Dear All,
Greetings!
Dealing with any clients in services is an art. In the case of IT, we primarily deal with American clients. It is useful to know how the English language works with them. Some of us may hesitate to speak to the client. Because we are not confident. When we practice the following tips, we can boost our confidence.
Interactions with American clients - Useful tips
1. Do not write "the same" in an email - it makes little sense to them.
Example - I will try to organize the project artifacts and inform you of the same when it is done
This is somewhat an Indian construct. It is better written simply as:
I will try to organize the project artifacts and inform you when that is done
2. Do not write or say, "I have some doubts on this issue"
The term "Doubt" is used in the sense of doubting someone - we use this term because in Indian languages (such as Tamil), the word for a "doubt" and a "question" is the same.
The correct usage (for clients) is:
I have a few questions on this issue
3. The term "regard" is not used much in American English. They usually do not say "regarding this issue" or "with regard to this".
Simply use, "about this issue".
4. Do not say "Pardon" when you want someone to repeat what they said. The word "Pardon" is unusual for them and is somewhat formal.
5. Americans do not understand most of the Indian accent immediately - They only understand 75% of what we speak and then interpret the rest. Therefore try not to use shortcut terms such as "Can't" or "Don't". Use the expanded "Cannot" or "Do not".
6. Do not use the term "screwed up" liberally. If a situation is not good, it is better to say, "The situation is messed up". Do not use words such as "shucks", or "pissed off".
7. As a general matter of form, Indians interrupt each other constantly in meetings - DO NOT interrupt a client when they are speaking. Over the phone, there could be delays - but wait for a short time before responding.
8. When explaining some complex issue, stop occasionally and ask "Does that make sense?". This is preferable than "Do you understand me?"
9. In email communications, use proper punctuation. To explain something, without breaking your flow, use semicolons, hyphens or parenthesis.
As an example:
You have entered a new bug (the popup not showing up) in the defect tracking system; we could not reproduce it - although,
a screenshot would help.
Notice that a reference to the actual bug is added in parenthesis so that the sentence flow is not broken. Break a long sentence
using such punctuation.
10. In American English, a mail is a posted letter. An email is electronic mail. When you say
"I mailed the information to you"
, it means you sent an actual letter or package through the postal system.
The correct usage is:
"I emailed the information to you"
11. To "prepone" an appointment is an Indian usage. There is no actual word called prepone. You can "advance" an appointment.
12. In the term "N-tier Architecture" or "3-tier Architecture", the word "tier" is NOT pronounced as "Tire". I have seen many people pronounce it this way. The correct pronunciation is "tea-yar". The "ti" is pronounced as "tea".
13. The usages "September End", "Month End", "Day End" are not understood well by Americans. They use these as "End of September", "End of Month" or "End of Day".
14. Americans have weird conventions for time - when they say the time is "Quarter Of One", they mean the time is 1:15. Better to ask them the exact time.
15. Indians commonly use the terms "Today Evening", "Today Night". These are not correct; "Today" means "This Day" where the Day stands for Daytime. Therefore "Today Night" is confusing. The correct usages are: "This Evening", "Tonight".
That applies for "Yesterday Night" and "Yesterday Evening". The correct usages are: "Last Night" and "Last Evening".
16. When Americans want to know the time, it is usual for them to say, "Do you have the time?". Which makes no sense to an Indian.
17. There is no word called "Updation". You update somebody. You wait for updates to happen to the database. Avoid saying "Updation".
18. When you talk with someone for the first time, refer to them as they refer to you - in America, the first conversation usually starts by using the first name. Therefore you can use the first name of a client. Do not say "Sir". Do not call women "Madam".
19. It is usual convention in initial emails (particularly technical) to expand abbreviations, this way:
We are planning to use the Java API For Registry (JAXR).
After mentioning the expanded form once, subsequently you can use the abbreviation.
20. Make sure you always have a subject in your emails and that the subject is relevant . Do not use a subject line such as HI .
21.Avoid using "Back" instead of "Back" Use "ago".Back is the worst word for American. (for Days use "Ago",For hours use "before")
22.Avoid using "but" instead of "But" Use "However" .
23.Avoid using "Yesterday" hereafter use "Last day".
24.Avoid using "Tomorrow" hereafter use "Next day".
Rgds,
John N
From India, Madras
57Greetings!
