Effective Telephone Communication Skills Anyone can answer a phone. It's how you answer it that determines whether the caller will continue to engage or call elsewhere. Because of this, the person answering your business phone is often the first interaction that customers will have with your company. It's important to make it count! Good telephone etiquette is critical for the success of your business. In fact, 90% of consumers will not do business with a company after experiencing poor customer service on a phone call. Additionally, it takes 12 positive customer experiences to make up for a single, unresolved negative telephone experience. Six telephone communication skills are outlined below. Positive Tone of Voice Tone of voice is one of the most important topics to focus on in a call center or answering service. Because callers are unable to pick up on body language over a phone call, tone of voice becomes their main method of determining the call operator's attitude. A friendly voice can instill comfort in your caller, and starting a conversation with a pleasant greeting sets the tone for the whole phone call. Contrarily, answering a call ina rushed or annoyed manner puts a negative spin on the conversation, Imagine your caller is a patient handling a medical emergency or a homeowner dealing with a crisis. The last thing you want is for your caller to feel even more nervous or anxious than they already are. To prevent this, talk to your customers in a way that includes positive language and shows compassion. Clear Enunciation Enunciation allows the caller to fully understand what's being said. Have-you ever spoken to a call operator who talks too quickly or quietly? If so, you can understand how frustrating a lack of enunciation is for your callers. When speaking to callers, you want to be aware of your rate of speech. A normal rate of speech is 125 words per minute. Speaking to callers at this rate shows interest, and satisfies callers. Speaking slower than 125 words per minute conveys boredom while speaking faster can convey impatience. When a caller is unable to understand their call operator, less time is spent on the original purpose of the call. Clear enunciation can be the difference between a productive conversation and one overrun by confusion.2 Sincerity Callers develop trust for agents who start the convers; address their problem. A good phone service ation with a sincere wish to compassionate, and caring. agent should be genuine Individuals will call your business for va directions, others could call durin, rying reasons. While some want to know t! ing reasons. Whil may call for simple ig a troubling time in their life. Regardless, both callers that the person on the other end of the line can meet their needs. The caller's issue likely u ly will not be solved on one phone call. However, an experienced Phone agent will Pass on detailed information to the appropriate parties, bringing the caller one step closer to a resolution. Engagement Although not every call involves a crisis or emergency, professional phone agents are trained to remain engaged on every call. This allows them to properly handle crisis calls when they do come across one, even when the calls start routinely. Engaging with customers over the phone allows for them to feel heard and understood. A caller who feels heard will believe that their issue is going to be solved, and will be satisfied with your company. Improve your caller engagement by: + Preparing + Identifying + Focusing + Repeating + Helping + Thanking Active Listening Active listening is an essential aspect of good communication skills. When operator(s) demonstrate good listening skills, customers will feel as though their concerns are valid. active listening includes four key parts: Pay Attention + Encourage + Question ReflectUsing these four fundamental parts of listening will make for posit an increase in customer satisfaction, The eee Happy, satisfied customers become repeat customers ar S| ind can even for your business through word of mouth or social monk lead to referras la. Going Beyond Message Taking Improving customer satisfaction is not accurately relaying it to the business, professional customer ‘support. only about taking a caller's message and its about providing compassionate and When fielding inbound calls, call operators must act as the voice of the company and recognize the responsibility that comes with that. For that brief moment on the call, call operators fully represent the brand and are responsible for providing a positive impression on their callers. Those impressions are lasting, and when handled correctly, will serve you and your business well later. Key Points sIncorporating these effective communication skills into your call center or workplace is a great way to improve the customer service for your business! + By using a positive tone, clear enunciation, sincerity, engagement, and active listening, you will create satisfied and happy customers who will remain loyal to your company and likely bring in referrals!