The MeloTel team uses the phone a lot. Considering the fact that we offer services to business owners all over Canada and the United States, it’s mandatory that we use the phone to stay in touch with our clients. As a result, we’ve worked to develop a strong over-the-phone customer service regimen.
When you can’t always speak to your clients face to face, it’s vitally important that you become an expert at developing relationships during phone calls. What are the best ways to demonstrate an unbeatable over-the-phone customer service regimen?
Use body language to help convey your thoughts.
This sounds like a weird tip, doesn’t it? If you’re on the phone and the other person can’t see you, what’s the point of using body language, right? It’s all about being genuine. Your enthusiasm sounds a lot more realistic when you’re actually smiling. We’ve often blogged about the importance of smiling on the phone. Don’t underestimate it!
“Smiling while you’re on the phone makes a difference,” insists Joanie Hales on ZingTrain.com, “Enthusiasm is even more critical on the phone than in person. Remember, with each and every customer, your job is to get them to think they were the best thing that happened to you that day. And just as the customers can hear when you’re smiling on the phone, they can hear it when you are rolling your eyes, too.”
Say their names, say their names.
Before Beyoncé became a global pop sensation as a soloist, she was part of the group, Destiny’s Child. They shot to stardom with the help of their single “Say My Name”. Keep the song’s lyrics in mind every time you speak to one of your customers. It has often been said in the telecommunications industry that there is no sound sweeter than a person’s name. Using it regularly shows familiarity, friendliness and respect.
On every call, be sure to use your customer’s name. And, as Shauna Geraghty advises on TalkDesk.com, “ask the customer their name and pronounce it correctly. This communicates respect for the customer and lets them know that they are important.”
Pay close attention and confirm necessary details.
No matter how familiar you are with your industry, the goings-on of your business or your customers’ most common requests, never assume you know what each caller is looking for. Listen closely. Pay attention and be sure to address the unique and specific needs of each caller. As Hales advises, always read back an order to the customer in order to avoid honest mistakes.
“Four can sound like Forty,” she notes, “The read-back can save hundreds of dollars in costly mistakes! If a customer is phoning in an order for pick-up, tell them where to pick it up and the current wait. You can also go the extra mile by telling them about current parking, traffic details, or explaining to them what the process will be when they arrive to pick up.”
For a dose of MeloTel’s over-the-phone customer service style, please don’t hesitate to call us at 1-888-MELOTEL. Be sure to ask us about our cloud-hosted Commercial Phone Services!