Dealing with any clients in services is an art. In the case of IT, we primarily deal with American clients. It is useful to know how the English language works with them. Some of us may hesitate to speak to the client. Because we are not confident. When we practice the following tips, we can boost our confidence.
Interactions with American clients - Useful tips
1. Do not write "the same" in an email - it makes little sense to them.
Example - I will try to organize the project artifacts and inform you of the same when it is done
This is somewhat an Indian construct. It is better written simply as:
I will try to organize the project artifacts and inform you when that is done
2. Do not write or say, "I have some doubts on this issue"
The term "Doubt" is used in the sense of doubting someone - we use this term because in Indian languages (such as Tamil), the word for a "doubt" and a "question" is the same.
The correct usage (for clients) is:
I have a few questions on this issue
3. The term "regard" is not used much in American English. They usually do not say "regarding this issue" or "with regard to this".
Simply use, "about this issue".
4. Do not say "Pardon" when you want someone to repeat what they said. The word "Pardon" is unusual for them and is somewhat formal.
5. Americans do not understand most of the Indian accent immediately - They only understand 75% of what we speak and then interpret the rest. Therefore try not to use shortcut terms such as "Can't" or "Don't". Use the expanded "Cannot" or "Do not".
6. Do not use the term "screwed up" liberally. If a situation is not good, it is better to say, "The situation is messed up". Do not use words such as "shucks", or "pissed off".
7. As a general matter of form, Indians interrupt each other constantly in meetings - DO NOT interrupt a client when they are speaking. Over the phone, there could be delays - but wait for a short time before responding.
8. When explaining some complex issue, stop occasionally and ask "Does that make sense?". This is preferable than "Do you understand me?"
9. In email communications, use proper punctuation. To explain something, without breaking your flow, use semicolons, hyphens or parenthesis.
As an example:
You have entered a new bug (the popup not showing up) in the defect tracking system; we could not reproduce it - although,
a screenshot would help.
Notice that a reference to the actual bug is added in parenthesis so that the sentence flow is not broken. Break a long sentence
using such punctuation.
10. In American English, a mail is a posted letter. An email is electronic mail. When you say
"I mailed the information to you"
, it means you sent an actual letter or package through the postal system.
The correct usage is:
"I emailed the information to you"
11. To "prepone" an appointment is an Indian usage. There is no actual word called prepone. You can "advance" an appointment.
12. In the term "N-tier Architecture" or "3-tier Architecture", the word "tier" is NOT pronounced as "Tire". I have seen many people pronounce it this way. The correct pronunciation is "tea-yar". The "ti" is pronounced as "tea".
13. The usages "September End", "Month End", "Day End" are not understood well by Americans. They use these as "End of September", "End of Month" or "End of Day".
14. Americans have weird conventions for time - when they say the time is "Quarter Of One", they mean the time is 1:15. Better to ask them the exact time.
15. Indians commonly use the terms "Today Evening", "Today Night". These are not correct; "Today" means "This Day" where the Day stands for Daytime. Therefore "Today Night" is confusing. The correct usages are: "This Evening", "Tonight".
That applies for "Yesterday Night" and "Yesterday Evening". The correct usages are: "Last Night" and "Last Evening".
16. When Americans want to know the time, it is usual for them to say, "Do you have the time?". Which makes no sense to an Indian.
17. There is no word called "Updation". You update somebody. You wait for updates to happen to the database. Avoid saying "Updation".
18. When you talk with someone for the first time, refer to them as they refer to you - in America, the first conversation usually starts by using the first name. Therefore you can use the first name of a client. Do not say "Sir". Do not call women "Madam".
19. It is usual convention in initial emails (particularly technical) to expand abbreviations, this way:
We are planning to use the Java API For Registry (JAXR).
After mentioning the expanded form once, subsequently you can use the abbreviation.
20. Make sure you always have a subject in your emails and that the subject is relevant . Do not use a subject line such as HI .
21.Avoid using "Back" instead of "Back" Use "ago".Back is the worst word for American. (for Days use "Ago",For hours use "before")
22.Avoid using "but" instead of "But" Use "However" .
23.Avoid using "Yesterday" hereafter use "Last day".
24.Avoid using "Tomorrow" hereafter use "Next day".
