How to Speak Professionally on the Phone

originated by:Sandra J. Wyatt, Jack Herrick, Ben Rubenstein, Imperatrix (see all)

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How many times have you spoken with someone on the phone and thought to yourself how unprofessional they were?
Make sure others are not saying the same about you.

editSteps

1. 1
1.Answer the phone in as few rings as possible. No one likes to be forced to wait.
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2. 2
2.Prepare yourself with a pen and paper while taking a call so that you can note down the information of the
customer.

3. 3
3.Identify yourself and the company you work for (if at work) as soon as you answer. For example, say "Thank you for
calling wikiHow, this is John speaking."

4. 4
4.Always assume someone from your organization is listening in on the conversation.Organizations adding this ability
in will usually announce it AFTER they have installed and used it.

5. 5
5.Always ask before putting someone on hold, and wait for a reply.

6. 6
6.Check that the intended recipient is happy to take the call. If somebody asks if they can speak to someone specific, tell
the caller that you will "try their line" before putting them on hold and checking that the recipient is a) available and b) ready to
speak to them.

7. 7
7.Use correct grammar. Always remember to say "Jane and I" for your subject, and reserve "me and Jane" when you are the
direct object (i.e. "Jane and I went to the store" vs. "He talked to me and Jane"). Do not leave the word "at" dangling at the
end of a sentence. Ex.: "I do not know where it is at."

8. 8
8.That old adage, "the customer is always right" holds some truth - however not all the time. The one thing you can
count on, though, is that you will never win an argument with a customer. When the customer is wrong, gently explain the
 correct "truth", in a positive manner. If the customer gets upset and his tone changes to one of annoyance or anger, do not
mirror him. Maintain your pleasant tone! "Reflect" his or her feelings back, so that s/he feels you have really heard the
complaint; saying things like, "I can hear how frustrating this is for you, and I'm so sorry for that" can go a long way toward
soothing an irritated client. If the customer is not satisfied, ask what he or she would like done. Consider it and accept it or tell
the customer why you cannot accept. Offer alternatives, if possible.

9. 9
9.Try to solve the problem within the call time .

10. 10
10.Phone conversation lacks the obvious input of body language; the recipient on the other end will receive your true
intentions through the actual tone of voice you use during the call. Your tone will say more than the actual words that
come out of your mouth. Having said this, smile when you speak on the phone! This point of smiling really hit home with the
senior management of a call center, and they placed little mirrors at each of the Agent's stations that said: "What you see is
what they hear."

11. 11
11.Use the caller's name, whenever possible. It shows that you are a good listener and adds a personal touch "I'm sorry
John, but Mark isn't available at the moment. Can I help you with anything or take a message?"

12. 12
12.When calling another person, identify yourself first. For example, say "This is Mary Hunter calling for Louis Meyer,
please."

13. 13
13.Remember to close your conversation with a professional closing. End your conversations with a sincere "Good-day",
or "Thank you".
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editTips
• Avoid "Ah," "Um," "Like" and other meaningless 'filler' words or sounds.
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• Be aware of background noise on your side and how the recipient will interpret it.
• If you must cause the other party an inconvenience, apologize profusely.
• Do not chew gum, eat, or drink while on the phone with a caller
• Avoid using the mute or hold button when serving a customer; this should only be used when additional help
is needed from a supervisor or 'coach'.
• If you recognize a problem caller that is likely to complain about you, act preemptively. Contact a supervisor
and request that they either take the call themselves or monitor the conversation.
1.
 Workers in call centers have had retractions of reprimands by using this method. If the
reprimand was made because of that caller, the manager can see that the caller escalated
 the situation. This is especially true if the supervisor takes the call, and the problem caller
calls back to then complain about the supervisor! (This has happened, and it greatly reduces
the credibility of that caller.)
• If logs are kept about accounts at your organization, make note when the caller behaves badly (not if they are
just angry).

editWarnings
• Remember that not everyone understands the ABC's of professionalism. Give courtesy even when you don't
receive it.
• Remember that after you have handled the problem caller, the next caller is another person. Stand up, stretch
and greet them like nothing had happened before.
• Customer representatives must take a break for 5 minutes after a hard or a tough call