Doing business over the phone is nothing new. However, it will never get old. Funny how that works, isn’t it? At MeloTel, we specialize in providing Canadian business owners with VoIP-based Commercial Phone Services that help them to communicate with their important customers and colleagues in ways that were never-before available with traditional phone lines.
The benefits of our cloud-based solution are many. But, as with all technology, it’s all about how the user uses the technology that will truly determine the benefits that come along with it. While using the phone to conduct business is an age-old practice, it is still one that requires adequate training in order to be done correctly. Remember that there are no facial expressions or body language that can help you to convey your points when you’re on the phone.
Therefore, it’s very important to be mindful of your tones, inflections and emphasis when speaking to your customers. The last thing you want them to do is hang up on you for reasons that have nothing to do with the products and services that your company provides. Customer service is everything. It can make or break the relationships you have with members of your client base. So how can you ensure that don’t get hung up on?
Here are four methods you can use:
1. Be polite. This first-listed suggestion has got to be the most obvious. A no-brainer solution, being polite on the phone is the first step in developing a good impression of your business. You likely have experience, however, with customer service representatives who haven’t yet mastered this first step. Again, your caller can’t see you. So, he or she will still be able to tell if you are smiling or not. It all starts with service with a smile. It works just as well over the phone!
2. Allow the customer to do the majority of the talking. Getting cut off during mid-sentence can provide quite the annoyance. Do your best to allow your caller to get his or her thoughts communicated to you without interruption. This ensures that you’ve gotten the information you need to resolve any issues. It also helps you to take care of problems in quicker amounts of time. The more listening you do, the easier it will be to keep your customer engaged and on the line.
3. Use courteous on-hold procedures. Customers don’t necessarily like being put on hold, but they generally understand that it’s all part of the over-the-phone customer service process. The thing is, you don’t want to keep callers on hold for too long. Naturally, this can lead to hang ups. Be sure to let your caller know how long you intend to keep him or her on hold for. Don’t forget to come back to the line to request more time if it is needed.
4. Use custom hold music. MeloTel’s Commercial Phone Services offer custom hold music as a feature. You may think that this service does nothing more than keep a caller who is on hold mildly entertained, but it serves a much greater purpose. Dead silence gives a person on hold the impression that the call may have been disconnected. And what do people do when calls have been disconnected? They hang up! Hold music helps you to avoid this.
For more information on the Custom Hold Music and numerous other features that come with MeloTel’s Commercial Phone Services, don’t hesitate to call us at 1-888-MELOTEL. You can also use the “Live Chat Support” feature on our website. Simply click the “Online – Have questions?” link at the bottom left corner. Once you contact us, we’ll give you no reason to hang up!
