They say first impressions say a lot about your business. For many potential new customers, the first time they interact with or meet your business is when they call on the phone.
The entire process of answering company phones, from how quickly you answer to how you conclude the call and what is said in between, either with a live person or a voice-recording, can determine whether potential customers choose to do business with you… or not!
There’s a saying that goes, “Little things mean a lot”. Far too many businesses take answering the phone for granted. After all, what is so hard about answering the phone? However, having a set policy and procedure for answering the phone not only ensures the phone is answered the way you want it to be, but it also implies to ALL employees that you are a professional organization in ALL areas of your company.
With today’s business climate of limited and multi-tasking staff, there is often little time to answer the phones appropriately. In this case, a professional voicemail should be used in place of a live voice. Just because a customer is unable to reach you does not mean they cannot be greeted with a message and feeling that creates a positive impression.
Remember that when someone calls your business they want something, and it’s typically an answer to a question. In the 15 Rules to Phone Call Etiquette, Rule #5 is, “Take Notes”. Even if you are using a voicemail system, ask the caller if they would prefer to leave a message or be sent to the person’s voicemail. “Little things” do mean a lot!
Having a policy and set procedure on how you expect your phones to be answered is a small but important part of operating a professional business.
If you would like to see the 15 Rules to Phone Call Etiquette, click here.