While the standard "Hello?" greeting is common and sometimes suits professional situations, you may want to offer a more specialized greeting when answering the phone for your organization. For instance, you can state the name of your organization, introduce yourself by name and ask how you might help the caller on the line.
Always answer a phone call by the third or fourth ring. When you fail to use good grammar in your communications, you may be perceived as lazy or uneducated.
While the customer service techniques you use throughout a call may differ depending on the organization you work for and who you're talking to, answering the phone professionally is typically a standard practice. Here are 10 steps you can take to practice answering the phone professionally:
If a decisive pattern customer directly places blame on you, the service provider, a strategy you may use is to: be brief in offering solutions. How someone views an item, situation or others is called _____
d. Put the caller on hold to see if there are any further instructions from the provider
b. obtain at least two identifiers of the patient, including date of birth as well as last and first names.
Data regarding patients may not be given out over the telephone to anyone unless the patient has given written permission for the release of specific information. This authorization is often given with a signature on the ______ form.
The way employees answer the phone often forms a customer or client's first impression of the organization.
While the standard "Hello?" greeting is common and sometimes suits professional situations, you may want to offer a more specialized greeting when answering the phone for your organization. For instance, you can state the name of your organization, introduce yourself by name and ask how you might help the caller on the line.
It's courteous to pick up the phone promptly to avoid making callers wait. Out of respect for the caller's time, try answering any call by the third ring or send it to voicemail if you are unavailable rather than letting it continue ringing. This way, you can help customers and clients in a timely manner.
Save your food and drink for after the call. To remain professional, avoid eating or drinking while you're on a call with a customer, as speaking with food or drink in your mouth can make your enunciation unclear. Create a professional voicemail message.
If your organization is busy or understaffed, clients may experience long wait times before their call even reaches you. This is especially true if your organization screens calls at first using automated systems and menus. Therefore, it's important to respect your caller's time from the very beginning. One way you can do this is by asking the individual before putting them on hold. Explain why you need to do so, and thank them when they oblige. This is a simple addition to your phone etiquette that can go a long way with customers.
Maintaining a positive and upbeat tone can help callers feel welcomed and at ease. Try switching out phrases like "I don't know" for proactive alternatives like "Let me see if I can figure that out for you." If answering calls is part of your job, it's likely your duty to assist clients by properly fielding questions and transferring them to different colleagues or departments. Make sure that you take this duty seriously and treat your callers with kindness and respect.
In order for callers to understand you, avoid using slang and industry-specific buzzwords. Rather than using casual phrases like "cool" and "no problem" on the phone with clients, swap them out for more professional ones, like "very well" and "you're welcome." Even further, try to avoid using filler words like "um," "like" and "y'know," and focus on using appropriate, professional language instead.