Creating a positive impression of your company is critical to success. Your phone procedures and the impression your employees make when answering a call impacts whether callers want to do business with your company.
What impression do you make when someone calls your organization?
Setting appropriate expectations. When someone calls your office, you want the caller to think – “This is a company I want to do business with.”
When was the last time you called your office phone number? If you have not done so for some time, call in during business and non-business hours.
During business hours:
If you have someone assigned to answer the phone during normal business hours, it is important to listen to how they answer the phone.
There are several points to consider:
1. Did they answer the phone with a positive, helpful voice?
2. Do they convey the key points you want callers to hear?
3. If the call is to be transferred, did the person transferring the call stay on the line until a successful transfer is completed?
4. If the transfer cannot be completed, did the call ring back to the person who answered the call so they can take a message?
5. If they took a message, was it relayed to the appropriate party?
If you set up an automated attendant to answer, think about who will be calling and where do you want them directed. You may want calls directed to a specific functional area or a specific person. The options differ by system.
After normal business hours, the recorded message should tell the caller what to expect as a next step after they leave a message.
Returning calls. Every effort should be made to return a call within 24 hours. If the person is unable to return the call, have another person return the call and let the caller know what will happen next.
Setting up a positive expectation when the phone is answered and then responding to the call within a stated timeframe will reinforce that your organization is committed to good customer service and values its relationship with its customers.
The impression your organization makes on people who call influences their decision about doing business with you.
Share your experiences and lessons learned with us. We will post those experiences on the blog.
If you don’t have the time or resources to set up your phone answering protocol to convey a positive message to your customers and prospects, we can help.
Contact us to set up a consultation and explore how we can help you with this and other business development challenges. We can be reached at (862) 209-1363 or at aberger@bergerbusinessadvisors.com.
