1
Resources for Telephone and Email Etiquette
Please consider the following materials shared by our community members. If you are considering training on email and other basic communication skills, please find the attached materials helpful:
- [Telephone etiquette doc file](https://www.citehr.com/28676-telephone-etiquette-training-3.html#post126827)
- [Telephone handling doc](https://www.citehr.com/6780-telephone-etiquettes-telephone-operators-hotel.html#post32524)
- [Telephone etiquette Pdf](https://www.citehr.com/262592-telephone-ettiquette-pdf.html)
- [Telephone technique ppt](https://www.citehr.com/135698-telephone-etiquettes.html)
- [Telephone ppt](https://www.citehr.com/113507-telephone-ettiquettes.html)
- [Email etiquette zip](https://www.citehr.com/107166-email-etiquette-exe.html)
Regards,
Cite Contribution
From India, Mumbai
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Please consider the following materials shared by our community members. If you are considering training on email and other basic communication skills, please find the attached materials helpful:
- [Telephone etiquette doc file](https://www.citehr.com/28676-telephone-etiquette-training-3.html#post126827)
- [Telephone handling doc](https://www.citehr.com/6780-telephone-etiquettes-telephone-operators-hotel.html#post32524)
- [Telephone etiquette Pdf](https://www.citehr.com/262592-telephone-ettiquette-pdf.html)
- [Telephone technique ppt](https://www.citehr.com/135698-telephone-etiquettes.html)
- [Telephone ppt](https://www.citehr.com/113507-telephone-ettiquettes.html)
- [Email etiquette zip](https://www.citehr.com/107166-email-etiquette-exe.html)
Regards,
Cite Contribution
From India, Mumbai
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Customer Service Excellence is what every organization, large or small, is aiming to achieve. We are now all highly aware that delivering an excellent experience to all of our customers will play a large part in keeping our customers coming back. Every telephone call is an opportunity to win or to lose customers. Here we give some of the essential telephone skills, techniques, and best practices that will help ensure that extra positive experience for our customers.
Begin with a Confident Welcome
First impressions count, and that first impression takes 10 seconds on a telephone call! In customer service, this means the customer will decide "I like this person," or "I do not want to deal with this person" very quickly. Our goal in customer service is to capture this call positively and to set the right tone for the call from the beginning.
We want to sound confident and welcoming. The telephone skills and techniques for doing this are:
1. Positive Posture - Sit up straight in your chair and lean forward to take the call. Don't slouch, as this will deaden your voice tone. Positive posture not only helps give you a richer voice tone, but it also helps make you feel more confident.
2. Greet the customer as if you are delighted they called. Smiling on the phone really does work!
3. Get the customer's name and use it. Everyone likes to be treated personally, like a human being. We do this by giving our own name and by using the customer's name. It is important to judge which form of the name or title is most appropriate. There are rules on this, but they differ from culture to culture. For example, in Ireland, we use the first name in a business-to-business setting, and we use the family or surname in a business-to-home setting. It is worthwhile to investigate the social or business norms in your specific area or culture as being inappropriate can create a negative rather than a positive impression.
4. Give a positive, definite first response. For example, "Certainly, I'll be happy to help"; or "No problem, I can do that for you." A positive first response will have a reassuring effect on your customer.
5. Listen and use verbal nods to encourage the customer as they speak. For example, "I see; Sure; I understand; I appreciate that." This may seem very obvious, but it is amazing how many people do NOT use verbal nods on a phone, especially in difficult call situations. Check if you do by recording a call and playing it back. If there are no verbal nods, the call will sound cold and officious.
Questions, Good Ways of Asking vs. Bad
In customer service, we often have to ask a series of questions to establish our customer's needs. On the telephone, we do not have the softening effect of body language, and our questions can often sound unintentionally aggressive. Something simple like, "What's your name?" can be very aggressive at the beginning of a call. "Could you tell me your name, please?" sounds so much better.
Always soften the beginning of the question and let your voice tone go up at the end of the question. That way, you sound chirpy, and the customer will be happy to answer. Remember to acknowledge the response by confirming back or a verbal nod - "That's great, your number is..."
Offer a Customer Friendly Solution or Explanation
Having established our customer's needs, we move to the phase of the telephone call where we are offering a solution or giving information or an explanation to the customer. As we transition to this phase, we often acknowledge the customer's issue by summarizing it, and then move to introducing how we plan to address this. "Thank you for that, Mrs. Jones, you need a... What I will do now is..."
Here are some tips and techniques for offering information or an explanation to a customer on the telephone:
1. Use relatively short sentences with one idea per sentence. Use a step-by-step approach with a pause in between the steps for the customer to catch up. "First go to X. When you are at X, you are now going to move to the next step." Long, rambly instructions or explanations are very hard to follow on a telephone.
2. Use customer-friendly language. Pitch the terms you use at the level of your customer rather than yourself. Be very careful of jargon and 'business speak' that is unique to your business or, indeed, your own company. If we use these terms every day, we often assume that they are widely known and acceptable. Using them inappropriately with a customer can also sound aggressive, like you are talking down to them.
