Hints
· Don’t over-react to trigger words. Callers will often
push your buttons.
· Listen completely to the complaint, allow the caller to
vent. Only when they are finished should you comment.
· If the call is long-distance you might offer to call them
back to avoid phone charges. This can have an immediate
positive impact.
Empathize. Acknowledge their feelings. “I can hear that you are
very upset by this” or “I can tell this situation is upsetting you”.
Hints
· To help with this process, pretend you are talking to
someone you know and like while you are working with
your caller.
· Force yourself to focus on solving the problem rather
than internalizing the caller’s attacks.
Don’t blame anyone for the problem, no matter who is at fault.
It is counter productive to resolve the issue.
Cell Phone Etiquette
Having your cell phone at work can be useful but it can also be
very disruptive. When you’re on your own time, the choice to turn
off your cell phone is entirely yours. When it comes to using your
cell phone at work, however, you have to be mindful of your
co-workers and your boss, not to mention your own ability to get
your job done. Here are some rules you should follow if you have
cell phone at work.
Turn your Cell Phone on Vibrate
If you have your cell phone at work, ,if you don't want to turn off
your cell phone completely, at least set it to vibrate. The sounds
of different ring tones going off all the time can be very annoying
to others.
Use Your Cell Phone Only for Important calls
If you have your cell phone at work, you should only use it for
important calls. What should you classify as an important call?
The school nurse calling to say your child is ill, your child calling
to say he's arrived home from school safely, and family
emergencies that you must deal with immediately are all
important.
While you are at work if you are in doubt about whether an
incoming cell call is important, let voice mail pick it up. It will take
much less time to check your messages than it will to answer the
call and then tell the caller you can't talk.
REMEMBER PRACTISING PROPER TELEPHONE ETIQUETTE CAN
GO A LONG WAY IN IMPROVING OUR CUSTOMERS’ TELEPHONE
EXPERIENCE.
GUIDING CORE VALUE: RESPECT
Prepared by: Tracey-Ann Pessoa, Customer Service Advocate
August 27, 2010
The telephone is ringing !!
A telephone call is often the first
real impression a potential
customer has of the university.
Using the telephone competently,
courteously and providing
appropriate information is essential
to customer satisfaction.
Take ownership of the situation. Call the appropriate party; ensure
they have a solution to the situation, only then should you transfer
the caller. If you don’t know how to fix the situation, take the caller’s
number and name, find the appropriate person and have them
return the call. Check back to make sure the caller’s situation has
been resolved. The caller will always remember your kindness and
will tell others about your terrific customer service skills.
Hints
Guidelines for Telephone use
How you handle yourself on the phone reflects not only you but also
your Department and the University of Technology, Jamaica.
Let your personality shine through on the phone .
Hints
- Callers generally do not like to hear the word “transfer”,
an appropriate alternative is to ask “Would you like me
to connect you to the Student Services Department?”.
- Make it your goal to call them back within 4 hours if you
have to do research to help them with their situation.
Placing callers on Hold
- Take a deep breath before you pick up the phone
- Smile before you speak
- Assume your speaking voice, controlling speed,
tone and volume
- Speak clearly
Answering the Telephone
Be prepared to answer the telephone. Do not regard it as an
interruption but as an integral part of your service to customers.
When the phone rings, it is more polite to answer it before the third
ring. This suggests an institution that is alert, courteous and
customer-oriented.
Be Prepared before you Respond
Write down the caller’s name immediately. Have your pen/pencil
and message pad ready. If the caller doesn't identify him or herself
ask for a name….”May I say who is calling?” “Could I have your name
please?”“With whom am I speaking?” All are polite, appropriate ways
to get the caller’s name. Use their name
frequently throughout the conversation.
Standard Oral Greeting
Identify yourself and your unit on answering
the telephone. This helps the caller to ascertain
that he/she has called the correct unit or person.
“Thank you for calling the Admissions office,
Dennis Jones speaking, how may I help you ?
Standard Recorded Voicemail
State your department, your name and leave clear instructions as to
what information you need from the caller such as:
- Name and phone number
- Brief summary of the reason for calling.
Voicemail can be a very effective tool for communication if it is used
correctly. Don’t state the obvious (I’m away from my desk).
“You have reached UTech Accounts Receivable, please leave
your name, number and a brief message & we will get back to
you as soon as possible. Thank you for calling”
Transferring Calls
When the caller needs to be transferred, be polite and ask if they
would like to be transferred. Ask the caller for their number in case
you lose them during the transfer. Give the caller the name of the
person to whom you are transferring them along with their number.
Stay on the line until the transfer is complete. Ensure that you give
the person to whom you are transferring the call the relevant
information so that the caller will not have to repeat himself/herself.
If you have a frustrated caller who has been transferred several times
already, do not transfer them again.
The other line is ringing, and you are anxious to answer...requiring
you to put the current caller on hold—it’s a necessary evil. We all
hate being on hold. So when it’s necessary to place a caller on hold,
check with the person first to determine if they can/want to hold.
WAIT for an answer.
They will decide if they want to hold, go to voicemail or call back.
Handle your current caller before you rush off to another. Abide by
the principle First Come First Serve. Once you have placed the
caller on hold, check every 15-30 seconds to update them. Thank
them for holding and be as specific as you can about how much
longer you expect them to hold. Each time allow them the
opportunity to decide if they would like to continue holding.
Guidelines for Handling Queries
Your courtesy has an effect on your department and ultimately the
University’s relationship with other customers. You can confidently
influence your effectiveness with a caller and ultimately the
reputation of your department, with a strong customer service
orientation.
TIPS
· Provide customers, where feasible, with an on-the-spot
response to any enquiry.
· Aim to rectify the problem immediately and if this
cannot be done, give the customer a commitment to
investigate the problem and call back within 24 hours
Taking Messages
When taking a message for someone else,
be sure you get the following information
recorded:
· The caller’s name and
company/department
· The correct spelling of the caller’s
name.
· Date and time of the call
· Complete telephone number
· Brief explanation for call
How to Deal with an Irate Caller
Irate callers do not usually start out that way. Some thing happened
to make them go ballistic. Customers have an expectation of how
they ought to be treated and if you fail to meet that expectation,
they become agitated. When you get a caller on the phone who is
getting agitated:
Listen. Allow them to vent. Stay calm and be sincere. If you aren't
sincere the caller will know immediately. Don't jump in, even if you
have heard the same thing 10 times. The caller will be offended. A
sincere voice will have a calming effect on the caller. If you become
upset or defensive you will make a bad situation worse.