Telephone Etiquette For Business Calls
For most types of organisations the phone has an important role to play in day to day operations. This is on account of organisations needing them to contact merchants, business partners, and customers or clients. They are additionally important since they open a door to correspondence with clients by permitting them to contact the business within its hours of operation. As essential as the telephone seems to be, it is therefore imperative that organisations know the difference between what is good and what is poor telephone etiquette.
They should understand that how they communicate with customers and business partners via telephone will either depict them in a positive light or a negative one. In the hands of an inadequately prepared employee, manager, or entrepreneur, phone use can have a negative impact on the business. Consequently, it is vital that organisations carefully prepare their workers on good and poor telephone etiquette..
At the point when a call is the right way to communicate?
The technique that you convey ought to be directed to the audience, circumstance and nature of the message that should be imparted. Often a call is the most ideal approach to impart information.
When you do choose to utilize the phone to communicate, ensure you take a look at the following do's and dont’s.
Phone Do's
While phone calls are vital for communication, you should not ring someone more than three times.
The telephone ought to be answered with a positive welcome, for example, "Hi," "Hello," or "Good morning," and so on. After the welcome the individual who answers the telephone ought to give his or her name and the name of the business or association that has been reached.
Put on a grin before making or answering a telephone call. At the point when a responder grins it influences the sound of his or her voice, giving it a more cordial tone.
For clarity, the phone must be held with a separation of two fingers from the mouth.
Talk in an unmistakable tone utilising a voice that is neither too loud nor too low. Words needs to be articulated and said sufficiently moderately so that individuals can comprehend what is being said to them.
If somebody must be put on hold, request authorisation first and give him or her the choice to leave a phone message. At the point when taking them off hold thank them to demonstrate that their time is respected.
When someone is talking, listen to what he or she needs to say without intrusions.
While putting a call a responder needs to dependably express his or her name before requesting the individual that the call is for.
Return telephone calls promptly. If you have given a timeframe for when you would return a call by, make sure you keep within this limit..
Before transferring a call, confirm that the individual to whom the call is being transferred to is available, and give the name of the caller to them before making the transfer.
Phone Don'ts
Do not answer the phone on the first ring. Callers don't expect this and will be taken by surprise.
Try not to answer the telephone when eating, or drinking.
If you have to put someone on hold, check back with them regularly and ensure they know you will get back to them as soon as possible.
Never say: "I don't have any idea" when chatting with somebody on the telephone. The perfect reaction to an inquiry where there is not a positive answer is to say: "I'll look into that for you."
At the point when conversing with a customer or a client never say anything that can be interpreted as being discourteousness. The individual who answers the telephone should converse with the caller politely at all times.
A responder must never utilise slang language when talking to a guest. Swear words must additionally never be used, and might be illegal in specific situations, as per Mauritian Laws.
Try not to transfer a call without requesting that authorisation do so.
At the point when finishing a telephone call, don't hang up without a positive conclusion, for example, "Thank you for calling," or "Have a good day!"
23 March 2016