3. Use positive definite language rather than negative language. Negative language is language with 'not' like 'can't, won't, shouldn't, etc.' Try to switch what you are saying around so that it will always sound positive. "I am sorry, but we can't have that for 10 days" becomes "I can definitely have that for you in 10 days." Do not tell the customer what can't be done without giving them a positive option at the end. "I am sorry, but I can't do... The reason is... What I can do is..."
Closing the Telephone Call Positively
In customer service, we want the customer to go away with a very positive impression of us. Callers remember the first impressions and the very last impressions.
As we move towards the close, it is good practice to summarize any agreements and to confirm any next steps or actions. Again, it is worthwhile reviewing how you do this, to ensure that your language is positive and clear.
We finish with a nice positive close that will ensure our customers go off the phone happy and our customer service goal is achieved.
From India, Gurgaon
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Begin with a Confident Welcome
First impressions count, and that first impression takes 10 seconds on a telephone call! In customer service, this means the customer will decide "I like this person," or "I do not want to deal with this person" very quickly. Our goal in customer service is to capture this call positively and to set the right tone for the call from the beginning.
We want to sound confident and welcoming. The telephone skills and techniques for doing this are:
1. Positive Posture - Sit up straight in your chair and lean forward to take the call. Don't slouch, as this will deaden your voice tone. Positive posture not only helps give you a richer voice tone, but it also helps make you feel more confident.
2. Greet the customer as if you are delighted they called. Smiling on the phone really does work!
3. Get the customer's name and use it. Everyone likes to be treated personally, like a human being. We do this by giving our own name and by using the customer's name. It is important to judge which form of the name or title is most appropriate. There are rules on this, but they differ from culture to culture. For example, in Ireland, we use the first name in a business-to-business setting, and we use the family or surname in a business-to-home setting. It is worthwhile to investigate the social or business norms in your specific area or culture as being inappropriate can create a negative rather than a positive impression.
4. Give a positive, definite first response. For example, "Certainly, I'll be happy to help"; or "No problem, I can do that for you." A positive first response will have a reassuring effect on your customer.
5. Listen and use verbal nods to encourage the customer as they speak. For example, "I see; Sure; I understand; I appreciate that." This may seem very obvious, but it is amazing how many people do NOT use verbal nods on a phone, especially in difficult call situations. Check if you do by recording a call and playing it back. If there are no verbal nods, the call will sound cold and officious.
Questions, Good Ways of Asking vs. Bad
In customer service, we often have to ask a series of questions to establish our customer's needs. On the telephone, we do not have the softening effect of body language, and our questions can often sound unintentionally aggressive. Something simple like, "What's your name?" can be very aggressive at the beginning of a call. "Could you tell me your name, please?" sounds so much better.
Always soften the beginning of the question and let your voice tone go up at the end of the question. That way, you sound chirpy, and the customer will be happy to answer. Remember to acknowledge the response by confirming back or a verbal nod - "That's great, your number is..."
Offer a Customer Friendly Solution or Explanation
Having established our customer's needs, we move to the phase of the telephone call where we are offering a solution or giving information or an explanation to the customer. As we transition to this phase, we often acknowledge the customer's issue by summarizing it, and then move to introducing how we plan to address this. "Thank you for that, Mrs. Jones, you need a... What I will do now is..."
Here are some tips and techniques for offering information or an explanation to a customer on the telephone:
1. Use relatively short sentences with one idea per sentence. Use a step-by-step approach with a pause in between the steps for the customer to catch up. "First go to X. When you are at X, you are now going to move to the next step." Long, rambly instructions or explanations are very hard to follow on a telephone.
2. Use customer-friendly language. Pitch the terms you use at the level of your customer rather than yourself. Be very careful of jargon and 'business speak' that is unique to your business or, indeed, your own company. If we use these terms every day, we often assume that they are widely known and acceptable. Using them inappropriately with a customer can also sound aggressive, like you are talking down to them.
3. Use positive definite language rather than negative language. Negative language is language with 'not' like 'can't, won't, shouldn't, etc.' Try to switch what you are saying around so that it will always sound positive. "I am sorry, but we can't have that for 10 days" becomes "I can definitely have that for you in 10 days." Do not tell the customer what can't be done without giving them a positive option at the end. "I am sorry, but I can't do... The reason is... What I can do is..."
Closing the Telephone Call Positively
In customer service, we want the customer to go away with a very positive impression of us. Callers remember the first impressions and the very last impressions.
As we move towards the close, it is good practice to summarize any agreements and to confirm any next steps or actions. Again, it is worthwhile reviewing how you do this, to ensure that your language is positive and clear.
We finish with a nice positive close that will ensure our customers go off the phone happy and our customer service goal is achieved.
From India, Gurgaon
Acknowledge(0)Amend(0)
Tips for Telephone Etiquette
1. Ask the caller, "To whom am I speaking?"
2. Avoid unnecessary jargon and acronyms in your conversations.
3. Use the caller's name in your conversation.
4. Practice good listening skills.
5. Make sure you speak clearly and are smiling as you answer the phone; also identify yourself.
6. Before placing a caller on hold, ask their permission first and thank them.
7. It is better to return a call than to keep someone on hold too long. If the phone rings back to you, you've kept them on hold too long.