Rgds,
John N
From India, Madras
that was reall informative. I am sure you will continue posting these types :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D Jyotsna
From India, Delhi
From India, Delhi
8) Hi John Thanx for sharing such an information Really informative and helpful Ronnie 8) 8)
From India, Bangalore
From India, Bangalore
Thanks for the information, it was quite useful. We should also be aware of one fact which we normaly don't even realize.
The alphabet "Z" is pronounced in wrong way my most of us. We usualy say A to Z ("Z" sound like eeedd) its actualy "ZEE". The alphabet "Z" is pronounced as "ZEE".
From India
The alphabet "Z" is pronounced in wrong way my most of us. We usualy say A to Z ("Z" sound like eeedd) its actualy "ZEE". The alphabet "Z" is pronounced as "ZEE".
From India
Hey John,
Ur tips on how to interact with American clients is very very informative. I am an Hr myself in an US based RPO. The tips would definetly make a difference in the way i will handle clients in the days to cum.
If u got any more tips or best practices in RPO industry pls mail me on
Thanks,
Vikram
From India, Hyderabad
Ur tips on how to interact with American clients is very very informative. I am an Hr myself in an US based RPO. The tips would definetly make a difference in the way i will handle clients in the days to cum.
If u got any more tips or best practices in RPO industry pls mail me on
Thanks,
Vikram
From India, Hyderabad
Hello Vikram and Experts
i work as a US Recruiters and has to deal only with US Citizen. i often afraid to speak with them. kindly provide me with good tips so that i can improve on this.
thanks & Regards
kunal
From India, Hyderabad
i work as a US Recruiters and has to deal only with US Citizen. i often afraid to speak with them. kindly provide me with good tips so that i can improve on this.
thanks & Regards
kunal
From India, Hyderabad
Dear Kunal,
Please see if this is of any help to you. Post your feedback.
TELEPHONE ETIQUETTES
Opening the calling
„« Eliminate any disturbing background noise if possible.
„« Open the call with a standard professional greeting depending on the time of the day. Mention your first name, organization and purpose of the call clearly.
„« It’s a good idea to rehearse saying the person’s name several times before the phone call (especially if it is a difficult name). This will help with any pronunciation problems and also personalize the call.
„« Ask if it is good time for you to be calling when you reach someone. If not ask when can you reach them again.
Doing the calling
„« Do not keep repeating the candidate’s name during the conversation but stick to the rule of saying the listener’s name three times during an 8 to 10 minutes conversation.
„« Leave brief, clear messages on answering systems, giving your name, reason for the call and contact information. If you want to make that person call you back than make the message you leave a bit interesting.
„« Allow the other party plenty of time to speak and use prompt words such as ¡§I See¡¨ and ¡§Really¡¨ (in a sincere tone, of course). This shows them that you are truly interested in what they have to say. And let’s face it, who wouldn’t rather speak about themselves than listen to another person?
Concluding the calling
„« Conclude the interview with a positive note even if the interviewer is not interested in what you are saying (hard luck for this time sir, I will get back to you when I find something suitable for you).
„« If the people you have called needs to get back to you with information give him/her a variety of options-e-mail, fax, voicemail etc. the objective is to make it easy for them to get back to you.
Follow up
„« Make sure you call back whenever you promised you would. But don¡¦t be persistent to the point of being desperate.
„« Timely follow ups will show that you are sincere and committed to the task.
Receiving a calling
„« Pick up the phone before the third ring.
„« Avoid making the candidate wait still you are figuring out who is has given a call to him. Instead tell him very politely your name and the name of the organization and that you will call him back after you have figured out who has called him and for what purpose.
Please note that.
„« Remember that you may be the first and only contact a person may have with your organization, and that first impression will stay with the caller long after the call is completed.
„« Keep a paper and pen handy to take down notes. You can even keep a glass of water by the phone.
„« Smile when you talk to people on the phone-it will show up in your voice. Remember: enthusiasm is infectious. Think you are calling a friend. Let your voice be natural, calm, relaxed and easy-going.
„« Greet appropriately-Do not say ¡§Good Morning¡¨ in the afternoon.
„« Remember it is the caller who will end the conversation.
„« Put off making business calls when you’re too distracted or tired to give it your all. If you think you are tired then relax for 5 minutes, take a walk, drink water, breath deep for some time. You have exactly one opportunity to make a great first impression and you will not make it if you are not prepared.
