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The Perfect Answer
By
Peter L DeHaan
December 6, 2006
How often
have you called a company and wondered if you reached the right number? All too
often, calls are answered hurriedly, haphazardly, or incompletely. Or perhaps
the agent seems out of breath by the time they complete a lengthy,
tongue-twisting answer. It is vital that all calls be consistently answered in
the same way, regardless of location or agent. Here are three parts of the
ideal way to do so:
Greeting: The greeting is simply "Good morning," Good
afternoon," or "Good evening." During the holiday season, "Happy holidays," or
"Season's greetings" may be used. The greeting signals to the caller that the
phone has been answered – and that it is time for them to listen! If the caller
is not focused or needs to adjust their listening to the agent, these words give
time for this to happen, but are also not critical if they are missed. Lastly,
the greeting serves to set a positive tone for the call.
Company Identity: The company identity is simply the
name of your organization or client, such as, "Acme Call Center." It lets
callers know who they have reached, thereby confirming that their call has gone
through correctly. In general, say the company name as it would be used by and
most familiar to people outside the organization. Therefore, drop legal
suffixes, such an Inc, LLC, and Ltd, or other formal adornments that would
confuse the caller rather than clarify. For the same reason, don't shorten or
abbreviate the company name either. Saying "ACC" when everyone knows you as
"Acme Call Center" serves no useful purpose.
Agent Identity: The final element is your first
name. It adds a valuable personal touch. It is much easier for a caller to get
mad at an anonymous voice, than an identifiable person. Using your name also
allows you to build a rapport and establish a track record with the caller. As
the last word of the answer phrase, it is also the one most easily remembered by
the caller. Omitting your name implies an avoidance of personal involvement.
Ending with your name, signals confidence and competence, which are critical in
problem solving and customer service situations.
Avoid Unnecessary Addendums:
It is all too common for people to tack on the inane phrase, "How may I direct
your call?" A direct response to this senseless question would be "quickly and
accurately." This is not effective communication; drop such pointless
embellishments.
Putting
these elements together, results in the perfect answer:
"Good morning, Acme Call Center, this is Fred."
Peter DeHaan is
Publisher of Connections Magazine,
addressing the teleservices and outsourcing call center industry. At the
website you may read call center articles and whitepapers,
subscribe to the magazine, and read or download past issues. Also, check
out Peter's blog
and
outsourcing
call center newsfeed.
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