Ninety per cent of the first point of contact with a business is via the telephone, yet most individuals have never had any formal training in how to handle callers. First impressions are lasting impressions. Annette Taylor of Telephone Techniques Training writes that good telephone skills are essential for good customer service.
You never get a second chance at creating a first impression. When dealing with business via the telephone, a high percentage of customers are left discontented. The telephone call is the most common entrance point to a business and yet many times when we have a need to contact a business, we are appalled at the way our telephone call is handled.
We've all experienced poor telephone call handling. The most annoying is the interactive voice responses where we are asked a series of questions by an automated robot. How do we know which box we fit into? Then when we are finally though to a human being, they really do not convey any interest in our enquiry or problem. We are left feeling frustrated and annoyed.
Being attuned to the need for good business practices and having the opportunity to deal with course participants from all business types in both the private and public sectors, it has become evident to me that the concept of 'going the extra mile' for the customer is not understood. Perhaps it's a sad indictment on the state of national commerce, but somewhere along the line we forgot the customer--the reason for our being.
It is well known that word-of-mouth advertising is your most cost-effective way of advertising your business. On the telephone, you only have the words you use and your tone of voice to convey a willingness to resolve an issue or enquiry that your customer may have. When a call is answered, what is conveyed? Do we get the bland voice tone or someone that sings to us when they answer the call? There are so many voice tones: tired, can't be bothered, over the top or even condescending, just to name a few. It's not what we say, but how we say it that counts.
How many times have you been placed on hold? Sometimes it feels for an eternity, and when you are taken off hold the first words said are, 'Are you there?' Where else do they think you would be? Colloquialisms rife in Australia such as, 'yep', 'yeah'. 'nup', 'no worries', 'no problems', the list could go on and on. Then there are, 'What was your name?' or 'Can I grab your number?'
But what is probably the biggest annoyance is the non-returned telephone call. Most customers want what they want when they want it, not when the business is prepared to deliver. Not every telephone caller is the same. They are not all pleasant and sometimes we can experience the angry caller. It is how you handle this caller type that makes the difference in retaining their business or losing it to a competitor.
It is expected by customers these days that their telephone calls are answered by an employee that conveys a willingness to assist and who will take ownership of their problem. No one in the business world can be complacent that they have captured their market. Good telephone skills are an essential component in the delivery of exceptional customer service.
Telephone Techniques Training was established by Annette Taylor in 1992, with the aim to educate businesses to interact professionally with their respective customers, offering customer service and utilising the telephone as a window of opportunity. Visit www.teltechtrain.com.au or phone 089523 0655 or email: annette@teltechtrain.com.au
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