Effective Telephone Skills

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Effective Telephone Skills

• Learning Services Staff Development Workshop

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Aims

• Project a positive Learning Services image
• Develop effective telephone skills
• Enhance customer service skills

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ObjectivesOn completion of the training you
will be able to

• Begin and end a call with greater confidence and
  efficiency.
• Take clear and concise messages
• Demonstrate techniques for positive listening
  speaking

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Learning Services Image

• There is a standard script for answering any
  telephone within Learning Services (see next
  slide)
• Use it consistently
• Give your name - and use the customers name if
  you know it

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A standard greeting
Ideally each call received within Learning
Services should be answered with a standard
greeting. For example Good morning, LINC Help
Desk, Emma Whitfield speaking or Good morning,
Lending Services, Jon Swift speaking This will
ensure that the caller knows he is through to the
correct department, and that he has the name of
the person he is speaking to.
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Basic Telephone Skills 1

• Effective communication/ speaking skills
• Tone of voice -
• FLAT INDIFFERENT- bored, lack of interest in
  job, not interested in caller or conversation
• ENTHUSIASTIC - interested in the conversation,
  likes job, wants to help caller
• CARING - interested in caller, wants to help
• COLD - hostile, hates job, wants to be anywhere
  but here

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Basic Telephone Skills 1 cont

• Effective communication/ speaking skills
• Word content
• Keep jargon to a minimum in order to avoid
  confusing customers
• Your use of technical words could intimidate the
  customer who may have a lower level of expertise
  in a particular area. Use language they
  understand!

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Basic Telephone Skills 1 cont

• Effective communication/ speaking skills
• You need to speak at a rate that can be
  understood, and how the customer responds will
  effect this -
• A slower rate of speech may indicate confusion or
  fatigue
• A faster rate of speech might indicate anger or
  impatience

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Basic Telephone Skills 2

• Effective Listening skills
• Pay attention
• Assess the customers level of expertise
• Its very valuable to know if they are novices or
  experts
• Knowing their level can save a lot of time
• Echo important points
• Take notes
• Unit 4 covers listening skills

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Answering calls effectively

• Answer the phone promptly
• within 3 rings is standard practice
• Identify the Department and yourself immediately
• Let the caller hear you smile!
• Smiling conveys a pleasant tone to your voice.
  Use the callers name if you can as it gives a
  personal touch and helps to establish rapport.
• Transfer calls only when you have to
• try to resolve the callers problem yourself
  whenever possible. If you must transfer the call
  ensure you explain why!

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Answering calls effectively

• Think about your words and how they might be
  received

Hes not in yet - the caller thinks whats
wrong with this guy, cant he get to work on
time? Hes in a meeting - Oh Yes... just
giving me the run around Shes still at lunch -
must be nice to take such long lunches I dont
know when hell be back - nobody knows whats
going on in that department!
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Taking better messages

• Get complete information
• Use a pad
• Record date and time
• Spell names accurately
• Dont be afraid to ask how names are spelt -
  people will be flattered
• What does the caller want?
• a return call? The caller will call back?
• Avoid telephone tag. When is a good time to call?

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Taking better messages cont

• Ask, can you help?
• This does two things. It provides you with
  information about the purpose of the call that
  you can pass on in the message, or it may
  eliminate the necessity for a return call if you
  can help by providing the caller with the
  information required.
• Take responsibility - follow through
• its amazing how lax people are about returning
  calls and following up enquiries. It is OK to
  say I dont know but Ill find out for you but
  ensure you follow this up by calling them back
  with an answer to their question.

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Improved Customer ServiceWhat callers like!

• Flexibility
• Follow-up
• Answering the phone promptly
• Friendliness Courtesy
• Responsiveness
• Updates on progress
• Pleasant Helpful Staff
• Personalized treatment
• Going above and beyond

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Conclusion

• Good telephone skills mean more
  satisfied customers
• They are just as important as face-to-face
  communication skills
• Effective telephone skills mean problems are
  solved more quickly and efficiently
• Good speaking and listening skills give customers
  a more positive image of the service and Learning
  Services as a whole