The Greeting

Not all customers walk into the store - many just call in. These phone-in customers deserve the same quality of service you deliver to customers in person. In some ways, serving phone-in customers is easier because you do not have to worry about appearances. The customer’s first impression of you will be based completely on your telephone manner. If you are polite and pleasant, you will please the customer. If you are rude of impolite, you will not only lose a customer, but so will the company.

The telephone must always be answered promptly, as unnecessary delays will cause frustration on the part of the caller and could get the call off to a bad start.

All staff should be taught how to answer the telephone correctly in case they are the only person near the phone when it rings. If the call is answered correctly, they can then go and get someone to carry on the call.

As soon as you answer the telephone, concentrate on what the customer is saying. Could you give them your full attention?

Never finish off a previous conversation with someone when you answer the telephone as, not only, is it unprofessional, it also gives the impression that the customer is not as important as your conversation. Give the caller your full attention.

Be friendly and natural. Be courteous and always use polite words. Develop a sense of humour! Attitude is important. If you don’t want to be at work that day or your pet hamster has died, it will come across in your voice unless you stop it.

As soon as you answer the telephone, identify yourself to reassure the customer that they have dialled the correct number. As you answer the phone, smile, you can hear it. For example, “Good morning, Ajax Civils, Melanie speaking, how can I help you?” “How can I help you?” is friendly, demonstrates your willingness to help and gets directly to the point.

Finally, avoid smoking, drinking or eating whilst on the telephone, as this is very unprofessional.

Try to personalise the call as soon as possible, i.e. “You need a new tyre, Mr……”

Starting to address the caller will prompt them to give their name. From this point onward, you can personalise the call by addressing the caller by his name, which demonstrates your commitment to the customer.