„« You need to be full of positive energy about what you are doing/asking otherwise your voice will sound dull with no power to persuade or move the listener into action.
The telephone is part of customer service. It is the avenue through which many of our customers get their first impressions of our business. Telephone etiquette is so critical because satisfying customers over the phone is often more challenging than serving face to face.
Every customer calling your organization should receive a positive and seamless service that is professional, efficient and responsive. Customers who are handled well will notice the good service, bring more business and hopefully build a long term relationship with you. Customers who are not handled well damage your reputation and take their business to the competition.
Basic needs of the customer on the phone
•To be recognized and remembered
•To feel valued
•To feel appreciated
•To feel respected
•To feel understood
•To feel comfortable about a want or need
Opening of the call
•Pick up the call in not more than two rings
•Greet
•Self Introduction
•Offer assistance
•Listen carefully
•Use caller’s name
“Good Morning, This is Lisa on the line, How may I assist you today?”
Putting customer on hold
•Seek Permission
•Give Reason
•Get the customer’s response
•Revert In time
•Thank & Conclude
“Mr. Mehta, may I put on hold as I need to check the status with our repair division?”
“Thank you for staying on line, I would require few more minutes to get you the information. So, would you prefer to stay on hold or a callback from our side?”
“Thank you for staying on line, I appreciate your patience”
Transferring the call
3 W’s
Why? Where? Whom?
•Seek Permission
•Give Reason
•Give the details of the customer to whom line is being transferred
•Inform the customer about the person to whom line is being transferred
“May I put on hold while I transfer your call to our manager?”
“I’m transferring your call to our manager, Miss Seema Sehgal”
“Seema, I have Mr. Mehta on line who has following complaint”
If the caller does not wish to be transferred, offer to take a message and assure the caller/customer that you will personally see that the right person gets the message. After you hang up, MAKE SURE THAT YOU DELIVER THE MESSAGE to the proper person.
Call Closure
•Summarize
•Information to be given
•Further assistance
•Closing Script
“Summary…… Is there anything else I can help you with? This was Lisa on the line and thank you for calling Bright point! Have a pleasant day.”
Most Frequent Caller Complaints
Remember that presentation is everything. Treat callers as you would hope they would treat you. The way you present yourself on the phone can leave lasting impressions of you and your department.
•The telephone rings for a long time before it is answered
•They place me on hold for sometimes, it seems, hours
•The line is busy for hours it seems
•They are very rude and get offensive when asked their full name or sometimes just won't give it
•They let me talk on and on only to realize that they're not the person I should be talking to
•If I call the wrong department for help, they don't give me suggestions to where I should be calling, they just say, 'I don't know, not our department”
•They don't clearly listen to my needs before they transfer me to the wrong person
•Sometimes they disconnect me while transferring my call
•They told me to call back, but never gave me a name or number or division to ask for
•The person says, 'Wait', and then talks to other co-workers without putting me on hold so that I can't hear their small talk
•They answer with an aggravated voice, as if I disturbed them by calling
How to Handle the Complaint Call
When you receive a complaint call, remember to lend an EAR --
•Empathize with the caller
•Apologize and acknowledge the problem
•Accept Responsibility
And in your responses, avoid these forbidden phrases:
•"I don't know." It sounds as if you're closing the door on the caller or that you're not sure what's going on in your own office. Better to say: "That's a good question. Let me check and find out."
•"We can't do that." This sentence is extremely negative. Be positive. Try this: "That's a tough one. Let's see what we can do."
•“You’ll have to..." sounds accusatory. Try instead: "Here's how we can help you."
•"No," when it begins any sentence. It sounds as though you're not willing to help. You may not be able to do one thing, but you can do something. "We aren't able to do that, but we can...."(Because there's always something you can do.)
Guidelines for Handling Complaints
•Don’t take it personally: To the maximum extent possible, do not take problems and complaints personally
•Never Act on a Complaint Without Hearing (At Least) Two Sides to the Story:
Most complaints and problems stem from different perceptions of subsets of the same facts. Arm yourself with as complete a sense of the situation as you can get before you commit to a course of action
•What “Everybody Knows, Nobody Knows.”
