October 8, 2021
Telephone courtesy… is it still alive?
When I joined the company I worked with twenty five years ago, I was asked to join a training regarding telephone courtesy. I saw my notes while arranging our things in the bedroom. Hence, I saw an opportunity for another topic for read.cash.
Telephone courtesy.
We may ask ourselves: Is it really necessary? For our company, yes, since we are client oriented and we should have great customer service.
We all know that the telephone is a vital instrument in carrying out our business transactions and our company image is greatly affected by the way we handle our customers through the telephone. Though I may not belong in the sales department but my co-employees are considered as my customers.
The caller at the other end of the phone cannot see the person who is talking – it means that the caller has no visual image on which to base impressions. The caller’s attention is focused entirely upon the audio impressions coming over the wire.
So how we project our voice is very important.
OUR VOICE CAN WORK FOR US
The moment we get to speak on the telephone, we can set the mood of the entire conversation. Just as our smile brings a smile to the face of others, our voice can spark interest and enthusiasm of our listener.
Without moving a step, we can impart all the courtesy and friendliness to the person on the other end through our voice.
The moment we lift the receiver of the telephone, we are about to meet someone to engage in a conversation just as if we are meeting face to face.
Speak pleasantly – telephone courtesy wins a friend.
We should remember that our personality is reflected in our manner of speaking.
RECEIVING INCOMING CALLS
Always answer call promptly.
During our training, we were asked when is the right time to answer a call. Is it on the first ring? Second or third? Mostly our answer was during the second or the third ring.
But the proper courtesy is to answer the phone on the first ring.
Not only is it discourteous to the caller to let the phone ring and ring but it will also irritate the people around you.
Greet the caller pleasantly.
Sound as though you are glad to hear the voice of the caller. Smile as you talk, this will make your voice sound more friendly. Put warmth into your voice and give the impression that you are alert, wide awake and interested in the caller.
Talk naturally.
A normal tone of voice is best over the telephone. It is neither too quickly or too slowly. Whispered words are indistinct while shouting distorts the voice and may make it sound gruff and unpleasant. We should use low pitch and nice modulated voice.
Speak distinctly.
Our voice represents us and the company we work with to the person at the other end of the line. So when speaking on the telephone, we should be natural, relaxed and attentive. To make a good impression, we must speak distinctly and directly into the telephone. We must use our lips freely and open our mouth to form our words.
Be attentive.
The caller will appreciate if we listen politely and attentively. Do not interrupt or be impatient when the person on the other line is talking. Do not make the other party repeat what he said because of our inattention.
CLOSING A CONVERSATION
Try to terminate the conversation gracefully and courteously. End the call with a polite and positive phrase such as:
”Thank you for calling”
“It was nice talking to you”
Always say “Thank you”or “You’re Welcome”. End the conversation with “goodbye” and hang up the receiver gently.
A useful rule to follow is to let your caller to hang up the phone first.
My notes end here. I am sure that there are more about telephone courtesy but maybe I have not written them down already. At least I have listed down the most important ones.
Thank you for re-learning with me. Hope you got some tips or two.
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That’s all for now folks.
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Plagiarism checked!
Telephone courtesy is rarely practiced these days because of the advent of mobile phones. People always assume you are calling the person you wish to speak to directly, so the greetings are non-existent. Neither are goodbyes or thank you's exercised, which is of course wrong. In your case, it's important to know proper phone etiquette because you're a business and the customer will often demand courtesy, so it still pays to know them.