Common Courtesy Isn’t So Common – 10 Telephone Blunders in Everyday Business
By Joy Fisher-Sykes As
youngsters, many of us were taught basic telephone etiquette.
These lessons taught us the basic components of conducting a phone
conversation - politeness, attentiveness, respect, and common
courtesy. Unfortunately, it seems these lessons have been
forgotten by many of today’s companies. For many, the philosophy
seems to say that it’s easier to forgo these practices and, instead,
choose to deal with the customer service consequences later. It
seems the true cost to the bottom line is of not of any
consequence. Why in a time of ever increasing competition locally
and abroad, along with the knowledge of customers’ high expectations,
would anyone be willing to overlook and undervalue this most basic
customer service skill? Common Sense
Common
sense and logic aren’t so common. Common sense says solid
telephone skills cannot be taken for granted and shows our customers we
value them and their business. Here are some common telephone
blunders and common sense solutions to keep your company on
track. Even if you have been guilty of practicing some or all of
these blunders, take charge now and reshape your focus to create a
customer-focused organization.
- No Call Back
I am referring
to calls from a co-worker, business associate, vendor, or someone with
which you have a standing business relationship. The reasons people
choose not to return a call may include the following: “I don’t have any new information to share."
“I’m waiting for so-and-so to return my call or answer my e-mail."
“I don’t have a need for this service right now." (Though I may in the future).
“I’m not the person with whom they need to speak."
“I haven’t made a decision yet."
Unfortunately, when you realize you were negligent and overdue
for a call back, panic and embarrassment set in and you feel it’s
easier to duck, dodge, and dance around rather than make the
call. This only compounds the problem and doesn’t alleviate your
uneasiness.
The solution is to pick up the phone. Begin by
apologizing for not calling back. Do not make excuses such as, “I
was busy." Instead, be honest and forthright, which goes a long
way to building and maintaining solid business relationships and your
reputation. Next, proceed to resolve the business at
hand. In the future, begin with the positive intention of
answering calls in a timely fashion. If you don’t have any
news or there is no change in circumstances, let the caller know.
Inform him or her when you plan to call back, or provide a future date
when the caller can contact you – and be sure to pick up the
phone.
- Untimely Voice Mail
Imagine you call a business the day after Labor Day and hear the
following message, “Thank you for calling ABC Company. You have
reached the desk of Jane Doe. I’ll be out of the office on
business from July 3 through July 15th. Please leave a
message." What does this outdated message really say about you to
your customers? For one, it says I’m too busy to change a voice
message, so, perhaps, I’m too busy to meet and service your business
needs. Remember, your message represents you in your
absence. Be sure all messages are timely and reflect a
professional image. If the customer needs immediate assistance,
be sure to state whom they can contact, along with a phone number.
Another
voicemail blunder is allowing a mailbox to fill to capacity so the box
won’t accept any more messages. I know people who purposefully do
this just so they won’t receive any more calls, which translates in
their mind to not having more work. This is a very unprofessional
and unacceptable practice. Check your voice mail periodically
throughout the business day. Save messages when necessary.
If you expect you will not be available for an extended period of time,
state when you expect to check messages and return calls. If you
find your mailbox often fills up faster than you can keep up, consider
having a live operator accept your calls.
- Unpreparedness
Have you
ever had a caller phone and say, “I need so-and-so’s number." You
offer the information off the top of your head only to have the caller
interrupt you and say, “Hold on a minute. Let me get a something
to write with." Why do people call for specific information and
yet are unprepared to take the information down? The caller has
now wasted his/her time and yours. Every telephone needs always
to have three items beside it: a pen, paper, and a mirror. (See
the next item as to why you need the mirror.)
- No Mirror
What you see
is what the customer gets. Keeping a mirror next to your phone
lets you see what your customers hear. A warm smile can be heard
over the phone. If a call has come at a bad moment, better to
allow the caller to leave a message than risk taking out your
frustrations on the caller.
- Hanging Up Before The Customer
When you hang up the phone before the customer does, you risk the
client hearing comments that aren’t meant for his/her ears.
“That Jim is such an idiot. How dare he try to haggle over price
after three months of negotiations! Oh, hi, Jim. I didn’t
realize you were still on the line." Oops, how
embarrassing! I have personally heard some very interesting and
embarrassing conversations begun before I hung up, and I can assure you
I took my business elsewhere because of it.
- The Noisy Hang Up
You’ve heard the crackle before –a page is sent over the public address
system and at the end of the message you hear what sounds like a shot
put thrown at the Olympic games. When the phone is disconnected,
it sounds as if the handset was thrown halfway across the
room. A better and quieter solution is to click the release
or switch hook button first and then put the handset down into
place.
- Phone Tag
A great game of phone tag
not only wastes time, it can be downright frustrating. Cut down
on the number of “tags" and leave a message that tells callers
specifically when you can be reached or when you’ll be out of the
office (so they don’t call then). Believe it or not, some people
call on purpose when you’re out – now why would they ever want to do
that?
- Fast Talking
I’m a
former New Yorker and I usually have no problem understanding the
swiftest speaker. However, I’ve had people I have never met leave
me a message with a phone number that is spoken as fast as an
auctioneer. Slow down! Leave a message assuming the other
person doesn’t know how to spell your name or already know your
number. A proper message includes your name and number stated
twice – once in the beginning of the message and again at the very
end. This way if I can’t understand or want to confirm the
information, I can do so without replaying the message over and over
again. Be sure to speak slowly and clearly. Don’t be shy
about spelling any piece of information for clarity.
- Choosing Not to Invest in a Headset
Juggling a pen, paper, and handset, while typing on a keyboard with the
phone cradled in the crook of your stiff shoulder and aching neck, just
isn’t productive. Ease your pain and invest in a quality headset
and make life easier. You’ll find you can locate information,
write, or simply listen with ease. While you’re at it, pick up an
extra one for your cell phone, too.
- Misusing the Speakerphone
The use of a speakerphone is useful when dialing, waiting on hold, and
conference calls. There are times, however, when it is misused
and abused. Examples of this are when private information is
shouted into the speaker box so loudly that everyone in a one-mile
radius can hear or having a speakerphone conversation without informing
the caller that others are in the room. Don’t ever assume the
caller doesn’t mind being on the speaker. Ask for permission
first. Also, always inform callers before they utter a word that
someone (if appropriate, who) is present in the room with you to give
fair warning.
Telephone blunders are overlooked and all too
common. Starting today get back to basics. Identify and correct
telephone blunders and you’ll shine as a world-class customer service
provider. Joy Fisher-Sykes is a professional speaker, author,
andsuccess coach in the areas of leadership, motivation,
stressmanagement, customer service, and team building. You
cane-mail her at mailto:jfsykes@thesykesgrp.com, or call her at(757) 427-7032. Go to her web site,http://www.thesykesgrp.com,
and signup for hernewsletter, OnPoint, and signup for the newsletter,
OnPoint,and receive the free ebook, "Empowerment and StressSecrets for
the Busy Professional."
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