Telephoning skills

Serving people on the phone

As a caller, how do you feel about the way she
receive your phone call?

Does she sound professional and sincere at the

same time? How can you tell that?
Now, watch the video again and Note the things you should do to build
good impression on the phone call
• Answer by the second ring
• Use a cheerful tone of voice
• Identify yourself (and your company)
• Be prompt but not hurried
• Give the caller options
• Note down time and date of call
• Ask for name and get the spelling correct.
• Ask for company name and phone number
• Record the message
• Verify the message
 Identifying Yourself
Thank you for calling Smith’s Inc. This is Joan,
how may I help you?
This is Ken, how can I help you?
Ken’s speaking, how may I help you?
Etc.
 Asking Someone Properly
COULD
Could I ask who is calling, please?

CAN
Can I get your phone number?

MAY
May I know how you spell your name, please?”
Telephoning skills
How to Talk
What will you if are not the
right person to handle the
caller’s need?
Watch this video and share what you think
about the customer service
 So…What should
She has done better?
NOTE!
please define the difference between
positive language and negative language,
and give an example for each!
 “I want to receive my package!!”
How do you transform these response with positive sentence
• “so, what I heard is there’s problem with the shipping”
• “are you saying that we failed to deliver your package on time?”
• “I’m sorry, I don’t understand you”
Generally this happens when we
lack certain information, or when
the customer is very anxious or
upset and catches us off guard.
Use the following phrases to
communicate that you have it all
under control, even when things
feel a little shaky:
To assuage or calm a customer:
• I’m going to take care of this for you…
• I assure you…
• I understand where you’re coming from.
To prevent doubt when you don’t know:
• One moment please.
• Let me find that out for you.
• Let me forward you to our X specialist.
To express professionalism:
• Thank you for bringing that to our attention.
• We’re very happy to…
• On behalf of our company, I would like to thank
you for your patience.
 Success on the telephone
• Don’t panic • Listen carefully
• Learn the key vocabulary • Soften your language
• Learn some key phrases • Create a positive
• Start and finish well atmosphere
• Learn to control the call • Give yourself time
Telephoning skills
Emotional Intelligence
“
Emotional intelligence is the ability to perceive emotions, to
access and generate emotions so as to assist thought, to
understand emotions and emotional knowledge, and to
reflectively regulate emotions so as to promote emotional
“
and intellectual growth.
Peter Salovey and John Mayer.
Daniel Goleman has popularized this idea and developed it
by creating five components of emotional intelligence:
• Self-awareness – the ability to recognize and understand your moods and
emotions, as well as their effect on others.
• Self-regulation – the ability to control disruptive impulses, to suspend judgment
and to think before acting.
• Internal motivation – a passion to work for internal reasons that go beyond
money and status (e.g. learning, experiencing, having a happy family).
• Empathy – the ability to understand emotions of other people.
• Social skills – the ability to manage relationships and build networks.
 Now, how can you relate the
components of emotional intelligence
to your telephoning skills?
 Guess What?!!
You guys have really brilliant thoughts!!
NOTE !!
What are the important
points of handling a
phone call based on the
video?
Watch the next video,
and think about these questions:
1.What you think about the customer service in details.
2.What you think he should have done better.
Use Empathy to Win

1. Listen carefully 4. Allow them to ‘get it all out’

2. Smile 5. Be respectful
3. Make it your problem 6. See it through their eyes
7. Understand their priorities
8. Show that you care
9. Begin with a positive statement
• Something like “Okay, we can fix this…” or “Right, let’s get this problem sorted
for you…” will reassure the customer that you are taking ownership of the
problem.
10. Avoid assumptions
Telephoning skills
Telephone Etiquette
You can watch the
video again and note
the Dos and Don’ts
for a phone call.
 How to Act in Different Situations
Making an Outgoing Business Call
Before making an outgoing business call, make sure you always have:
1. Clarified in your mind the objective for the call
2. The correct documents to to hand
3. A message pad and pen/pencil near the telephone
4. The phone number/extension
5. The name of the person you are calling or the second contact i.e. secretary
6. A note of the points you wish to raise.
Leaving a message
Sometimes, there may not be anyone to answer the telephone and you
will need to leave the message. Make sure the person who should receive
your message has all the information he/she needs.

1. Introduction
“hello, this is Ken” or “Hello, My name is Ken Berry..”
2. State the time of day and your reason calling
“it’s ten in the morning, I’m phoning (calling, ringing) to find out if… / to see if… / to let you know that… / to tell you
that…
3. Make a request
“could you call (ring, phone) me back?” or “would you mind…?”
4. Leave your telephone number
“My number is ….” or “You can reach me on…”
5. Finish
“Thanks a lot” or “I’ll talk to you later”

As you can see, leaving a message is pretty simple.

Getting people to slow down

1. Immediately ask the person to speak slowly

“Could you please speak a little slower?”
2. When taking notes of name or important
information, repeat each piece of information
as the person speaks.
3. Do not say you have understood if you have
not. Ask the person to repeat until you
understand.
4. If the person does not slow down, begin
speaking your own language.
Now, practice yourself to
leave a message
Telephoning skills
Dealing with People
1. The Single But Ready to Mingle (The Flirt)
They’re one of the most predictable types of callers, and therefore are easier to
thwart in their inappropriate flirtation. Score 1 for professional behavior!

