| Test your Telephone Effectiveness | | | | to prevent frustration is to offer the caller the option |
| Find out if you're phone practices are winning or | | | | of either holding or hanging up and having their call |
| losing customers | | | | returned within a brief, specific time period. |
| If your customers aren't impressed by you or your | | | | 5. When you're talking on the phone while a visitor |
| co-workers on the telephone, they can switch | | | | walks in, who gets priority?a) the visitorb) the caller |
| businesses by merely hanging-up and dialing the | | | | The person who made the effort to show up |
| competition. So, your telephone skills can have a | | | | in-person gets priority. That means you need to |
| significant impact on your business and your career. | | | | interrupt the caller. The quickest way to get that |
| To find out how you and your co-workers are | | | | caller's attention is to call their name. "George, I have |
| perceived, take this telephone test. While you're at it, | | | | someone who just walked in, can I ask you to hold |
| have a friend make a "mystery call" to see how your | | | | for a moment?" Wait for their agreement. Then |
| fellow employees measure-up. | | | | acknowledged the visitor, tell them you'll be a |
| 1. How long does it take you and/or your | | | | moment, and wrap-up your telephone conversation. |
| switchboard operator to answer the phone? | | | | If you're talking to customer in person when the |
| 5 rings or lessb) 3 rings or lessc) under three rings | | | | phone rings, then get someone else to answer the |
| After 2 rings, callers are wondering what's going on. | | | | phone, or use voice mail. Abandoning customers to |
| Your phone should be answered in-person by the | | | | answer the phone is downright rude and is a |
| second ring or by your voice-mail system by the 4th | | | | guaranteed way to lose customers. As obvious as |
| ring. | | | | this seems, it's one of the most common blunders in |
| 2. Do you answer your phone with any of the | | | | customer service. |
| following? | | | | 6. When receiving a call for a co-worker, how are |
| "Hello." | | | | you most likely to respond?a) "Susan's not in right |
| "(Company name only)" | | | | now, so I'll have totake a message."b) "Susan's still at |
| "(last name only)" | | | | lunch. Can I take amessage?"c) "Susan's should be |
| "Good afternoon, this is (your full name), how can I | | | | back soon. Couldyou call back in about 15 minutes" |
| help you?" | | | | All of these statements have flaws that make the |
| All of these greetings have flaws. A, B, and C are | | | | greeter sound unhelpful and unprofessional. Consider |
| too abrupt and don't provide enough information. D is | | | | each response.a) The statement, "I'll have to take a |
| too wordy and dissuades callers from identifying | | | | message," makes it sound like an inconvenient chore. |
| themselves because it encourages them to get to | | | | Instead, change two words: "I'll be happy to take a |
| the point rather than saying their name. Plus it forces | | | | message." The bonus is that you don't work any |
| you to check the clock to see if it's before or after | | | | harder but you convey the impression of someone |
| noon. A better greeting is, "Thank you for calling ABC | | | | with a terrific customer service attitude.b) It's |
| Company. This is John." If you are taking a call that's | | | | completely irrelevant that the co-worker is at lunch. |
| transferred to you, then always identify yourself as | | | | The caller might be thinking, "That's a long time to be |
| you wished to be addressed. Whether you choose | | | | at lunch!" It's also irrelevant whether your coworker is |
| to identify the department is optional. | | | | "in a meeting" or "with a customer" or "busy". The |
| 3. Have you ever said, "Please hold" to a caller?yesno | | | | only relevant information is they're not coming to the |
| Never put a caller on-hold without asking for their | | | | phone. Therefore, "Susan is not available right now" is |
| permission, and then waiting for their response. | | | | the most appropriate response, followed by, "I'd be |
| Putting customers on hold without their consent is a | | | | happy to take a message."c) asking a caller to phone |
| sure-fire formula to lose customers. | | | | back later gives the impression that you're too lazy |
| 4. How long does it take a person on hold to become | | | | or disorganized to take a message. This gives a |
| annoyed?a) 2 minutesb) 30 seconds | | | | potential customer a terrific excuse to call your |
| 1 minute | | | | competitor. 'Nuff said. |
| 17 seconds | | | | The training solution |
| Studies show that after only 17 seconds, callers on | | | | If you're like most managers and business owners, |
| hold become annoyed. The exception is when the | | | | you'll probably find that when you assess the phone |
| greeter explains why the caller is being asked to hold | | | | practices within your organization, there's room for |
| and provides the estimated time required. Knowing | | | | improvement. The good news is that with just a little |
| beforehand how long they can expect to wait | | | | training, it's easy to develop the skills that ensure |
| reduces the chance of annoyance, particularly among | | | | that your customers keep coming back. |
| long distance and cellular phone callers. Another option | | | | |