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20 Telephone Etiquette Tips
Today's technology has many advantages and a great many
disadvantages.
I often wonder how our society survived without a mobile
telephone.
Now I wonder how I survived without the Internet. I was
connected when Prodigy
was first introduced on the scene.
The pharmaceutical company for which I worked provided a laptop
to help me
manage my territory or I may have not been so well
connected.
One disadvantage of a mobile telephone is the lack of telephone
etiquette. People
seem to have no manners when talking on their phones.
Personally, I do not care to hear another person's conversation.
If I'm having dinneralone in a restaurant, I believe I am having
more fun than a family whose parent
(usually the Father) is interrupted by a call and does not tell
the caller about the
personal family time he's having but continues to talk on the
phone.
Of course, it's not my business. I have no idea the
understanding that exists
between those family members. I do know the call is about
business because
people tend to talk extremely loud when talking on their mobile
phones. That
really annoys me.
I have addressed my leisure time away from the workplace where I
have observed
others and their inconsideration to the general public. At the
workplace,
impoliteness and rudeness to others when on the phone or not, is
totally
unacceptable from employees.
Since I am a trainer and consultant, I find it extremely
difficult minding my own
business when I hear conversations employees have with
customers, clients or
patients.
I think of the many opportunities I have to offer assistance to
the companies who
have not made the connection between untrained employees in the
area of proper
telephone etiquette (or any area if the employee is untrained)
and lower profits.
Every connection an employee has with a customer, patient,
client (or potential
one) is vital to the profits of any company. I therefore offer
to you, 20 Telephone
Etiquette for Businesses Tips.
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I'm aware many of these tips are common sense yet I'm also aware
common sense
is not very common, oftentimes. This list was initially written
for dental and
medical healthcare professionals but is applicable to any
business.
20 Telephone Etiquette Tips for Customer Service
1. Make sure you speak clearly and are smiling as you answer the
phone; also
identify yourself.
2. Before placing a caller on hold, ask their permission first
and thank them.
3. 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.
4. Do not forget to return the call as you promised.
5. Do not permit the phone to ring into the office more than
three times.
6. Always use a pleasant, congenial and friendly tone.
7. Never interrupt the person while he/she is talking to
you.
8. Never engage in an argument with a caller.
9. Do not handle an unhappy caller's concern openly at the
checkin/checkout desk.
10. Do not make it a habit of receiving personal calls at
work.
11. Do not answer the phone if you are eating or chewing
gum.
12. 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.
13. Learn how to handle several callers simultaneously with ease
and grace.
14. Return calls promptly that have been left on voice mail and
ansafones.
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15. 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.
16. Do not ever leave a message with someone else or on an
ansafone or voice mail
regarding details of a delinquent account. Instead, leave a
message asking the
person to call the "Accounting Department."
17. Always make collection calls in private and away from the
patient flow or
public areas.
18. If possible, provide a telephone for
patients/customers/clients to use. An areaproviding privacy is
preferred.
19. Do not call a patient, customer or client's home before
8:00AM or after
9:00PM, unless they've given you permission to do so.
20. 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.
I recommend a remote, handless headset for the business staff.
They are wonderful.
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.)
Contact me if you'd like to know the make and model of the
remote, handless
headset recommended. I am not asserting this list answers (no
pun intended) all of
the issues surrounding excellent telephone skills but it's a
very good start.
If a tip does not apply to you or your business, I commend you.
If even one does, I
encourage you to begin immediately to eliminate it.