How to deal with The Flirt

• Don’t let The Flirt run the conversation. Stay in control by leading with questions.
• Always bring the conversation back to business.
• Refrain from giggling or flirting back–stay professional but polite.
• Don’t take the flirtation personally. They don’t know you! Some use flirt behavior
to develop a quick connection over the phone, possibly to get better service.
• Always end an exchange if it makes you uncomfortable, and let someone know.
2. The Incredible Hulk (The Screamer)
The Screamer might come off cool and logical at first, and then launch into a
loud tirade. They might start yelling from the moment you pick up the phone.
They might include curse words and insults that you are simply not
comfortable hearing. You should know when it’s time to transfer a caller to
someone else or simply end the exchange.

How to deal with screamer

• Be courteous but firm
• Remember the customer’s perspective
• Stay calm
• Sincerely apologize
• Offer solutions
3. The Lonely One
The Lonely One calls with a weak question (What type of account do I have
again?) and wants to stay on the call as long as possible. That’s because the
business of their original call isn’t really important to them–they simply
wanted to hear another human being’s voice.

How to deal with The Lonely One

You aren’t a therapist and the company line is not the place to deal with
anyone’s personal issues.
• The Lonely One has a way of making you pity them and feel guilty for trying
to get off the line. Don’t.
• Turn the conversation back to business with as much tact as possible when
they digress.
4. The Gossiper
The Gossiper can get personal–telling you about his or her life, hardships, family,
and friendships. Or, The Rambler can be all business, asking tons of questions
about your product or service, or asking the same questions over and over
again.

How to deal with The Gossiper

When you find yourself sharing the line with The Gossiper, try including key
phrases that signify the end of your conversation, like:
• I don’t want to take up any more of your time…
• Before I let you go, I wanted to add one more thing…
• It’s been a pleasure speaking with you!
• Is there anything else I can help with before I go?
• Excellent. I’ll confirm that and email the confirmation to you.
• I appreciate your call, did we get all your questions answered?
5. The False Hope (The Tease)
They call, they act like they want your product or service, and they do a wonderful
job of appearing interested. They say “Ooh” and “Aah” at the right moments and
allow you to run through an entire sales pitch before they flatly or indifferently say,
“Nah.”

How to deal with The Tease

Much like a date that dries up and never calls again, there isn’t much you can do
about The Tease once they’ve hung up and scampered back to their daily lives. All
you can do is wonder what went wrong and continue providing great customer
service.
• Don’t blame yourself for the hang up. This type of caller is known for it.
• Always give the information a caller asks for, even if you’re worried they might be
The Tease.
6. The Inconsiderate
Someone calls your company and starts, for lack of a better word, whining about an
issue they’ve experienced. This is completely different from a caller that expresses
disappointment or dissatisfaction with their experience–these types of callers are
full-on whining, rising and falling intonation included.

How to handle The Inconsiderate

• Be respectful of the caller’s complaints
• Use active listening to mirror their statements
• Find out what will satisfy the caller and do your best to provide it
7. The Megaphone
Oh, HELLO! IT’S THE MEGAPHONE. Like The Low Talker (you’ll meet him below), The
Megaphone has only one volume, and let’s just say it goes to 11. They aren’t rude,
they aren’t angry, and apparently, they aren’t aware that they are shouting
everything they say throughout the entire call.

How to handle The Megaphone

• The Megaphone isn’t shouting out of anger, so don’t respond with anger
• Turn the volume on your receiver or headset down
• Speak at an appropriate volume–don’t shout back
8. The Whisperer
You’ll recognize these types of callers immediately. The Whisperer only has one
volume and no matter how many times you politely ask them to speak up or repeat
something, the decibel level doesn’t change.

How to handle The Whisperer

• Turn the volume all the way up on your headset or receiver
• Apologize and explain that you are having trouble hearing the caller
• Repeat all information back to them to ensure you’re not mishearing
9. The Privileged
This caller wants to speak to your supervisor–and then when they aren’t able to
correct the issue, wants to speak to their supervisor, and so on. They are
demanding, quite possibly arrogant, and especially difficult to manage.

How to handle The Privileged

The best thing you can do? Keep your caller on the line with you long enough to
show them you are capable of and invested in solving the problem they’re
experiencing.
You can do that by telling them the supervisor is currently unavailable, but that you
are more than happy to help them right now. Be polite. Don’t argue with the caller
and reassure them that the problem will be taken care of.
• Don’t transfer the call
• Be polite
• Be agreeable
• Reassure
• Problem solve
10. The Nice Guy
The Nice Guy is a welcome reprieve from other types of callers. The mirage in the
call center desert, Nice Guys speak at an appropriate volume, treat you with
respect, and pride themselves on pleasant interactions. They know exactly what
they need help with, and they don’t blame you for any issues they’ve experienced.

How to handle The Nice Guy

• Speak your appreciation – “You’ve been such a joy, thanks for calling and have a
wonderful afternoon!”
• Don’t talk negatively about other callers to The Nice Guy
• Do something extra for them (a promo code, discount, follow up email, etc.)
 ROLE PLAY
Pair up! Student A will be the caller,
Student B will answer the phone call!
 ROLE PLAY
STUDENT A
Choose a city in your country. You are
going to travel to this city for a business
meeting over the next weekend. Call a
travel agency and reserve the
following:
1. Round trip flight
2. Hotel room for two nights
3. Restaurant recommendation
4. Prices and departure time
STUDENT B
You work in a travel agency. Listen to
student A and offer him/her the following
solutions:
1. Round trip flight: Air JW $450 Coach
class, $790 First class
2. Hotel rooms for two nights: Hotel city
$120 a night in the downtown area,
Hotel Relax $110 a night near the
airport
3. Restaurant recommendation: Chez
Marceau – downtown – average price
$70 a person