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1. Always say who you are at the beginning of every call. When in the office, always answer a telephone by saying: “Hello/Good Morning, Service Department, Jane Doe speaking.” From a cell phone, either simply say Hello, or state your name, Hello, Jane Doe here. Do not answer by using words such as “yeah” or “yes.” When placing a call, always state your name along with the name of the person you are calling. Example: “Hello, my name is Jane Doe from XYZ Corporation. May I please speak with Ms. Jane Smith?”
2. Be aware of the tone of your voice. Don't sound overly eager, aggressive or pushy. It's crucial your tone expresses confidence and authority. Don't recline in your chair when speaking on the telephone, you project more when sitting upright. Sit up in your chair or stand during the conversation. When at home, use a personal tape recorder to privately record your own conversations. You will then hear how your sound to others.
3. Think through precisely what you want to say and discuss it BEFORE you make a call.
Write down the points you want to talk about and questions you want answered. In other words, anticipate and expect you will be directed into a voicemail system; plan your message to be as direct and specific as possible, asking the person to respond to specific alternatives or questions. Do not say, “Hello, it’s Jane Doe, call me back.” At least state the subject about which you want the person to call you back about.
4. Don't permit disruptions to happen during conversations. Don't carry on side conversations with other people around you. The person on the telephone takes precedence over someone who happens to walk in your office or passes by while you are on the phone. If you must interrupt the conversation, say to the person, “Please excuse me for a moment I’ll be right back.” And when you return, say, “Thank you for holding.”
5. Particularly when leaving messages, speak clearly and slowly. Don't use broken phrases, slang or idioms. Always leave your return telephone number as part of your message, including the area code . . . and S-L-O-W-L-Y, including REPEATING your telephone number at the end of your message. Practice leaving your telephone number, by saying it out loud to yourself as slow as you have heard an informational operator say it.
6. Build the habit of always turning off your cell phone ringer when entering a meeting, restaurant, theater, training class, or other place where the purpose of your visit would be interrupted or others would be disturbed by hearing your cell phone ring. If you are expecting an important call, inform the caller you will be in a meeting during certain times and state you will monitor your message indicator for when it illuminates you will excuse yourself to leave the meeting and return the call.
7. Always speak into the telephone receiver with an even and low tone of voice. Particularly when speaking on a cell phone out in public, be sure to monitor how loud you may be. Move the phone ear piece just slightly away from your ear and listen to yourself speaking. Discover whether you are speaking too loudly or too quietly for the other person to hear you.
8. Do not allow yourself to be distracted by other activities while speaking on the telephone, such as rustling papers, chewing and eating, working on the computer, or speaking with someone else. Most importantly, do not use a hand held cell phone while driving. Get a headset or speaker phone for the car. Always treat every caller with the utmost courtesy and respect by giving him/her your undivided attention.
Proper phone etiquette is very important to the growth and survival of your business. It's the way your customers communicate with you. A poorly operated customer service phone system will just anger your customers and cause a loss of business.
