Blog

Retail Customer Service 101: Phone etiquette

September 13, 2011 by Peggy Carlaw — VP, Impact Learning Systems

Considered common sense and unnecessary by many, telephone etiquette training is back in vogue. As many companies struggle to ride the fierce waves of economic recovery, they are pointing the finger at customer service and starting from scratch.

What is telephone etiquette training?

You want your employees to present a professional and confident impression to callers – consistently. Phone etiquette training covers everything from vocals skills training and teaching appropriate transitions to general etiquette guidelines. Think its common knowledge that agents should never eat or drink while on a call? Think again.

Four important phone etiquette rules

1. Use formal greetings. When answering calls always use a formal greeting. It is considered best practice to use sir or ma'am to address customers if names are unknown.
2. Speak clearly. Take the time to speak clearly and in a positive, professional tone. Doing so will put the caller at ease and diffuse an upset customer.
3. Listen & learn.Train your representatives to listen carefully to customers. Always allow customers time to finish his/her thoughts without interruption and ask questions that clarify information. Be sure to confirm understanding with the caller before moving forward.
4. No food or beverages. This may seem like common sense, -but stress the importance of this one. Representatives must refrain from consuming food or drink while taking a call. Customers do not want to hear gulping and chewing.

Why you need phone etiquette training

We all know that satisfied customers are loyal customers. And loyal customers are repeat purchasers and desired brand advocates. What is the easiest way to create satisfied customers? Confident and knowledgeable call center agents. Telephone etiquette training immediately improves customer satisfaction, increases sales and reduces escalations. On the other hand, representatives who do not have good phone etiquette will lose sales and be a major contributor to customer defection.

Phone etiquette training increases employee satisfaction

Telephone etiquette is an integral part of customer service training and a defining element of customer satisfaction. The added benefit is increased employee satisfaction. Employees who are able to quickly identify and solve issues or suggest additional products and services with confidence and grace feel good about themselves. They feel good about their jobs and their contribution to the companies' success. Investing in your employees is investing in your success. Start with the basics and watch your sales increase.

About Peggy Carlaw

---

None

Connect with Peggy: