As a company, whether you are established or just starting out, your reputation reflects who you are to any potential client. When a potential client reaches out to your company by telephone the operator or receptionist answering the phone gives your caller their first impression of your business. As a business you want each client to get the best feeling from every experience with your company. As an operator it is important to follow proper etiquette when representing your account with each caller. As a professional answering service I would like to go over what we offer as etiquette training for our operators.
Communication
Each operator is trained to fully listen to your caller. A caller that feels like they are heard will know that the person on the other line cares. In the event of an emergency or a complication in service listening to the caller can not only keep them calm but also let them know that the operator will do anything he/she can to resolve an issue or get them the service they needs immediately.
Fast Response
The answering time, set by our company standards, is 2 rings. When an operator hears a call come in he/she is trained to answer the call within the first 2 rings. After the second ring, if the call has not been answered, a red light will start to flash sounding an alarm to let every operator know that a call needs to be answered immediately. Waiting on someone to answer the phone can make callers get impatient & feel like a business is not responsive.
The Greeting
Each account comes with a customizable format to fit the needs of your company. This offers you the choice of how the operator responds to your callers. An answering phrase is created to keep the responses uniform so that your caller knows what to expect when reaching out to your company. Have you ever called a company that answers the phone “Hello”? I have & each time I ask myself before saying anything to the operator, “Did I call the wrong number?”. Stating the business name along with “How may I help you?” or “Thank you for calling <business name>” can often give your caller a professional start to the conversation.
The Conversation
Keeping communication clear is very important for every call answered. Each operator is taught to talk clear & confident to keep your callers reassured their needs will be met. Talking while eating, chewing, or drinking is against basic standards outlined to each operator. A no tolerance policy is in place so that operators refrain from using slang or inappropriate words. One thing we outline to each operator, in training, is that he/she is to never argue with the caller. If the caller refuses information, the operator is instructed to connect the caller to the appropriate manager put in place by your company to avoid exacerbating any situation.
The Closure
Saying “Bye” to someone, who has already disconnected the phone line from you, can make you feel like the operator was in a rush & has no time for you. The proper response would be to wait for the caller to finish the conversation. We often end conversation with “Thank you for calling <business name>. Is there anything else I can help you with today?”. After this statement the operator will wait for a response then say “I hope you enjoy your day, good bye.”, then wait for a “bye” back before disconnecting. Ensuring a customer disconnects first is the best way to make sure they no longer needed your service.
After a caller disconnects we want them to go away with a feeling of satisfaction. As an operator, representing your company, we strive in knowing that our reflection impressed your caller & boosted your service. As you grow as a business so do we. If you would like to see how we can save your company money please read Answering Service vs Hiring a Receptionist .