This is a corollary to the preceding precept. If someone tells you about a problem and
asserts that “everybody knows” that it is happening, this is a good time to start asking
how the person reporting it comes to know about it, and also for dates, times, places and the names of other people who have relevant information. It is remarkable how many widely known “truths” have no factual basis
•When in Doubt, Leave it Out If the sentence about to come out of your mouth begins “I know you won’t like hearing this, but...” or if your better judgment is telling you not to say something, don’t say it. Emphasize facts and decisions, ask quiet questions, and avoid explanations of motives
•Never Attribute to Malice that Which Incompetence Will Explain
We are far too fast to attribute bad motives to others when, most of the time, bad things happen through inattention, inaction, or
miscommunication
•Say What You’ll Do and Do What You Say; Set the Time Frame
Once you’ve decided upon a course of action, even if it’s just to talk to various people to gather information, follow through on it
•In the Absence of Facts, People Make Them Up What they imagine is usually worse than the reality. Don’t leave people who are distraught
or worried hanging for long periods of time. (The definition of a “long” period of time will vary proportionately with how upset the person is.)
•Keep Notes
You do not have to transcribe meetings word-by-word, but have some reasonably orderly system for noting the date, who was present and the gist of meetings that involve complaints.
•Trust Your Instincts
If you feel anxious or fearful when dealing with a situation, trust your instincts and call upon someone else for help.
How to be effective on the phone
Remembering these points will help you to be sharp and professional in the way that you talk over the phone.
•Have an Aim
When making an outgoing call. Always know what you want to discuss.
•Tailor your style to that of the person you are talking to
Busy people often prefer a clean cut, direct approach with a bare minimum of social chat. Others may prefer a more sociable approach. Tailor your approach to their style (unless they are miserable or rude!)
•Give concise answers to questions
Long rambling answers are unprofessional, dull and confusing.
•If you don’t know an answer, say so
If someone relies on you when you are guessing, and your guess is wrong, then they will never trust you again. If you do not know something, say you will get back to them with a firm answer.
•Summarize
At the end of the call, summarize the points made. This ensures that both people and you agree on what has been said, and know what actions will be taken.
•Don’t talk to anyone else when on the phone
This makes you organization look small. Put the other person on hold, then talk.
Remember
•Telephone techniques
Answer promptly
Identify yourself
Identify the caller
•Never, Never
“What’s your name?”
“From where?”
“What do you want?”
•Instead
“May I ask who’s calling”
“May I have your name please?”
•Listen Attentively
“Could you spell your name please?” or “I didn’t catch your last point – would you mind repeating it. It sounds important.”
•Be Courteous
Don’t keep the caller waiting. Try to keep any evidence of hurry, worry, boredom, or annoyance out of your voice.
•Mind your Language
Remember to use those magic words – “Please, May I and Thank You”
Avoid the use of slang or of expressions that may be seen as over familiar. For example” Yeah, Ok, Don’t be funny, Right”
•Making Notes
Ensure that you have a telephone pad handy; in fact make it an unbroken rule to use it consistently.
•Don’t Say
“Not on her seat”; “Don’t know where she is”; don’t know when he’ll come back”; “Not come in yet”
Regards,
Vikram
From India, Hyderabad
Please see if this is of any help to you. Post your feedback.
TELEPHONE ETIQUETTES
Opening the calling
„« Eliminate any disturbing background noise if possible.
„« Open the call with a standard professional greeting depending on the time of the day. Mention your first name, organization and purpose of the call clearly.
„« It’s a good idea to rehearse saying the person’s name several times before the phone call (especially if it is a difficult name). This will help with any pronunciation problems and also personalize the call.
„« Ask if it is good time for you to be calling when you reach someone. If not ask when can you reach them again.
Doing the calling
„« Do not keep repeating the candidate’s name during the conversation but stick to the rule of saying the listener’s name three times during an 8 to 10 minutes conversation.
„« Leave brief, clear messages on answering systems, giving your name, reason for the call and contact information. If you want to make that person call you back than make the message you leave a bit interesting.
„« Allow the other party plenty of time to speak and use prompt words such as ¡§I See¡¨ and ¡§Really¡¨ (in a sincere tone, of course). This shows them that you are truly interested in what they have to say. And let’s face it, who wouldn’t rather speak about themselves than listen to another person?
Concluding the calling
„« Conclude the interview with a positive note even if the interviewer is not interested in what you are saying (hard luck for this time sir, I will get back to you when I find something suitable for you).
