At MeloTel, we’re immensely proud of the fact that our cloud-hosted Commercial Phone Services have helped many a North American business owner to better run his/her business. With calling capabilities that no landline could ever provide, our VoIP-based phone services allow for much greater abilities to communicate. This has driven customer satisfaction to all all-time highs for many of our clients!
Of course, phones can’t work themselves. It’s imperative that every company that conducts business over the phone has some specific guidelines in place for their phone agents to follow. If it’s one thing MeloTel prides itself on more than its phone services, it’s the customer service regimen that has garnered our company such positive reviews. In today’s blog, we’d like to share a few phone etiquette tips that will improve your customer service.
Here are five:
1. Always identify yourself at the beginning of all calls.
When you’re answering a call, it’s important to be clear about who you are. People don’t particularly like speaking to company representatives. They like speaking to people. Introducing yourself immediately is a key way to begin a customer relationship. Be sure to ask for your caller’s name as well. If you can develop an early first-name basis situation, you’ll lay the groundwork for a long-term connection.
2. Be mindful of your tone.
Never forget that phone conversations eliminate your ability to use body language. Your facial expressions and hand gestures won’t count for much when the person you’re speaking with can’t see you. However, don’t think that you can’t use such gestures. Doing so will actually help with your tone. Being friendly and polite will come a lot more naturally if you’re not sitting as still as a statue.
3. Think about what you’re going to say before you say it.
Jot down specific points before you place a call. A point form list will help you to expertly move the conversation from one topic to the next without wasting much time. In many cases, it will be important for you to be concise. As well, knowing each point of the conversation before it starts will help to eliminate the “ums” and “ahs” that drag conversations, making them sound less professional.
4. Ward off all interruptions.
If you’re looking for a surefire way to annoy the person on the other line, keep interrupting the conversation. When you’re on a call, it’s important that you give the other person your full and undivided attention. Attempt to keep hold times to a minimum. Make sure that the call you’re on takes full priority. When you treat every customer like he/she is your only customer, you will significantly increase customer satisfaction.
5. Make hold time a good time.
This point actually borrows from one of our recent blog titles. It deserves repeating. In short, the best way to put a caller on hold is to ask for permission and provide a timeline: “May I place you on hold for a minute or two while I look into that for you?” When you return from the hold time, offer an apology and show your gratitude: “Thank you for holding, I apologize for keeping you waiting.”
For information about MeloTel’s Commercial Phone Services, please don’t hesitate to contact us at 1-888-MELOTEL or use the Live Chat feature on our website!
