An objective of business owners everywhere is to have their businesses stand out from their competitors. In many cases, they attempt to achieve this by offering lower prices or providing unique services. However, in our experience, the companies that thrive in their respective industries are the ones that are able to offer customer experiences unlike anyone else. The way we see it, it all starts with how customers are treated over the phone!
Of course, it always helps when you’re taking advantage of MeloTel’s cloud-hosted Commercial Phone Services. It also helps when you’re utilizing the simple, yet important phone etiquette techniques that we unveiled in our last blog. In today’s blog, we’ll continue to provide some tips that will help to truly separate your brand from its competitors.
When speaking with your customers…
Avoid all distractions. This can be especially difficult if you work in a call centre environment. However, in order to truly stand out from your competitors, it’s important that you make your customers feel as if they are your only customers who exist while they’re on the phone with you.
If you’re constantly distracted by co-workers, background noise or even eating (we hope we don’t have to tell you not to eat while speaking to customers over the phone), your callers will surely notice…and not be pleased about it. Be sure to let each of your callers know that they have your full attention. Don’t carry on side conversations with other associates while you’re on your calls. Again, your callers must feel that they are your top priority.
When leaving a message…
Turn your customer service skills up a notch. Obviously, there will be instances when you need to leave messages for your clients. Just because these calls aren’t “live”, don’t assume that your telephone etiquette can be turned off. In fact, because you’re being recorded, this is when your customer service skills need to shine brightest.
Be sure to speak slowly and clearly. Avoid slang terms and opt for professional verbiage. Keep your tone upbeat and pleasant and don’t forget to provide all of your necessary contact information. It certainly doesn’t hurt to repeat your phone number. Quite often, those who listen to messages aren’t equipped with pens and paper at the times they’re hearing their voicemails. To help them to avoid replaying your messages, go ahead and say your number twice. It’s a great practice that makes it very convenient for people to return your calls.
When recording an outgoing voice greeting…
You’re not just stating that you’re unavailable, you’re also establishing the “voice” of your brand. Your outgoing greeting should give a great impression about what your company is all about. State your name, your company’s name and what you’d be happy to do for your caller. Naturally, use a friendly and upbeat tone that encourages callers to leave messages. Remember that your outgoing voice greeting may just be the first impression a potential customer gets of your brand!
As we’ve always stated, we do all that we can to practice what we preach, here at MeloTel. For a dose of our special brand of customer service over the phone, please don’t hesitate to contact us at 1-888-MELOTEL and select option 3 or email us at support@melotel.com.
