Telephone etiquette pdf

Perhaps you've tried everything you can or simply have no idea what they're talking about. Don't panic; customer support representatives are humans, too, and it's okay not to be the omniscient voice of reason.

It's best to admit when you don't know something, rather than making excuses or giving false solutions. However, tell them that you're going to do everything you can to find an answer and get back to them momentarily, or find a co-worker who does know the answer. Customers don't typically expect you to have all the solutions at hand, but they will expect you to be transparent. You may be so focused on your phone call with a customer that you're barely paying attention to your present setting.

When working in a call center, things can get pretty loud. You always want to be mindful of your volume and ensure that you're not disrupting the ability of your co-workers to speak to customers and get their work done. If you are on a call that requires you to speak louder due to a bad connection or a hard-of-hearing customer, simply step out of the room and speak with them separately.

Your customers are always your main concern, but you don't want to inhibit the work ethic of others in your workplace. It's quite possible that a customer might reach out to you when you're on a break or after you've left work for the day. If it's possible for you to receive voicemails, make sure you're always checking for them. It's easy for a voicemail to slip under the radar, but the customer won't easily forget. Start and end each day by checking your voicemail. It takes just a few minutes and can avoid a lost customer support request.

Your customers will appreciate your prompt response, and you can get on to doing what you do best — providing knowledgeable and friendly support. These tips should provide you and your team with basic guidelines for phone etiquette and, if executed properly, your company should see significant improvement in customer experience.

However, there will be some interactions where these actions may not be enough to defuse the situation. Some customer interactions will require your team to take special measures to ensure you're meeting the customer's immediate and long-term needs. In the next section, we'll break down a few of these scenarios and what you can do to resolve them.

Sometimes you may pick up the phone and immediately have to rebuild a relationship with a customer. These cases should be scarce, but they will happen to even the best customer service teams. It's important to use the correct phone etiquette in these types of cases to produce the most effective outcome for both the customer and the company.

To help you prepare, below are a few common challenges that most customer service reps will face when working on the phone. The only "downside" to providing great customer service is that sometimes your customers expect too much from you.

When you're constantly fulfilling their needs they may ask you to do something that you simply don't have the power to do, or is against your company's policy. Often times they're not making a malicious request, but rather the customer thinks your team is so effective it can provide an advanced service. In these cases, you should do your best to reset expectations for the customer regarding what your service team can and can't do.

It helps if you can provide the customer with a document or knowledge base article that outlines your policy and answers any additional questions customers may have. While you should be able to explain your company's policy on your own, offering a standardized document helps build credibility for your argument. The customer knows you're not making up this response on the spot and there's a reason for why you can't perform the requested action.

Customers are dedicated to reaching their goals and some will do nearly anything to achieve success, even if that means staying on the phone until they get their way.

This motivation can sometimes lead to stressful situations where customers become agitated because a rep can't perform a specific action. These cases are rare but they will happen, especially if your product is imperative for customer success. The best measure to take in these cases is to provide proactive customer service. Pay attention to cues in the customer's tone and vocabulary that would indicate frustration or stress.

Then prevent escalation by acknowledging the roadblock as well as how the problem impacts the customer's workflow. This demonstrates to the customer that you have been actively listening to their request and are aligned with their goals. Leader's Guide. Jump to Page. Search inside document. Good morning, thanks for calling the ABC Hotel.

My name is XYZ. How may I help you? Tips for Telephone Etiquette Avoid forbidden phrases: I dont know. Youll have to. Just a second. Vice-President Training. Documents Similar To Telephone Etiquette. MMM Training Solutions. Shri Devi Nagnur. Sharanya Raman. Gajanan Shirke Author. Shivam Trivedi. Manoranjan Bisoyi. Anudeep Saha. Roshni Mahapatra. Virginia Malana Vere. Marcovici Adrian. Daniela Lorincz. EFL Classroom 2. Eleazar Cabantac.

We all hate being on Hold. WAIT for an answer. If you are present with your caller it is only polite to let them decide if they will Hold, go to voice mail, or call back. Handle your current caller before you rush off to another…first come, first serve.

Once you have placed a caller on Hold, check back every seconds to update them. Thank them for holding and be as specific as you can about how much longer you expect to keep them on Hold. Each time allow them the opportunity to decide if they would like to continue Holding. Activity Next time you are on hold — track how many seconds you are on hold and how many times someone checks back with you.

