THE TELEPHONE PROFESSIONAL

The phone is probably the most used tool in modern business. 2 million business !alls are made
e"ery day in the #$. Not e"eryone admits to bein% !on&ident or totally pro&i!ient in their use o& the
phone so it is 'orth loo(in% at 'hy phone s(ills are "ital &or e&&e!ti"e business !ommuni!ation.

As 'e deal 'ith !ustomers o"er the telephone) 'e need to remember that*
+, It is a substitute &or &a!e-to-&a!e !on"ersations. There&ore 'e need to 'or( at &indin% 'ays to
!ompensate &or 'hat 'e are missin% out on*
'e !annot see &a!ial e.pressions) manners) rea!tions
'e !annot see 'hat the other person is doin%
'e !annot lip-read 'hat the other person is sayin%
'e !annot use illustrations to help them understand
Managing Positive Customer Perceptions
It/s not al'ays 0'hat 'e say1) but 0ho' 'e say it1 that !reates a %ood or bad !ustomer per!eption.
2e need to be a'are o& the 3thro'-a'ay/ statements 'hi!h may mean little to us but 'ill a&&e!t
the 'ay the !ustomer per!ei"es your or%anisation.

All o& the statements belo' !an produ!e a poor !ustomer per!eption. Tip - ima%ine you are a
!ustomer hearin% them durin% a !all. Test them out on your !ollea%ues4 you/ll be surprised ho'
many people 'ould !onsider some o& these as per&e!tly a!!eptable.

"The shipping date on your order should be next Friday."
"I'm sorry I didn't call you back. My boss had us in another meeting that lasted all morning.
I hope this will sole your problem.
'I don't understand why customer serice didn't help you."
The order processing department has had a lot o! problems lately. I'll call them and get this
straightened out !or you."
"Mr. "ing is in a meeting. #hy don't you call back in an hour$"
"I'm sorry it took so long. %ow what do you want$"
I&m sorry you had to wait. 'ur telephone operators are ery slow.
(an you call back because Mrs )ones is not here at the moment$ I think she&s gone to the loo.

Answering the phone professionally
The rules &or ans'erin% a telephone are simple but they need to be !ontinually re"ie'ed and
pra!tised. Follo'in% are the most basi! ones) 'hi!h should al'ays be employed.

1. Use the four answering courtesies:
5 Greet the caller
5 State your organisation (or epartment!
5 "ntrouce yourself
5 #ffer your help

*ood a!ternoon+ ,ccounts+ ,ndrew -att speaking. .ow may I help$

$. Show enthusiasm when you answer. %elp ma&e the caller feel welcome
A tired "oi!e la!(in% in enthusiasm is "ery unappealin% and re&le!ts on the pro&essionalism o&
your or%anisation.

'. Use frienly phrases as part of your greeting.
5 Thanks !or calling.
5 May I help you$

(. )emem*er to smile as you pic& up the receiver.
It may help i& you ha"e a mirror on your des() this 'ay you 'ill be able to see ho' you sound on
the telephone. Also) as a reminder) tape the 'ord 3Smile/ on your phone.

Closing the conversation
2hen you &inish your telephone !on"ersation there are some appropriate and !ourteous
statements that should al'ays be made. 6ou should*

+. Than( the !aller.
2. Let the !aller (no' you appre!iate his7her business.
8. Pro"ide assuran!e that any promises 'ill be &ul&illed.
9. Lea"e the !aller 'ith a positi"e &eelin%

Some !ourteous !losin% statement e.amples*

"Thank you !or calling. #e appreciate your business "
"Thanks !or your order."
"Feel !ree to call us anytime."
"I'm glad we were able to help."
"*oodbye and thanks !or calling."
"I en/oyed talking with you."
"I! you hae any additional 0uestions please call me."

+ip: ,et the caller hang up first
This is simple !ourtesy) plus it %i"es the !aller a &inal !han!e to add somethin%.

An always remem*er:
Smile as you dial!