„« If the people you have called needs to get back to you with information give him/her a variety of options-e-mail, fax, voicemail etc. the objective is to make it easy for them to get back to you.
Follow up
„« Make sure you call back whenever you promised you would. But don¡¦t be persistent to the point of being desperate.
„« Timely follow ups will show that you are sincere and committed to the task.
Receiving a calling
„« Pick up the phone before the third ring.
„« Avoid making the candidate wait still you are figuring out who is has given a call to him. Instead tell him very politely your name and the name of the organization and that you will call him back after you have figured out who has called him and for what purpose.
Please note that.
„« Remember that you may be the first and only contact a person may have with your organization, and that first impression will stay with the caller long after the call is completed.
„« Keep a paper and pen handy to take down notes. You can even keep a glass of water by the phone.
„« Smile when you talk to people on the phone-it will show up in your voice. Remember: enthusiasm is infectious. Think you are calling a friend. Let your voice be natural, calm, relaxed and easy-going.
„« Greet appropriately-Do not say ¡§Good Morning¡¨ in the afternoon.
„« Remember it is the caller who will end the conversation.
„« Put off making business calls when you’re too distracted or tired to give it your all. If you think you are tired then relax for 5 minutes, take a walk, drink water, breath deep for some time. You have exactly one opportunity to make a great first impression and you will not make it if you are not prepared.
„« You need to be full of positive energy about what you are doing/asking otherwise your voice will sound dull with no power to persuade or move the listener into action.
The telephone is part of customer service. It is the avenue through which many of our customers get their first impressions of our business. Telephone etiquette is so critical because satisfying customers over the phone is often more challenging than serving face to face.
Every customer calling your organization should receive a positive and seamless service that is professional, efficient and responsive. Customers who are handled well will notice the good service, bring more business and hopefully build a long term relationship with you. Customers who are not handled well damage your reputation and take their business to the competition.
Basic needs of the customer on the phone
•To be recognized and remembered
•To feel valued
•To feel appreciated
•To feel respected
•To feel understood
•To feel comfortable about a want or need
Opening of the call
•Pick up the call in not more than two rings
•Greet
•Self Introduction
•Offer assistance
•Listen carefully
•Use caller’s name
“Good Morning, This is Lisa on the line, How may I assist you today?”
Putting customer on hold
•Seek Permission
•Give Reason
•Get the customer’s response
•Revert In time
•Thank & Conclude
“Mr. Mehta, may I put on hold as I need to check the status with our repair division?”
“Thank you for staying on line, I would require few more minutes to get you the information. So, would you prefer to stay on hold or a callback from our side?”
“Thank you for staying on line, I appreciate your patience”
Transferring the call
3 W’s
Why? Where? Whom?
•Seek Permission
•Give Reason
•Give the details of the customer to whom line is being transferred
•Inform the customer about the person to whom line is being transferred
“May I put on hold while I transfer your call to our manager?”
“I’m transferring your call to our manager, Miss Seema Sehgal”
“Seema, I have Mr. Mehta on line who has following complaint”
If the caller does not wish to be transferred, offer to take a message and assure the caller/customer that you will personally see that the right person gets the message. After you hang up, MAKE SURE THAT YOU DELIVER THE MESSAGE to the proper person.
Call Closure
•Summarize
•Information to be given
•Further assistance
•Closing Script
“Summary…… Is there anything else I can help you with? This was Lisa on the line and thank you for calling Bright point! Have a pleasant day.”
Most Frequent Caller Complaints
Remember that presentation is everything. Treat callers as you would hope they would treat you. The way you present yourself on the phone can leave lasting impressions of you and your department.
•The telephone rings for a long time before it is answered
•They place me on hold for sometimes, it seems, hours
•The line is busy for hours it seems
•They are very rude and get offensive when asked their full name or sometimes just won't give it
•They let me talk on and on only to realize that they're not the person I should be talking to
•If I call the wrong department for help, they don't give me suggestions to where I should be calling, they just say, 'I don't know, not our department”
•They don't clearly listen to my needs before they transfer me to the wrong person
•Sometimes they disconnect me while transferring my call
•They told me to call back, but never gave me a name or number or division to ask for
•The person says, 'Wait', and then talks to other co-workers without putting me on hold so that I can't hear their small talk
•They answer with an aggravated voice, as if I disturbed them by calling
How to Handle the Complaint Call
When you receive a complaint call, remember to lend an EAR --
•Empathize with the caller
•Apologize and acknowledge the problem
•Accept Responsibility
And in your responses, avoid these forbidden phrases:
•"I don't know." It sounds as if you're closing the door on the caller or that you're not sure what's going on in your own office. Better to say: "That's a good question. Let me check and find out."
