Winning Customers Over the Phone
By: Lydia Ramsey
Do you sometimes wonder where your customers have gone? In a study by the International Customer Research Institute, individuals gave the following reasons for becoming "non-repeat" customers:
* 1 percent died (makes you wonder how they responded)
* 3 percent moved
* 5 percent said friendships
* 9 percent said competition
* 14 percent were dissatisfied with the product
* 68 percent cited an attitude of indifference by employees
How many times do you think that employee attitude is communicated by phone? Very often the telephone is the first and only contact that people have with your organization. Make sure that this experience is the best you and your employees have to offer so that first-time callers become repeat customers.
Smile when you answer the phone. Even if your hair is on fire or the last caller chewed you out, pause for a moment to put a smile on your face and in your voice. Believe it or not, people can hear you smiling through the phone.
Answer the phone on the first ring, certainly no later than the third ring. If people have to wait through rings four and five, they begin to think that you have closed for the day, gone out of business or just don't care. We live in a world that expects instant gratification. Be sure you meet your customers' expectations.
Ask permission before you put someone on hold. You may have multiple lines ringing and a line of people standing at your desk, but wait to hear the caller's response. It is that person's choice to hold or not. Try not to turn this move into a power play. When you come back on the line, thank the person for holding. If you have to ask the caller to continue to hold, offer to take a number and return the call.
Transferring calls should be done with care. Before you connect the caller to someone else's extension, make sure that person is in and able to help. There is nothing more frustrating than being transferred over and over again and having to retell the same story to a multitude of different people before finding the right one.
Before you send the call to co-worker, give the caller that person's name and number in case there is a disconnect. Better yet, tell the caller who you are and how to reach you if there is a problem. You will have an extremely satisfied customer.
Always make an offer of help. It may not be your department, your issue or your job, but if it is the customer's problem, you need to show concern. Never tell the caller " 'I don't know'" or "I can't help you." The best response to a problem is a genuine "Let me see what I can do or who I can find to help you."
You will win customers and influence people every time when you use good phone skills.
(c) 2005, Lydia Ramsey. All rights reserved. Reprint rights granted so long as article and by-line are published intact and with all links made live.
Lydia Ramsey is a business etiquette expert, professional speaker, corporate trainer and author of MANNERS THAT SELL - ADDING THE POLISH THAT BUILDS PROFITS. She has been quoted or featured in The New York Times, Investors' Business Daily, Entrepreneur, Inc., Real Simple and Woman's Day. For more information about her programs, products and services, e-mail her at lydia@mannersthatsell.com or visit her web site Manners That Sell.
This article is free for republishing
|
| Lydia Ramsey is a business etiquette expert, professional speaker, corporate trainer and author of MANNERS THAT SELL - ADDING THE POLISH THAT BUILDS PROFITS. She has been quoted or featured in The New York Times, Investors' Business Daily, Entrepreneur, Inc., Real Simple and Woman's Day. For more information about her programs, products and services, e-mail her at lydia@mannersthatsell.com or visit her web site http://www.mannersthatsell.com
Indie Music Artists Meet Clear Channel Execs
"What does it cost to get a record on the charts?" The question was directed to Mike McVay, programming consultant to about 400 radio stations owned by media giant Clear Channel.A hush fell over the audience, as this was a piece of information that could determine the fate of independent artists everywhere.McVay pulled no punches. Depending on your genre, the amount is "a hundred thousand dolla. . .
Return to Index
UK
Financial Services
Sub-categories: Accounting
| Banks
| Building
Societies | Corporate
Finance | Credit
Services | Currency
Services | Debt
Collection | Directories
| Factoring
| Financial
Consultants | Fund
Management | Independent
Financial Advisors | Information
Services | Insurance
| Leasing
| Merchant
Services | Offshore
Services | Organisations
| Personal
Finance | Publications
| Regulation
| Socially
Responsible Investment | Stockbrokers
| Taxation
Article Index: 1
- 2 - 3
- 4 - 5
- 6 - 7
- 8
World
Financial Services
Sub-categories: Associations
| Automobile
Buying and Financing | Banking
Services | By
Region | Cash
Flow | College
Financing | Commercial
Lending | Computer
Financing | Cooperatives
| Credit
and Collection | Directories
| Education
and Training | Employment
| Field
Service Companies | Financial
Consultants | Financial
Planning | Freelancer-Contractor
Services | Holding
Companies | Information
Services | Insurance
| Investment
Banks | Investment
Services | Leasing
Services | Loans
| Marketing
and Advertising | Medical
Billing | Merchant
Services | Mortgages
| News
and Media | Offshore
Services | Payroll
Services | Surety
Bonds | US
Government Financial Sites | Venture
Capital | World
War II Dormant Accounts
Get "IN TO" Vicky's
"rr-tit-calls" (Vicky's a Yorkshire Lass)
Latest News & Previews
Inexpensively
Protect Your Automotive Investment with a C...
You’ve just purchased your dream car. After many months (or
even years) of saving, you are now driving home from the car dealership and
you suddenly realize, “How am I going to protect my new investment”. If
you don’t have the luxury of keeping your car inside of a garage, a car
cover will help protect your automobile, both the exterior and interior of
your vehicle. Even if you do keep your car in a garage, but don’t drive it
very often, a car cover is still quite beneficial. It will keep dust particles
from sticking to you vehicle and potentially damaging your car’s paint job.
A car cover . . .
It's
Not My Fault....Whose Responsibility Is It Anyway?
It amazes me, how often during a week, I hear "It's not
my fault, it's not my responsibility". It seems that in today's society
no one wants to take responsibility for anything. Parents don't or won't take
the responsibility of how their children turn out. It's the daycare's fault,
the school's fault, the college's fault, the cop's fault, ... you get the
picture. As far as children go today, newsflash parents, "It is your
fault." They are your children, not the daycare's or the schools. It is
your responsibility to be sure that they get to school, that they learn in
school, and what they d. . .
Mischievous
Imp: Baby's Eleventh Month Guide
Believe it or not, your baby is just one month short of being
a year old!Bubbling with energyIn baby's eleventh month, he is discovering a
whole new exciting universe at a frantic pace. He can roll, sit, stand and
even walk a few steps. He has a mind of his own now and you might be shocked
to see him assert himself! If he seems to be quiet for a while it could
signals some mischief he is up to. He could creating havoc in the restroom or
might be busy chewing your new lipstick!MilestonesYour eleven month-old baby
can now stand alone and can expertly cruise around furniture. He can wave and
. . .
|
|
|