby.
7. If the caller has reached a wrong number, be courteous. Sometimes a caller is transferred all over campus with a simple question and the caller gets frustrated. If possible, take the time to find out where they should be calling/to whom they should be speaking.
HANDLING RUDE OR IMPATIENT CALLERS
Problem callers don’t usually start out that way. Something happens to make them go ballistic. Customers have an expectation of how they ought to be treated and if you fail to meet that expectation, they become agitated. When you get a caller on the phone who is getting agitated.
Listen. Allow them to vent. Stay calm and be sincere. Remember if you aren’t sincere the caller will know immediately. Don’t jump in, even if you have heard the same thing 10 times. The caller will be offended. A sincere voice will have a calming effect on the caller. If you become upset or defensive you will make a bad situation worse.
Hints
*Don’t over-react to trigger words. Callers will often try to push your buttons.
*Listen completely to the complaint, allow the caller to vent. Only when they are finished should you comment.
If the call is long-distance you might offer to call them back to avoid phone charges. This can have an immediate positive impact.
Empathize. Acknowledge their feelings. “I can hear that you are upset by this” or “I can tell this situation is upsetting you”.
Hints
*To help with this process, keep family pictures in your work area. Pretend you are talking to someone you know and like while you are working with your caller.
*Force yourself to focus on solving the problem rather than internalizing the caller’s attacks.
*Don’t blame anyone for the problem, no matter who is at fault. It’s counter productive to resolving the issue.
Apologize: It doesn’t matter who’s at fault. Anyone who has been inconvenienced wants an apology. You don’t have to agree with the caller, but should express regret that there is a problem. Empathize with the person’s feelings and apologize, sincerely… “I’m really sorry this happened”. This makes the caller feel that you have aligned with them. It’s hard to be upset with someone who is sympathetic and trying to help.
Hint
*Use the person’s name a lot and apologize frequently.
Solve the problem. Suggest agreeable solutions. Ask how you can help and if it’s reasonable, do it; if not, find a compromise. Make sure something is done. Take it upon yourself to ensure the customer gets some satisfaction. Always show willingness to resolve the problem or conflict.
Hints
*Handling difficult customers isn’t easy. Remembering the Golden Rule, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”, and putting it into action with difficult customers, will help increase your job satisfaction.
*Paraphrase the problem and repeat it to the caller – get clarification before offering solutions.
*Work with your managers to streamline office/departmental procedures so people who answer the phone are empowered to solve the customer’s problem.
*Picture how good it feels to solve a problem and send someone away satisfied. It makes your whole day better.
*Stay calm. Try to remain diplomatic and polite. Getting angry will only make them angrier.
*Try to think like the caller. Remember, their problems and concerns are important.
*Non-supervisory: Offer to have your supervisor talk to the caller or call him/her back if the caller persists.
PLACING CALLERS ON HOLD
Remember to ask your caller “Do you mind holding?” or “May I put you on hold?” before doing so.
If you take the time to ask your caller to hold, be sure to listen to the response.
After placing your caller on hold, check back periodically (between 30-45 seconds). Give them the option to continue to hold if it will take longer to find information OR offer to call them back.
When returning to your caller, remember to thank them for waiting.
If your caller cannot hold, offer to take a message; transfer to another party; or arrange for them to return the call at a specific time.
If you are not in a position to ask your caller to hold, tell the caller, “Please Hold” before depressing the hold button. NOTE: When placing multiple calls on hold, remember to return to the first caller you placed on hold first!!
TRANSFERRING CALLS
Tell the caller the REASON you are transferring the call before you do so. Then ASK if it is all right to transfer their call.
Call the department or person where you are transferring a call and make sure that they can take the call. If they are able to take the call, give them the person’s name, their request, and any other relevant information.
Then, return to your caller and give them the name of the person they are being transferred to, the department and the telephone number (if possible).
When you’re not sure to whom a call should be transferred, take their name and number and find out where the call needs to be directed. Also, give them your name and number as a reference in case the appropriate party does not contact them.
TAKING MESSAGES
When taking a message for someone else, be sure you get the following information recorded:
1. The caller’s name and company/department
2. The correct spelling of the caller’s name, date and time of the call
3. Complete telephone number
4. Brief explanation for call. Be sure to verify this information with the caller to make sure you have taken the message correctly and give him/her the opportunity to check what they told you.
Hints
*If someone is covering the phones for you, pick up your messages when you return. Don’t wait for them to come to you.
It’s easy to fall into trap of believing that because your caller can’t see you, they won’t be affected by what you are doing and what’s going on around you. Remember not to:
1. Let it ring more than four times.
2. Chewing gums, eating and drinking while talking on the phone.
3. Be too familiar with customer.
4. Talk to someone else in your mother tongue while on a call.
5. Have too much background noise
6. Speak too quietly or too loudly
AVOID COMPANY JARGON & RULES
All companies have their own set of rules and terminology. These can sometimes be perceived as hot buttons for some customers as most of us do not want to hear quotes about what you can and cannot do from the company manual. Nor do customers want to hear your refer to a simple order.
PROPER TELEPHONE LANGUAGE
Although we tell our callers a lot through our voice tone, the words and phrases we use convey a message. Unfortunately, sometimes we send a negative message to our caller. Be aware of the language you are using. Instead of saying “You have to…You need to…Why didn’t you?” try “Will you please…Would you please?”
“Your problem” or “Your complaint,” would sound better phrased as “Your question,” “Your concern,” or “this situation.” Many people use phrases like “I can’t do that” or “it’s not my job.” Instead, tell the caller what you can do (i.e., “While I’m not able to establish policy on this matter, I will speak to my manager about your concern.”)
At all costs, avoid sounding abrupt. The following are examples:
“Hang on.”
“Hold on.”
“Who’s calling?”
“I can’t hear you, speak up!”
“I can’t help you. You’ll have to speak to someone else.”
The following would be more appropriate:
“May I put you on hold?”
“May I say who is calling please?”
“I am having a little difficulty hearing you. Can you please speak up?”
“I need to transfer your call to (dept.) so that they can answer your question. May I do so?”
HOW TO END CONVERSATIONS GRACEFULLY
There are several ways that you can end a long phone call without making up a story or sounding rude:
1. Leave the conversation open.
2. Promise to finish your discussion at another time.
3. End on an “up” note.
4. Tell the person how much you’ve enjoyed speaking with him/her.
As long as you are honest and polite with the other person, you shouldn’t have any problems getting off the phone and onto something else.
TIPS FOR KEEPING FRESH AND COOL UNDER PRESSURE
Need more help staying up for your next call? Try these:
- Take brisk walks on your break.
- Post motivational quotes on your phone or around your workstation.
- Get more sleep at night.
- Take breaks with positive coworkers.
- Share your feelings about work with friends and family members.
- Eat a healthy lunch.
- Listen to motivational tapes on your way to work.
- Make time for your hobbies.
- Keep a funny picture near your phone so you remember to smile.
10. Allow yourself one five minute phone call to a friend.
AT THE END OF THE DAY…
At the end of the day, spend a few moments reflecting on what you have accomplished. Tally up the good experiences against the bad. You might be surprised to find that on any given day, there were many more “pluses” than “minuses.”
Sure, there are always angry customers and those you can never please. But now think about the successes: the customer who said “Thanks!” and really meant it. The complicated problem you solved for a customer.
Because you are a professional, it’s natural to remember and be concerned about the negative customer contacts you experience. But don’t let the negatives overwhelm you; take those few minutes to tally the successes.
You deserve to pat yourself on the back!
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