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Customer Service
Can Someone Please Get That?
There are some things you can count on – spring showers, summer construction
and telephone calls at the busiest times. While those telephone calls may seem
frustrating and inconvenient, they can also make or break your reputation for
service.
Every call must be answered in a pleasant, helpful manner following the GREET,
ASK, LISTEN, HELP and INVITE model. But first, someone has to actually pick
up the phone.
Here’s a typical example. It’s a busy Wednesday morning. There
are three staff working on the sales floor. All three are serving customers
when the telephone rings. The three staff look at each other to see who’s
going to answer the phone. Meanwhile, the phone continues to ring and the customers
are getting fidgety. Who do you think should answer the phone?
a) John, the new guy, who needs practice answering the phone.
b) Cindy, the manager, who most callers ask for anyway.
c) Stacey, the experienced salesperson, who can answer just about any question
off the top of her head.
If you said any of the above, you’re right. All three staff should be
able to politely excuse themselves from their existing customers and answer
the telephone in a prompt and courteous manner. The key is to answer the phone
by the third ring while keeping all in-store customers satisfied.
A telephone action plan that has been discussed with all staff can help save
precious time in determining who should answer the phone. Talk with your fellow
staff members about a system for who will answer the telephone in various scenarios
(if everyone is with a customer, if someone is on a break, if there is someone
at the till, if someone is in the back organizing inventory, etc.) Try to develop
a plan that will cover as many scenarios as possible and not affect what occurs
on the floor. Whatever plan you develop, be sure that everyone understands it
and follows through.
Also, be sure everyone receives adequate training to help them feel confident
answering the phone. Training should include the mechanics of the telephone
system, frequently asked questions, telephone service standards (e.g. how many
rings, greeting format, how to take messages and where to put them, how promptly
to return calls, etc.) and basic telephone etiquette (e.g. speaking clearly,
listening actively to the caller, putting callers on hold, etc.).
So the next time the phone rings, don’t just stand there, answer it!
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