Common Courtesy Isn't So Common - 10 Telephone Blunders in Everyday Business

As youngsters, many of us were taught basic telephone netiquette. These lessons taught us the basic components of nconducting a phone conversation - politeness, nattentiveness, respect, and common courtesy. nUnfortunately, it seems these lessons have been forgotten nby many of today’s companies. For many, the philosophy nseems to say that it’s easier to forgo these practices and, ninstead, choose to deal with the customer service nconsequences later. It seems the true cost to the bottom line nis of not of any consequence. Why in a time of ever nincreasing competition locally and abroad, along with the nknowledge of customers’ high expectations, would anyone nbe willing to overlook and undervalue this most basic ncustomer service skill? nnCommon Sense nCommon sense and logic aren’t so common. Common sense nsays solid telephone skills cannot be taken for granted and nshows our customers we value them and their business. nHere are some common telephone blunders and common nsense solutions to keep your company on track. Even if you nhave been guilty of practicing some or all of these blunders, ntake charge now and reshape your focus to create a ncustomer-focused organization. nn1. No Call Back nI am referring to calls from a co-worker, business associate, nvendor, or someone with which you have a standing nbusiness relationship. The reasons people choose not to nreturn a call may include the following: nn* “I don’t have any new information to share.” n* “I’m waiting for so-and-so to return my call or answer my ne-mail.” n* “I don’t have a need for this service right now.” (Though I nmay in the future). n* “I’m not the person with whom they need to speak.” n* “I haven’t made a decision yet.” nnUnfortunately, when you realize you were negligent and noverdue for a call back, panic and embarrassment set in and nyou feel it’s easier to duck, dodge, and dance around rather nthan make the call. This only compounds the problem and ndoesn’t alleviate your uneasiness. nnThe solution is to pick up the phone. Begin by apologizing nfor not calling back. Do not make excuses such as, “I was nbusy.” Instead, be honest and forthright, which goes a long nway to building and maintaining solid business relationships nand your reputation. Next, proceed to resolve the business nat hand. In the future, begin with the positive intention of nanswering calls in a timely fashion. If you don’t have any nnews or there is no change in circumstances, let the caller nknow. Inform him or her when you plan to call back, or nprovide a future date when the caller can contact you – and nbe sure to pick up the phone. nn2. Untimely Voice Mail nImagine you call a business the day after Labor Day and hear nthe following message, “Thank you for calling ABC nCompany. You have reached the desk of Jane Doe. I’ll be nout of the office on business from July 3 through July 15th. nPlease leave a message.” What does this outdated message nreally say about you to your customers? For one, it says I’m ntoo busy to change a voice message, so, perhaps, I’m too nbusy to meet and service your business needs. Remember, nyour message represents you in your absence. Be sure all nmessages are timely and reflect a professional image. If the ncustomer needs immediate assistance, be sure to state whom nthey can contact, along with a phone number. nnAnother voicemail blunder is allowing a mailbox to fill to ncapacity so the box won’t accept any more messages. I nknow people who purposefully do this just so they won’t nreceive any more calls, which translates in their mind to not nhaving more work. This is a very unprofessional and nunacceptable practice. Check your voice mail periodically nthroughout the business day. Save messages when nnecessary. If you expect you will not be available for an nextended period of time, state when you expect to check nmessages and return calls. If you find your mailbox often nfills up faster than you can keep up, consider having a live noperator accept your calls. nn3. Unpreparedness nHave you ever had a caller phone and say, “I need so-and- nso’s number.” You offer the information off the top of your nhead only to have the caller interrupt you and say, “Hold on na minute. Let me get a something to write with.” Why do npeople call for specific information and yet are unprepared to ntake the information down? The caller has now wasted nhis/her time and yours. Every telephone needs always to nhave three items beside it: a pen, paper, and a mirror. (See nthe next item as to why you need the mirror.) nn4. No Mirror nWhat you see is what the customer gets. Keeping a mirror nnext to your phone lets you see what your customers hear. nA warm smile can be heard over the phone. If a call has ncome at a bad moment, better to allow the caller to leave a nmessage than risk taking out your frustrations on the caller. nn5. Hanging Up Before The Customer nWhen you hang up the phone before the customer does, nyou risk the client hearing comments that aren’t meant for nhis/her ears. “That Jim is such an idiot. How dare he try to nhaggle over price after three months of negotiations! Oh, hi, nJim. I didn’t realize you were still on the line.” Oops, how nembarrassing! I have personally heard some very interesting nand embarrassing conversations begun before I hung up, nand I can assure you I took my business elsewhere because nof it. nn6. The Noisy Hang Up nYou has heard the crackle before –a page is sent over the npublic address system and at the end of the message you nhear what sounds like a shot put thrown at the Olympic ngames. When the phone is disconnected, it sounds as if the nhandset was thrown halfway across the room. A better and nquieter solution is to click the release or switch hook button nfirst and then put the handset down into place. nn7. Phone Tag nA great game of phone tag not only wastes time, it can be ndownright frustrating. Cut down on the number of “tags” nand leave a message that tells callers specifically when you ncan be reached or when you’ll be out of the office (so they ndon’t call then). Believe it or not, some people call on npurpose when you’re out – now why would they ever want nto do that? nn8. Fast Talking nI do a former New Yorker and I usually having no problem nunderstanding the swiftest speaker. However, I’ve had npeople I have never met leave me a message with a phone nnumber that is spoken as fast as an auctioneer. Slow down! nLeave a message assuming the other person doesn’t know nhow to spell your name or already know your number. A nproper message includes your name and number stated twice n– once in the beginning of the message and again at the very nend. This way if I can’t understand or want to confirm the ninformation, I can do so without replaying the message over nand over again. Be sure to speak slowly and clearly. Don’t nbe shy about spelling any piece of information for clarity. nn9. Choosing Not to Invest in a Headset nJuggling a pen, paper, and handset, while typing on a nkeyboard with the phone cradled in the crook of your stiff nshoulder and aching neck just isn’t productive. Ease your npain and invest in a quality headset and make life easier. nYou’ll find you can locate information, write, or simply listen nwith ease. While you’re at it, pick up an extra one for your ncell phone, too. nn10. Misusing the Speakerphone nThe use of a speakerphone is useful when dialing, waiting on nhold, and conference calls. There are times, however, when nit is misused and abused. Examples of this are when private ninformation is shouted into the speaker box so loudly that neveryone in a one-mile radius can hear or having a nspeakerphone conversation without informing the caller that nothers are in the room. Don’t ever assume the caller doesn’t nmind being on the speaker. Ask for permission first. Also, nalways inform callers before they utter a word that someone n(if appropriate, who) is present in the room with you to give nfair warning. nnTelephone blunders are overlooked and all too common. nStarting today get back to basics. Identify and correct ntelephone blunders and you’ll shine as a world-class ncustomer service provider.n