Telephone Etiquette
A potential caller to the University forms an opinion about us in the first 4 to 6 seconds. The person who answers the phone represents the University. Anyone who answers or uses the phone can maximize its powerful potential.
Answer promptly on the first ring, if possible.
Don’t be too busy to be nice. Being busy does not give carte blanch to be rude. (The caller doesn’t know you’re on a tight deadline.)
Answer the phone with the name of your department and your name. Everyone likes to know who they’re talking with. This holds true for internal as well as external calls. Use a healthy buffer (a friendly greeting) before you say your name – it indicates a warm reception. (Example: “Good Morning, telephone repair, Victor speaking.”)
When transferring a call, always give the full name and telephone number of the person you are transferring the caller to. This will eliminate the need for the caller to call you back in the future and will provide good customer relations.
If you need to leave the line to obtain information, it is courteous to give the caller the option of waiting or being called back. You might ask, “Would you prefer to hold or shall I call you back?” If the caller waits, give a progress report every 30 seconds or so. This lets the caller know that he/she has not been forgotten. When you return to the line, thank the caller for waiting.
Emotions
Avoid “emotional leakage.” That’s getting mad at a co-worker and taking it out on the caller. Don’t leak negative emotions from one situation into another. The caller wasn't involved with your last conversation.
Don’t take it out on them
If you’re in a bad mood, take a deep breath and regain your professional composure before you pick up the phone.When they take it out on you
When receiving a call where the caller is very upset, it is natural to go on the defensive mode. You need to remember that in most cases, this caller doesn’t even know you personally. You just happened to answer the phone; you are now his/her target. DON’T take the caller’s remarks personally.Listen
Allow the caller to vent.Empathize
Acknowledge the person’s feelings.Apologize
When appropriate, even if the problem is not your fault, you can say, “I am really sorry this has happened” and mean it.Be Positive
Suggest or generate a solution that both of you agree on and ask what you can do to help. If reasonable, do it. If not, find a compromise.
Don’t Miss Messages
If your staff are asking “Can I take a message?” when you’re not available, you’re probably missing potentially useful messages. It’s too easy for the caller to say no. Instead, try these suggestions:
Option 1
“Nancy is with another guest right now. Let me take your name and number and I’ll see that she gets your message.”Option 2
“John is not available right now. Would you like to leave a message or be transferred to his voice mailbox?” Remember that it’s the caller’s choice. Either way, the key is to be helpful and pleasant.
Voice Mail
Make sure your voice mail has a professional sounding greeting. If the voice mail is for a department, make sure to include your office hours in the greeting.
When you leave a message on someone’s voice mail, leave your name, telephone number, and a brief description of what the call is about. Be sure to speak slowly and distinctly, especially when providing the telephone number. Spell your first and last name if the recipient is unfamiliar with you or your name is complex or unusual. If the message is lengthy, it’s a good idea to repeat the telephone number at the end so the listener doesn’t need to replay the entire message. All these suggestions will eliminate unreturned messages or the need to play phone tag.
When you plan on being away for any length of time, update your voice mail greeting to reflect the duration of your absence and, in the event the caller needs immediate assistance, provide the telephone number they can call.
Never eat, drink, or chew gum while on the phone.
Don’t leave a line open by laying the handset on the desk; instead place the caller on hold.
Check back with the caller frequently, about every 30-45 seconds.
Irate Callers
Irate callers can take many forms, from the mildly annoyed to those using foul language. The key to dealing with irate callers is empathy, calmness, listening, repeating, and facilitating a solution to the caller’s problem.
First and foremost, do not take the caller’s frustration personally; it is generally targeted toward an unresolved problem. The following is an example for handling irate callers.
First, listen attentively to everything the caller tells you. Then, say the following:
“Thank you for calling. I can tell that you are very upset about (state the caller’s complaint). Let me see if I understand your problem correctly. (Repeat what the caller has said.) I’m sorry that you’re not receiving the service that you desire. Let me see what steps I can take to resolve this for you.” Generally, irate callers are looking for someone willing to listen and to act on their behalf.If the caller is not satisfied, becomes more irate, or becomes verbally abusive, use the following example:
“I understand what you are asking, however, I am unable to resolve this matter for you. Let me transfer you to my supervisor (or the supervisor in a more appropriate department).”Stay on the line to give the caller time to respond to your offer. Give the caller the name, person’s title, or department where you are transferring the call before taking action.
Cell Phone Etiquette
- Don’t take a personal cell phone call during a business meeting. This includes interviews and meetings with co-workers or subordinates.
- Don’t talk in elevators, libraries, theaters, or health center waiting rooms.
- Don’t have emotional conversations in public.
- Don’t use loud and annoying ring tones.
- Don’t attempt to dial a telephone number while driving.
- Do turn your cell phone off or place it on vibrate during meetings, etc.
- Do keep all cell phone conversations short and to the point.
- Do use an earpiece in high-traffic or noisy locations. That lets you hear the amplification or how loud you sound at the other end, so you can modulate your voice.
- Do tell callers when you’re on a cell phone and where you are so they can anticipate distractions or disconnections.
- Do maintain at least a 10-foot zone from anyone while talking.
Basic Good Manners in Placing Telephone Calls
- Let the telephone ring a reasonable length of time. It is frustrating to just get to the telephone and hear a dial tone.
- If you dial a wrong number, apologize promptly and hang up.
- Calling a business at or very near closing time is not thoughtful. When it is time to go home after a long day, do not delay them.
- State your name when placing a call. The game of “guess who this is” may not play very well to a busy friend.
- When speaking to anyone who is working and time is of the essence, make your call informative and short.
- Dial carefully and in proper lighting to avoid calling a wrong number and inconveniencing others.
A final word: handling any telephone call – whether complaints or regular calls – means respecting others. If you keep that in mind, you should effectively handle all telephone calls with poise.