Customer Service – Top Telephone Tips for a Positive Customer Experience

By: Kate Tammemagi Click author's name for more of his/her articles

The goal with each Customer is to meet and exceed expectations. This will ensure a positive experience that will keep the Customer coming back. A negative experience could well mean that the Client will go to another Business. ‘Meeting expectations’ means identifying clearly what a Customer will expect – in this case in a telephone interaction – and delivering this. Failure to identify one of these essential elements on the telephone will trigger a negative experience.

At a very basic, but critically important level, a poor greeting will trigger a negative experience, and a warm, welcoming greeting will encourage our caller.

What will create a Negative Experience?
Things that quickly trigger a negative experience on the telephone include –

1. No-one home – the phone rings and rings. Best practice is answer within 3-4 rings
2. The School Teacher Voice Mail - A long, bureaucratic voice mail message giving you direct orders
3. The Sing Song Secretary – whose greeting is so automatic you can’t hear a word
4. The Reverse Obama – instead of ‘Yes, you can’, the caller is met with, ‘You can’t’, ‘We can’t’, ‘We won’t be able to’ and so on
5. The Computer Voice – the cold, impersonal person who makes me regret calling at all!

What will create a Positive Experience?
Ensure your Team appreciate that your Professional Office WANTS Customers, that part of their role is to encourage our Customers to WANT to stay with us. Focus them on using all their skills to positively influence the Customer. Don’t nag them and nitpick over problems if you haven’t explained clearly what you want from each of them. Praise and encourage good use of telephone skills, and of best practice procedures.

Key telephone skills & tips are –
1. A warm positive greeting – change your greeting regularly so that it is still fresh. ‘Good morning’ or ‘Good afternoon’ is much more welcoming that other greetings. The general format is ‘Good morning, Jones Consultancy, Mary speaking, how may I help you?’
2. Have a positive Voice Mail Message – if voice mail is picking the call, ensure your message is positive, short and welcoming.
3. Get the Caller’s name and use it – failing to use the name, or using it inappropriately will give that cold ‘computer voice’ effect. Using the Caller’s name makes the call warm and personal.
4. Give positive verbal nods – let the caller know you are listening ‘Sure’, ‘No problem, ‘I see’, ‘I understand’, repeating back information, etc.
5. Confirm understanding – summarise the Customer’s request or query. This ensures you understand, and also sounds very professional to the Customer. ‘Certainly, You would like an appointment as soon as possible’
6. Keep the caller informed – let them know what you are doing, using a brisk but friendly tone. ‘I’ll just look up Mr Jones diary for that date… Yes, I have it now’
7. Use positive, definite language. Use positive words like happy, good, best and so on. ‘Does that sound good?’ is much better than ‘Is that OK?’ The more positive words used, the better impression your Customer will get. Equally, more definite language such as ‘straight away’ or ‘definitely’ will also build confidence in your organisation.
8. If you must state a negative, always finish with a positive option. ‘Unfortunately, we don’t have an appointment for that day, could I suggest the following week?’
9. ‘Suggest’ that the Customer do something, rather than giving aggressive direct orders. ‘Could you please send in’, ‘It would be great if you could’ ‘It is important that we get’
10. Confirm all meetings, arrangements, and agreements at the end of the call and by EMAIL – this avoids misunderstandings and looks very professional.
11. Have a warm, positive close. Remember that people remember the first and the last impressions on the telephone.
12. Record any notes or arrangements immediately.

The Telephone Skill level of everyone who interacts with your Customers is as important to your business as the quality of service you offer. The experience your Caller has, from that very important first impression, will influence their decision to buy or return. It is important that everyone in your office is aware of this, and is working on the focus, telephone skills and best practice to achieve a good outcome for your Customers.