Would you consider them customer service oriented? Transferring Calls When the caller needs to be transferred, be polite and ask if they would like to be transferred. Ask the caller for their number in case you lose them during the transfer. Give the caller the name of the person to whom you are transferring them along with their number in case the call does not go through or in case they would like to call later.

If at all possible, stay on the line until the transfer is complete. Take ownership of their situation. Call the appropriate party; ensure they have a solution to the situation, only then should you transfer the caller. The caller will always remember your kindness and will tell others about your terrific customer service skills.

Hints: Treat the caller as you would want to be treated Look at those pictures in your work area; help the caller as if they were family Make it your goal to call them back within 4 hours if you have to do research to help them with their situation Taking Messages When taking a message for someone else, be sure you get the following information recorded: 1.

Complete telephone number 4. Brief explanation for call. Hints If someone is covering the phones for you, pick up your messages when you return.

Voice Mail Voice mail can be a very effective tool for communication if it is used correctly. Your voice mail message should be short and to the point.

When forced to leave a message, callers prefer to get right to it, not listen to a long- winded voice mail greeting. I will be out of the office until Tuesday. Please leave your name, number, and a brief message as to the nature of your call. I will respond when I return. If you need immediate assistance please contact Jeeves Butler at x Today is date. At the tone, please leave your name, a brief message regarding your call, along with your phone number and the best time to call you back.

If you are going to be away from the office, say so and leave your date of return so people will know when they might expect a response. If you are going to be out for an extended period, you should consider offering information on another source for helping the caller. In this case, you would state your department name, your name and information about who the caller can contact for assistance.

If you plan to refer your calls to another member of your department, be sure to make arrangements with them ahead of time. Leave them a cheat sheet on how to handle special procedures. NO matter what your knowledge or abilities, your enthusiasm and attitude have the greatest effect on people…and on you! Focus on being enthusiastic At the start of each day, set a goal to be enthusiastic. Be aware of your energy level during the day, use it wisely. Pull yourself up when you are feeling down.

Play your song or say your words to help energize you in your down time. Accept the challenge Know that it is a challenge to meet or exceed customer expectations. Use your enthusiasm. Take pride and satisfaction in creating a positive experience for someone else. Tap into energy sources Let other enthusiastic people zap you with energy. Be aware that your energy is contagious.

Disconnect from energy drains Avoid negative people — they can drain you. Walk away from discussions that are negative or cynical. More Top Picks. Browse Specifics The right product depends on who you are and what you need — but regardless, you want the best. Browse Software Accounting Accounting software helps manage payable and receivable accounts, general ledgers, payroll and other accounting activities.

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Quick Answers Short on time, high on curiosity? Software Features Not sure how to use a particular tool in your software solution? Browse by Topic Looking for the best tips, tricks, and guides to help you accelerate your business? Search for software and business topics:. Advertiser Disclosure. A Guide to Phone Etiquette: The 9 Essential Rules Phone etiquette in customer service may be just as important as solving the customer's problem.

The 9 essential rules of phone etiquette for your small business Be prepared Answer calls within three rings Introduce yourself Speak clearly but not loudly Watch your tone and language Don't interrupt Give your full attention Take notes Ask permission to put someone on hold 1.

Be prepared If you're in customer service, chances are you already know what people are going to ask you about when they give you a ring. Answer calls within three rings Customers don't like to wait, even if it's just for a few extra rings.

Introduce yourself Have you ever called a customer support number only to be greeted with a perfunctory "Hello? Speak clearly but not loudly Few things are more frustrating than talking to someone on the phone who you can barely hear. Watch your tone and language Avoid speaking with a customer in an overly familiar tone. Don't interrupt Always let a customer finish their train of thought before jumping in, even if you think they're going down a rabbit trail or being difficult.

Give your full attention Customers, like anyone, want to feel heard — and empathy in customer service goes a long way. Take notes One good way to force yourself to pay attention is to take notes. Ask permission to put someone on hold Sometimes, you have to transfer the customer to another individual or department.

Start building new habits Put your customer service skills to the test by implementing these nine rules. Visit LiveAgent. Help Scout. Visit Help Scout. Visit HappyFox. Visit Kayako. The Best Customer Service Software of Rather than managing internal staff issues, customer service software helps you manage and provide solutions to your consumer base.

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