-hat to o when you have to put customers on hol:
+. As( them i& you !an put them on hold.
2. Tell them ho' lon% they 'ill be on hold.
8. Assure them that you 'ill be 'or(in% &or them 'hile they are on hold :tell them 'hat you
'ill be doin% a'ay &rom the phone,.
9. 2ait &or their response.
. 2hen you %et ba!( to them) than( them &or holdin%.
%ow to transfer customers on the telephone
+. Tell !ustomers 'hat you !an do &or them. A"oid sayin%) ;I !an/t help you;) ;That is not my
responsibility; or ;This department does not handle that;. <y %i"in% the name o& the
!orre!t person or department) you are helpin% the !ustomer) so state your senten!e
positi"ely. For e.ample) ;=rs. >ones in our ser"i!e area !an help you 'ith that.;
2. O'n the !onta!t :or !omplaint?,. @i"e the !ustomer your name) department and phone
number. This is espe!ially ne!essary &or telephone trans&ers. In !ase the !ustomer %ets
!ut o&& or trans&erred to the 'ron% area) he7she 'ill ha"e the ne!essary in&ormation to
!onta!t the appropriate person. Also) to sa"e yoursel& &rom repeatin% in&ormation) as( i&
he7she has a pen!il ready to !opy do'n the in&ormation.
8. In&orm the ne.t employee. Fill him7her in on the details o& your !on"ersations 'ith this
!ustomer. Also tell the ne.t employee 'hat the !ustomer said as 'ell as 'hat his7her
attitudes and &eelin%s 'ere.

%ow to ma&e a pro*lem call
Anytime you ha"e to ma(e a di&&i!ult !all there are important steps to &ollo'. E"en thou%h you
may not be !allin% to sell a produ!t) the basi! steps o& a su!!ess&ul telemar(etin% !all still apply.
.efore you ma&e your call/ evelop an action plan.
Greet the customer in a frienly way
"ntrouce yourself an your company
State the purpose of the call
0eliver your message in frienly/ clear an *usiness li&e way/ leaving room for
1uestions
State customer *enefits2options2alternatives/ if appropriate
As& for agreement
HereAs an e.ample*
Bynthia mista(enly o"erboo(ed a trainin% !ourse. She needed to !all =rs. Hai% to e.plain 'hy
the !ourse she had boo(ed had to be !han%ed. Bynthia de"eloped the &ollo'in% a!tion plan.
%er o*3ective* arran%e a ne' !ourse date.
+he approach* brie&ly e.plain the need &or the !han%e and o&&er t'o alternati"e dates.
Customer *enefits* the !ourse 'ill be less !ro'ded and =rs. Hai% 'ill re!ei"e more indi"idual
trainin% support &rom the !ourse leader.

"*ood morning+ Mrs. .aig. This is (ynthia 1ogers !rom T2T. .ow are you today$ The reason !or
my call is to discuss your course booking. The date I booked !or your group is oerbooked. #hat
I can do is o!!er an alternatie date with !ewer delegates. This means you will be able to ask more
0uestions and receie more attention !rom the course leader. I hae the 34th or 56th aailable.
7o you hae a pre!erence$
In the situation abo"e) Bynthia did a %ood Cob be!ause she turned a potential ne%ati"e situation
into a positi"e &or the !ustomer by plannin% ahead.
%ow to respon to a complaining customer
+. Listen 'ith understandin%. Identi&y 'ith the !ustomer and ;o'n; the !omplaint. This
de&uses an%er and demonstrates your !on!ern. Tell the !ustomer somethin% su!h as) 0I
am sorry you ha"e been in!on"enien!ed.1 Tell me 'hat happened so that I !an help
you.; It is "ital to sho' a sin!ere interest and 'illin%ness to help. The customer's !irst
impression o! you is all important in gaining co8operation.
2. No matter 'hat !aused the problem) do not blame others or ma(e e.!uses. Instead) ta(e
the responsibility and initiati"e to do 'hate"er you !an to sol"e the problem as Dui!(ly as
possible.
8. Paraphrase and re!ord 'hat the !ustomer tells you. 2hene"er you hear an important
point) say) ;Let me ma(e sure I understand* you 'ere promised deli"ery on the +th and
you did not re!ei"e the produ!t until the &irst o& the &ollo'in% month. Is that !orre!tE;
9. Find out 'hat the !ustomer 'ants. Foes he or she 'ant a re&und) !redit) dis!ount or
repla!ementE The !ustomer is !omplainin% be!ause he or she has a problem and 'ants
it sol"ed as Dui!(ly as possible. Find out 'hat his or her