Hello? Hello?

THE NOT-SO-LOST ART OF PHONE ETIQUETTE

Chris Allinotte, WRLA

In our increasingly online world, more and more business is done directly on our websites, or over text and email—and why not? It’s quick, convenient, and most times, it makes no difference what time of day it is, you can get things done.

However—and this is important—as long as your business has a phone number and a physical location, you and your employees are going to have to know how to connect with customers in person. This is especially true in the Lumber and Building Materials Industry. So much relies on personal connection and forming lasting relationships with both customers and suppliers alike. So how much harder is it to form these connections if our first impressions are awful? That’s when having a policy in place for customer service interaction comes in. We’re going to focus on phone etiquette in this article, but many of these tips translate to in-person interactions.

First, it’s important for everyone at your business to understand how to answer the phone professionally. There will always come a time when the person who “normally” answers incoming calls is unavailable for some reason. At that moment it’s critical to ensure that caller gets a great customer experience. Your next, and future sales with that person may well depend on it!

Here then, are a few practices you can put into place right away that will make a big difference.

1 ANSWER ALL INCOMING PHONE CALLS WITHIN 2 OR 3 RINGS

Think of a customer waiting for the phone to be answered as if they physically walked in your door. You wouldn’t leave them waiting for a greeting for minutes at a time—that would get very awkward, very quickly. Answering quickly shows that you respect your customer’s time. If your customer service staff are busy with in-person clients, or on another call, know who should be next in line to pick up. If you can’t get to the phone, have your voicemail set to pick up after 3 rings, or send the call to voicemail manually if need be.

2 OFFER A POLITE, STANDARD GREETING

At home, or on your mobile phone, answering with a simple, “Hello?” is fine. It’s polite and prompts the other person to continue the conversation. Answering a business call, however, needs a little bit more than that. It’s a good idea to identify yourself and your organization immediately. It sets the customer at ease—they’ve reached the place they were calling.

Example: “Good morning, ABC Molding, this is Monica. How may I help you?”

It also helps, believe it or not, to smile when you answer the phone. Even though the person on the other end can’t see you, the warmth you put into your expression will 100% be noticeable in your voice.

Greetings to avoid: Too casual, “Yeah?” “Hey.” “What’s up?” or too long, “Hello. You’ve reached ABC Molding, located at 123 Main St, open from 8-5 on weekdays. We’ve got a 10% special right now on discontinued stock. Ask us about our loyalty program. This is Monica. How may I help you?”

3 SPEAK CLEARLY

These days, it’s incredibly likely that the person calling is doing so from a mobile phone. That, and other issues can often make for poor sound quality on a call. Do your part to mitigate it by speaking slowly and ensure you’re enunciating clearly. It will ensure that the information is getting through and, as a bonus, you’ll save time having to repeat yourself!

4 AVOID SLANG

In our industry, as we’ve said at the top of this article, close connections and relationships are a big part of the business. However, when you’re starting out with a new customer, or anyone who’s calling, it’s best to present as professional an image as possible. Avoid phrases like “No problem,” or “o.k.” it’s better to be a little more formal and say, “certainly,” or “yes, we can do that.” If you know you use filler words, such as “like”, “um” or “you know” when you speak, see if you can use them less.

(Although if you’ve determined that it’s your regular customer Frank calling in his third order that week, it’s no problem to say, “no problem!”)

5 TAKE CHARGE OF ISSUES, USE POSITIVE LANGUAGE

People that answer the phone should either know the information that most people would be calling about or know where to find the answer. This includes any currently running sales or promotions but could be as simple as your operating hours.

Be positive in your replies. “Let me find that information for you” sounds much better to a caller than, “I don’t know.”

If the customer is calling with an issue, listen carefully and let the customer finish. Be empathetic. Let them know you’re there to assist. “That does sound frustrating. Let’s see what I can do to help.”

6 TAKE MESSAGES COMPLETELY AND ACCURATELY

If you need to get back to a customer, or you need to give their information to someone else, do not end the call until you’re clear on what the message is. Have them spell their name for you and/or repeat their phone number if necessary. Then, take care to make sure the message gets where it needs to go.

If you are replying to a message left for you, try to do so within one business day. This goes back to what we were saying about the phone customer being the same as an in-person customer. If you take too long to get back to them, many customers will already have gone elsewhere.

7 THE WAITING GAME

If you need to put a customer on hold, let them know, and ask their permission. “Is it okay if I put you on hold?”

Try to give callers on hold updates every 30 – 45 seconds. If you can’t get to them in a timely manner, or they ask that you don’t place them on hold, offer them an option. “I’m sorry, it’s going to be a few minutes. Would you like to leave your number and we’ll return your call as soon as possible?”

8 VOICEMAIL

Your voicemail can be a valuable tool if used properly. It can ensure the call is addressed in a timely fashion and can provide pertinent information in your outgoing message—especially useful if there are changes to your operating hours or holiday closures. Make sure you’re answering voicemail messages within one business day.

Most of these tips seem like common sense but spending the time to make sure everyone who works at your business knows how to answer incoming calls will make a big difference. If you have a formal policy guide, add your phone etiquette procedures to that guide and ensure everyone knows where to find the information. Owners and managers can, and should, call the business once in a while to see how staff are answering. If it’s not the way you’ve discussed, set some time aside to review with everyone again.

Customer satisfaction, and the sales that come with it, start with customer service. Having great phone manners is an easy step down the road to making sure everyone who does business with you feels valued and make it more likely they’ll return!

Sources for this article: • www.liveabout.com/how-to-answer-the-phone-properly-2947153 • 8 Customer Service Best Practices for Answering the Telephone - The

Income Tax School • How To Answer the Phone Professionally (With Examples) | Indeed.com