Telephone Etiquette

 TELEPHONE ETIQUETTE

What is Telephone etiquette?

To keep it simple, it is the way you present yourself and your company t
o customers when communicating over phone calls. This includes factors like how you greet your customer, tone of voice, word choice, listening skills, and how you close a call.

Before we get into the topic, Let’s discuss why telephone etiquette is important.

Would you believe if I said, a single phone call can decide whether you gain or lose a customer? Yes, that’s true. Though there are various ways to communicate, talking over the phone is proven to be the most important of all.

Firstly, it creates an impression to the caller about your business and it also increases customer trust if you were able to communicate efficiently.

At the same time, poor telephone etiquette can impact the company's image and can also drive away customers.

Let's dive into the etiquette.

BASIC PHONE ETIQUETTE

Communicate clearly

Remember that the caller cannot see you or your lip movements. So, ensure that you are clear enough.

Be polite

Use phrases like “Could you”, “May I?”, “Please”, and “Thank you”. 

For example, "How may I help you?" or "Could you repeat that for me".

This would portray that you're polite and the caller would feel more comfortable interacting. 

The tone of your voice

A lower tone can imply that you are not interested while monotones can seem boring. So, it's advised to modulate your pitch and speak in the normal tone of voice.

Make sure you listen!

While you're busy speaking, do not forget that you also need to listen. It's important that you keenly listen to the caller and understand their needs. Later, emphasize things that you can do to help them out rather than bluntly saying you can't.

Focus just on the caller

Stay away from distractions and do not eat or drink while you're on call. Avoid multitasking and keep your focus only on the caller.

These basic phone etiquette will reveal your professionalism and enhance customer satisfaction. 

INBOUND CALLS

Inbound calls are a major part of the business. Customer calls for orders, complaints and also to enquire general information. 

Once you pick up such calls, greet the customer and quickly introduce yourself. 

For example, "Good morning, this is Jane from GM Chemicals. How may I help you?"

Next, carefully listen to their needs and be patient while they're explaining to you their request. Some calls might be lengthy and tiresome. Stay calm and never pressurize the customer to be brief.

The most difficult calls would be dealing with angry or rude callers. We tend to get defensive which would result in worse situations. So don't interrupt them until they calm down and later provide them with a solution accordingly.

OUTBOUND CALLS

Outbound calls can be the toughest as you need to be well prepared and engage the receiver while you deliver your point. Remember that you are asking the caller for the moment of their time, so be respectful and be ready with your information. 

Before getting into discussions, introduce yourself briefly and confirm the name of the person you're calling.

For example, “Hello there. My name is John. I’m calling from Smith Industries. May I speak to Mr Wilson?”

After you've introduced yourself, the next step is to tell the recipient the reason for calling. To keep their attention, make sure you speak with a steady flow without fillers like ‘um’ and ‘uh’. 

For example, "I’d like to speak with you about your recent purchase.” or "Do you have a minute to complete a patient survey?”

Transferring / Ending a call

Transferring a call is required when you receive a call that needs to be dealt with by another department or agent. You might think, what's so challenging in transferring a call. No, you can't do it as such. 

First, you need to tell the caller why and whom they're being transferred to. For example, "I understand your grievance and I’ll be happy to transfer you to the sales department so that your problem is resolved.”

Lastly, ending a call can be awkward. You still need to remain professional while letting the caller know that you're going to hang up the call. Here are some of the phrases that you can use to end the conversation,

“Is there anything else I can do for you?”

“Thank you for calling today.” 

That's all readers! You're all set to deal any kind of caller professionally!