When it comes to business, telephone calls still take priority as the communication method of choice. Although web enquiries, emails, social media and live web chats all have their place in the modern world of communication, the majority of today’s customers still prefer to speak to a member of staff over the telephone in order to resolve any queries, questions or complaints that they may have. With this in mind, we have put together a list of tips for answering telephone calls professionally. Read on to find out more.
Answer Quickly
Whilst this one may seem obvious, answering the telephone as quickly as possible is of utmost importance as nobody likes to be kept waiting whilst the telephone rings. If a customer has chosen your business to call from all the others that they could have chosen, keeping them holding a ringing line will only render an unprofessional impression.
Be Friendly
Although you are not face to face with the customer when speaking on the telephone, it’s still absolutely essential that you speak to the customer in the same way that you would if you were looking at them. It may seem cheesy to answer the phone with a smile, but it’s a strategy for good customer service that works and should always be implemented. Remember that warm, friendly and enthusiastic is what customers are looking for when calling a business for advice.
Confirm the Call
When answering a call, it is important that you confirm to the caller where they have called in order to eliminate any confusion down the line. For example if you are answering the telephone at a healthcare call center run by Ameridial, you should always give the name of the company that you work for and your name when answering the telephone to a caller.
Speak Clearly and Politely
When speaking on the phone to a customer you should always keep a professional tone of voice as well as enunciating every word. Avoid using ‘cheers’, ‘mate’, ‘uh’, or ‘yeah’ – etc., as this could come over as unprofessional. Keep it friendly and warm, but remember to be polite, well-spoken and professional as well. You may also find it useful to learn the phonetic alphabet in order to better confirm any spellings that you may need to take down.
Remain Positive and Professional
Even if the customer asks you a question that you’re unsure of the answer to, you should always remain positive and professional and endeavor to find out what it is that the customer is asking of you. A simple ‘Let me just find that out for you’ rather than ‘I don’t know’ sounds a lot more professional, and will give the customer the impression that the business is committed to helping them meet their needs.
Do you work answering telephones professionally? Do you have any tips or advice that you’d like to share with us and our other readers? We’d love to hear about what you can add to this list in the comments.
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