Customer Service Phone Etiquette
Anyone answering the phone and providing customer service has at one time or another answered the phone and silently wished they were not the one that took that call.
The man on the other end of the line is unhappy about a situation and you are caught in the line of fire. It could be the elderly lady that calls and by the time the call ends you are still not quite sure what the call was about. In the last forty-five minutes and fifteen seconds you have learned all about her children, the first job she ever had, her favorite movie and what she had for breakfast.
The best thing to do, and what I try to tell myself, is to remain calm. Make the person feel their call is important. If it was important enough for them to call, it should be important to you as well. Try to help the person the best you can. If you do not have the answer, reassure them you will find an answer or find someone who can help. If the problem needs researching, get the caller’s full name, contact information and any other important information needed to get back with them.
Try to promptly resolve the problem. If it takes longer than anticipated, stay in contact with the customer. Keep them informed of any updates and progress. Let them know they are still on your mind. We all know what it is like to feel that our call just wound up in a pile of post-it notes under a mound of papers on someone’s desk. Make it a point to avoid causing them that feeling.
In closing, the first impression of a company is sometimes that first incoming phone call. If they get the impression you don’t want to be bothered with their call, they may not “bother†you with any future business.