•"We can't do that." This sentence is extremely negative. Be positive. Try this: "That's a tough one. Let's see what we can do."
•“You’ll have to..." sounds accusatory. Try instead: "Here's how we can help you."
•"No," when it begins any sentence. It sounds as though you're not willing to help. You may not be able to do one thing, but you can do something. "We aren't able to do that, but we can...."(Because there's always something you can do.)
Guidelines for Handling Complaints
•Don’t take it personally: To the maximum extent possible, do not take problems and complaints personally
•Never Act on a Complaint Without Hearing (At Least) Two Sides to the Story:
Most complaints and problems stem from different perceptions of subsets of the same facts. Arm yourself with as complete a sense of the situation as you can get before you commit to a course of action
•What “Everybody Knows, Nobody Knows.”
This is a corollary to the preceding precept. If someone tells you about a problem and
asserts that “everybody knows” that it is happening, this is a good time to start asking
how the person reporting it comes to know about it, and also for dates, times, places and the names of other people who have relevant information. It is remarkable how many widely known “truths” have no factual basis
•When in Doubt, Leave it Out If the sentence about to come out of your mouth begins “I know you won’t like hearing this, but...” or if your better judgment is telling you not to say something, don’t say it. Emphasize facts and decisions, ask quiet questions, and avoid explanations of motives
•Never Attribute to Malice that Which Incompetence Will Explain
We are far too fast to attribute bad motives to others when, most of the time, bad things happen through inattention, inaction, or
miscommunication
•Say What You’ll Do and Do What You Say; Set the Time Frame
Once you’ve decided upon a course of action, even if it’s just to talk to various people to gather information, follow through on it
•In the Absence of Facts, People Make Them Up What they imagine is usually worse than the reality. Don’t leave people who are distraught
or worried hanging for long periods of time. (The definition of a “long” period of time will vary proportionately with how upset the person is.)
•Keep Notes
You do not have to transcribe meetings word-by-word, but have some reasonably orderly system for noting the date, who was present and the gist of meetings that involve complaints.
•Trust Your Instincts
If you feel anxious or fearful when dealing with a situation, trust your instincts and call upon someone else for help.
How to be effective on the phone
Remembering these points will help you to be sharp and professional in the way that you talk over the phone.
•Have an Aim
When making an outgoing call. Always know what you want to discuss.
•Tailor your style to that of the person you are talking to
Busy people often prefer a clean cut, direct approach with a bare minimum of social chat. Others may prefer a more sociable approach. Tailor your approach to their style (unless they are miserable or rude!)
•Give concise answers to questions
Long rambling answers are unprofessional, dull and confusing.
•If you don’t know an answer, say so
If someone relies on you when you are guessing, and your guess is wrong, then they will never trust you again. If you do not know something, say you will get back to them with a firm answer.
•Summarize
At the end of the call, summarize the points made. This ensures that both people and you agree on what has been said, and know what actions will be taken.
•Don’t talk to anyone else when on the phone
This makes you organization look small. Put the other person on hold, then talk.
Remember
•Telephone techniques
Answer promptly
Identify yourself
Identify the caller
•Never, Never
“What’s your name?”
“From where?”
“What do you want?”
•Instead
“May I ask who’s calling”
“May I have your name please?”
•Listen Attentively
“Could you spell your name please?” or “I didn’t catch your last point – would you mind repeating it. It sounds important.”
•Be Courteous
Don’t keep the caller waiting. Try to keep any evidence of hurry, worry, boredom, or annoyance out of your voice.
•Mind your Language
Remember to use those magic words – “Please, May I and Thank You”
Avoid the use of slang or of expressions that may be seen as over familiar. For example” Yeah, Ok, Don’t be funny, Right”
•Making Notes
Ensure that you have a telephone pad handy; in fact make it an unbroken rule to use it consistently.
•Don’t Say
“Not on her seat”; “Don’t know where she is”; don’t know when he’ll come back”; “Not come in yet”
Regards,
Vikram
From India, Hyderabad
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