Five Essential Tips for Great Customer Service on the Telephone!

1. Answer the phone by the 3rd ring!
·The caller begins to have an impression of your company the moment they dial
·Callers tend to become annoyed or hang up after the third ring
·When the phone is answered on the fourth or fifth ring, callers tend to have an impression that the company is not fully staffed

2. Recognize the importance of tone of voice!
·Transmit warmth and sincerity via your tone of voice
·Understand that pace and enunciation are important on the phone
·Adjust voice volume to the callers situation

3. Manage the call!
·Greet the caller with "good morning" or "good afternoon"
·Give your name and offer to help
·Use the caller's name three times during the call

4. Give the caller control!
·Before call ends, always explain next steps
·If needed, ask permission to put the caller on hold and wait for a response
·Give the caller an estimated time they can expect to be on hold and offer to call them back

5. Transfer with care!
·Ask permission to transfer the caller, explain why the transfer is necessary
·Make sure someone is available to receive the transfer
·Tell the receiver of the transfer the caller's situation