The telephone will never go out of style. Of course, the telephone device itself will continue to go through cosmetic and functional changes. Today, many of our telephones are “smartphones” that all have the capabilities of a telephone, a camera, a video recorder and an internet browser in one handheld device. Even with all of that, the traditional telephone has not gone the way of the dinosaur. Therefore, businesses all over Canada are still using them every day.
There is, of course, a particular way to use the telephone in order to endear customers to your company. It’s not quite as easy as simply picking up a receiver and dialing a number. There is such a thing as “telephone etiquette”. And the best phone reps in any industry all know how to practice it. If you’re looking to make good impressions over the phone – and what company isn’t? – you may want to practice the traits of a top-notch phone rep.
Here are five:
1. He/she doesn’t keep his/her customer waiting. When customers call up your company, chances are they are looking for answers to their questions – quickly! When your rep answers the phone expeditiously, it takes care of the first problem. It’s also important to manage hold times correctly. Reps who don’t keep their customers waiting for too long stand a better chance of providing positive experiences. People simply don’t like to be kept waiting.
2. He/she practices his/her phone routine. A top-notch phone rep doesn’t take the job for granted. He/she is willing to go through the motions before the first phone call of the day is received. The old adage “practice makes perfect” is a good one to follow. And great reps follow it. It can’t hurt to rehearse some of the most important aspects of a phone call before starting the job each day. It will keep you on your game.
3. He/she doesn’t pretend to know it all. Being a top-notch phone rep doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re perfect. There will be times when you simply need to ask another member of your team for assistance. Knowing who to connect a customer to is as important a trait as any. Processing call transfers to supervisors will sometimes be necessary. Give your caller the confidence that you can put him/her in touch with someone who will resolve his/her problem.
4. He/she asks instead of tells. In other words, a top-notch phone rep seeks his/her caller’s permission before making certain decisions. Putting a person on hold is a perfect example. “May I place you on hold for just a minute or two while I take a look into that for you?” is a much better approach then “I’m going to place you on hold for a minute while I look into that for you.” These subtle differences can go a long way in the world of pleasing customers.
5. He/she makes sure it’s safe to hang up. Some companies live by a “never hang up on the customer” policy. However, this can lead to many wasted minutes on the phone. It’s important to make absolutely sure that the call has come to a close before deciding to hang up. Great phone reps also make sure that their calls have proper endings. “Thank you so much for calling us today, have a great evening” is an excellent way to close a call.
At MeloTel, we don’t just offer such excellent tips, we offer the best Commercial Phone Services in the telecom industry! Our VoIP-based services combined with our unbeatable rates make working with MeloTel the right choice for any Canadian company that uses the phone to conduct business each day. For more information, please don’t hesitate to contact us at 1-888-MELOTEL or use the “Live Chat Support” feature on our website!
