Chapter 4 Use the Phone Correctly for Good Service Phone responsiveness can enhance customer loyalty Copyright ©2014 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

Copyright ©2014 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall Learning objective 1: Know the benefits and drawbacks of telephone communication Copyright ©2014 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

What can negate the advantages of telephone communication? Employees unaware of basic phone professionalism needed to convey good business image That we cannot see the person we are dealing with Absence of visual cues needed to reinforce or clarify messages Copyright ©2014 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

Tell us how you really feel (self-quiz on page 62) Learning objective 2: Identify your own phone use attitudes and those of your company Tell us how you really feel (self-quiz on page 62) Copyright ©2014 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

Copyright ©2014 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall Learning Objective 3: Apply action tips for dealing with customers on the phone Copyright ©2014 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

Action tips for phone use professionalism 1. Check your phone use attitudes Do you see the phone as an annoyance instead of an opportunity? 2. Contact and compare your company Phone call is often first customer contact. Is the impression a good one? 3. Avoid unnecessary call-screening Let customers get to correct person quickly Copyright ©2014 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

Action tips on what to say and do 4. Answer with professionalism Identify self Offer to help 5. Answer promptly; be prepared 6. Use courtesy titles Opt for more formal “Mr.” or “Ms” before assuming first name use Copyright ©2014 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

Action tips on what to say and do 7. Thank people for calling 8. Smile! (use a mirror?) 9. Be sure conversation is finished before hanging up Copyright ©2014 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

Action tips on what to say and do 10. Handle upset caller with tact and skill Recognize that they may have feelings like these: They are not valued or important They are helpless “It” just isn’t fair (whatever “it” may be) Diffuse the anger, frustration “Help me to understand . . .” “I can see why you might feel that way” “What would be a good solution from your point of view?” Copyright ©2014 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

Copyright ©2014 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall Learning objective 4: Employ action tips to better express yourself on the phone Copyright ©2014 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

Action tips for expressing yourself 11. Keep conversation tactful and businesslike Develop sensitivity to word choices Make a list of good, bad phrases Avoid abrupt, unprofessional phrases 12. Speak clearly and distinctly 13. Speak naturally and comfortably 14. Do not let “dead air” happen Copyright ©2014 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

Action tips for expressing yourself 15. Keep callers on track Use bridging techniques Close call by Summarizing what has been decided Speaking in the past tense Saying “thank you for calling” End the call on positive note Copyright ©2014 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

Copyright ©2014 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall Learning objective 5: Use action tips to be more efficient on the phone Copyright ©2014 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

Action tips for efficient phone use 16. For outgoing calls ask “is this a good time to talk?” 17. Take messages cheerfully and accurately 18. Make your greeting message efficient 19. Learn to use your phone’s features Copyright ©2014 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

Action tips for efficient phone use 20. Use hold button and call transfer correctly 21. Plan outgoing calls for efficiency Be clear about purpose of your call Have list of information you’ll need to get or give 22. Don’t let telephone interrupt an important live conversation Copyright ©2014 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

Copyright ©2014 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall Learning objective 6: Recognize challenges and opportunities with call centers Copyright ©2014 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

Copyright ©2014 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall Call centers Is integral part of customer care strategy Uses designated contact specialists Easier to monitor and check quality Receive more intensive training for customer interaction May overemphasize “economy” Sometimes quick call handling is not what customer wants Focus on short call times can damage relationship-building Copyright ©2014 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

Copyright ©2014 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall Final thoughts Telephone use offers advantages and limitations. Be aware of both. Poor telephone use can have a dramatic negative impact on a company’s success—is a huge turnoff Positive attitudes and winning phone techniques build stronger relationships with customers Copyright ©2014 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

Copyright ©2014 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall