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Tips and Tricks
For some people, dealing with issues over the phone will never be as beneficial as
doing it in person. There are many advantages to using the telephone, and in many
cases this has led to over-reliance on the system. This in turn has led to us almost
developing a specific form of language when we are on the phone, all the more so in
a business setting. Remember though that a customer may not be party to this
language, and that they will have difficulty keeping up with the conversation if you are not careful to
keep their needs in mind. Below are some hints to make your telephone etiquette in a business setting
as good as it possibly can be.
Answer the phone by saying “hello” or “good morning.” Often callers don’t hear the first thing
you say. If the first thing you say is your name, some people might not catch it.
Smile. Yes, of course, the customer can’t see you, but smiling gives your voice a more cheerful,
enthusiastic tone. It also reminds you to be upbeat and positive.
Sound enthusiastic. Try to maintain a positive attitude and let that come through in your voice.
Say your name and your phone number clearly. Because people say these things often, they
tend to slur them. But these are the things that you need to say as clearly as possible!
Avoid company jargon (such as acronyms).
Avoid technical terminology as much as possible. Some people may feel reluctant to ask you to
explain a technical term because they don’t want to seem like dummies.
Stay alert to how the customer is responding. Does the customer sound confused, skeptical,
unsatisfied?
Don’t use a speaker phone unless you’re having a conference call. When you use a speaker
phone, callers get the impression that you’re too busy (or you consider yourself too important)
to give them your full attention.
Say good-bye. Don’t end a call abruptly. You will sound like you’re trying to get rid of the
customer.
If you need to make notes about the call, do that right away. Don’t rely on your memory to
reproduce information accurately.