Telephone Etiquette

1. Present a pleasant demeanor. Don’t allow anyone at your business to answer the telephone gruffly with a ‘Yeah?’ Instead, have all identify your business clearly as well as themselves.
2. Make sure no one eats or chews gum while on the telephone. And, make sure no one flips through papers, catches up on some weeding or painting, either. Doing so portrays disinterest and disrespect.
3. Try to return calls within the first 24 hours. That builds customer confidence.
4. Ask the customer whether it’s a good time to talk when placing or returning a call. Be as brief as possible. If the conversation exceeds 10 minutes or so, another appointment could be made.
5. Take a minute to organise thoughts before making an important call. If needed, practice what’s going to be said out loud.
6. Be conversational. Less talking and more listening gives time to respond at appropriate intervals. Let the customer know that what they’re saying is important.

• Whether the person answering the telephone can be heard comfortably. Is the voice too soft? Too loud? Volume is the first but most important factor.
• If the voice on the other end is strained. When someone lacks confidence, nervousness can make listening to the delivery uncomfortable.
• Whether the person speaks in a monotone. Pitch is the spice of speech. It keeps customers interested in what’s being said.
• If the voice is too rapid or too slow. Speaking too quickly may not enable your listeners to understand the message. Speaking too slowly is another great way to put them to sleep.
• Whether the person has good articulation. Are their words pronounced correctly and clearly? Unfortunately, sloppy speech can present your business as one that’s unknowledgeable and careless.