What Does Your Customer Service Phone Manner Say About Your Business?

Do you know how your employees handle your company’s calls? How you answer your business phone calls is a reflection on your company. For example, if you answer your phone calls in a rude, loud and disruptive manner you will loose custom. Common sense, right?! Well, phone rudeness is on the rise; poor manners and lack of respect is resulting in profit loss for businesses nationwide.

There is no boundaries when phone rudeness is involved and many businesses have developed a disrespectful attitude towards the average customer. This approach is resulting in loss of customers and profits. For a flawless customer service, your business needs to adapt these six simple phone etiquette rules:

1. Mobile and Your Business Sounds Unprofessional

The mobile phone was introduced in the UK in 1985 and now, there are statistically more mobile phones in the country than people. Mobile phone owners can answer phone calls when and where they please. Mobile businesses rely heavily on the use of a mobile phone and they are a great asset to have when leaving work premises for meetings. However some businesses are using them insignificantly. An unprofessional setting, a muffled voice and unwanted background noise, makes your company sound amateur.

2. Body Language Counts Even on the Phone

Some individuals believe that their body language doesn’t matter when on the phone, as the recipient cannot see them. These people couldn’t be more wrong. If you’re collapsed on your sofa with your feet up, you will sound sloppy and disinterested. Whereas if you are standing up straight, you will come across as being happy to assist customer queries. Furthermore, barging around while taking a phone call makes you seem flustered and intimidated – and will not give the best impression to your customers.

3. Forget Multi-Tasking While on the Phone

Many business workers are incredibly busy and are often seen juggling tasks with little time. In order to save time, these workers often fall into the habit of multi-tasking their work while taking phone calls. This is a bad practise. The person on the end of the line will view you as being rude and not interested. As a result, customers feel like an annoyance and will find custom elsewhere.

4. Don’t Willingly Put Your Customers on Hold

Putting a customer on hold seems like a simple enough practice, but an increasing amount of customers are being put on hold without any notice. You should make it routine to ask customers: “is it okay if I put you on hold?” By politely asking this, your customers will feel in-control of the conversation. The same rule applies when putting a customers on loud speaker.

5. Make It Your Business to Know Your Customers

Remarks such as “that’s not our business policy” and “that’s not my job”, are simply pitiful and pervasive excuses for ignoring to take complaints further. Who cares if it’s not your company’s policy? Make it yours. How can you reason hanging up on a customer? If you don’t have the answers, seek for input from management on the situation.

6. Leave Your Personal Problems at Home

Never bring any personal problems to business phone conversations. Customers do not want to hear about your routine doctors appointment or your adorable friends newborn. There is a fine-line between being attentive and being domineeringly intimate. Saying this, you should not disturb business phone conversation to answer co-workers questions. And colleagues should never discuss clients and general chit-chat in the presence of a phone call.

Read more: Rudies All Around