8. Do not forget to return the call as you promised.
9. Do not permit the phone to ring into the office more than three times.
10. Always use a pleasant, congenial, and friendly tone.
11. Never interrupt the person while he/she is talking to you.
12. Never engage in an argument with a caller.
13. Do not handle an unhappy caller's concern openly at the check-in/check-out desk.
14. Do not make it a habit of receiving personal calls at work.
15. Do not answer the phone if you are eating or chewing gum.
16. Do not give the impression that you are rushed. It is better to return the call when you can give the person the time they need to handle the reason for their call.
17. Learn how to handle several callers simultaneously with ease and grace.
18. Return calls promptly that have been left on voicemail and ansafones.
19. Always get the best number (and an alternate) and the best time to have a call returned to the caller, especially if a manager or another team member must return the call.
20. Do not ever leave a message with someone else or on an ansafone or voicemail regarding details of a delinquent account. Instead, leave a message asking the person to call the "Accounting Department."
21. Always make collection calls in private and away from the patient flow or public areas.
22. If possible, provide a telephone for patients/customers/clients to use. An area providing privacy is preferred.
23. Do not call a patient, customer, or client's home before 8:00 AM or after 9:00 PM, unless they've given you permission to do so.
24. When hanging up the phone, make sure the caller or person called hangs up first if the phone is slammed on the receiver. Otherwise, always hang up the phone gently. It is recommended to use a remote, hands-free headset for the business staff. They are wonderful.
25. This will solve hanging up as you push release on the headset to hang up the phone. Also, it does not tie your staff to their desk. The team member checking on insurance really appreciates this device. (The phone can also be answered if away from your desk.)
26. When you take a call, turn away from your computer, desk, and other work. Don't allow other distractions to take your attention away from the caller.
27. Always have something available to write with.
28. Answer calls by the second or third ring.
29. Smile when you answer your calls. Even though the caller can't see it, they'll hear the smile in your voice.
30. Use a "telephone voice" in which you control your volume and speed. Speak clearly.
31. Be enthusiastic and respectful.
32. If there is a problem, be concerned, empathetic, and apologetic.
33. Thank the caller for calling. Ask them to call again.
34. Never eat, drink, or chew gum while you are on a call.
From India, Gurgaon
Acknowledge(0)Amend(0)
1. Ask the caller, "To whom am I speaking?"
2. Avoid unnecessary jargon and acronyms in your conversations.
3. Use the caller's name in your conversation.
4. Practice good listening skills.
5. Make sure you speak clearly and are smiling as you answer the phone; also identify yourself.
6. Before placing a caller on hold, ask their permission first and thank them.
7. It is better to return a call than to keep someone on hold too long. If the phone rings back to you, you've kept them on hold too long.
8. Do not forget to return the call as you promised.
9. Do not permit the phone to ring into the office more than three times.
10. Always use a pleasant, congenial, and friendly tone.
11. Never interrupt the person while he/she is talking to you.
12. Never engage in an argument with a caller.
13. Do not handle an unhappy caller's concern openly at the check-in/check-out desk.
14. Do not make it a habit of receiving personal calls at work.
15. Do not answer the phone if you are eating or chewing gum.
16. Do not give the impression that you are rushed. It is better to return the call when you can give the person the time they need to handle the reason for their call.
17. Learn how to handle several callers simultaneously with ease and grace.
18. Return calls promptly that have been left on voicemail and ansafones.
19. Always get the best number (and an alternate) and the best time to have a call returned to the caller, especially if a manager or another team member must return the call.
20. Do not ever leave a message with someone else or on an ansafone or voicemail regarding details of a delinquent account. Instead, leave a message asking the person to call the "Accounting Department."
21. Always make collection calls in private and away from the patient flow or public areas.
22. If possible, provide a telephone for patients/customers/clients to use. An area providing privacy is preferred.
23. Do not call a patient, customer, or client's home before 8:00 AM or after 9:00 PM, unless they've given you permission to do so.
24. When hanging up the phone, make sure the caller or person called hangs up first if the phone is slammed on the receiver. Otherwise, always hang up the phone gently. It is recommended to use a remote, hands-free headset for the business staff. They are wonderful.
25. This will solve hanging up as you push release on the headset to hang up the phone. Also, it does not tie your staff to their desk. The team member checking on insurance really appreciates this device. (The phone can also be answered if away from your desk.)
26. When you take a call, turn away from your computer, desk, and other work. Don't allow other distractions to take your attention away from the caller.
27. Always have something available to write with.
28. Answer calls by the second or third ring.
29. Smile when you answer your calls. Even though the caller can't see it, they'll hear the smile in your voice.
30. Use a "telephone voice" in which you control your volume and speed. Speak clearly.
31. Be enthusiastic and respectful.
32. If there is a problem, be concerned, empathetic, and apologetic.
33. Thank the caller for calling. Ask them to call again.
34. Never eat, drink, or chew gum while you are on a call.
From India, Gurgaon
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Communication Skills Self assessment.doc
Communication Skills.ppt