1. Chapter 4 Use the Phone Correctly for Good Service
Phone responsiveness can enhance customer loyalty
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Learning objective 1: Know the benefits and drawbacks of telephone communication
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3. 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
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4. 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)
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Learning Objective 3: Apply action tips for dealing with customers on the phone
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6. 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
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7. 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
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8. 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
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9. 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?”
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Learning objective 4: Employ action tips to better express yourself on the phone
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11. 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
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12. 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
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Learning objective 5: Use action tips to be more efficient on the phone
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14. 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
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15. 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
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Learning objective 6: Recognize challenges and opportunities with call centers
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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
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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
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