Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Etiquette Module
Industry term referring to a company phone center that handles such services
as help desk, customer support, lead generation, emergency response,
telephone answering service, inbound response and outbound telemarketing is
a call center. It is a part of an organization that handles inbound/outbound
communications with customers. A call center is a central place where
customer and other telephone calls are handled by an organization, usually
with some amount of computer automation. Typically, a call center has the
ability to handle a considerable volume of calls at the same time, to screen calls
and forward those to someone qualified to handle them, and to log calls. It is a
functional area within an organization or an outsourced separate facility that
exists solely to answer inbound or place outbound telephone calls; usually a
sophisticated voice operations center that provides a full range of high-volume,
inbound or outbound call-handling services.
Adeel javed (OnecallSolutions)
Outbound Inbound
Inbound v.s Outbound
•Learning Skills
•Communication Skills
•Customer Handling Skills
•Team work and Individual capabilities
•Telephone Etiquettes and the ability to respond professionally
to clients on the telephone
•The candidate's ability to use proper grammar
•Vocabulary skills relevant to a call center position
•Attention to detail and ability to follow specific instructions
•Basic math, logic, analytical and telephone problem solving
skills
•Ability to follow specific instructions
•Telephone problem solving skills
•Taking the time to hear and understand what your customers are saying
is a critical component to call center telephone etiquette.
When callers know you are listening to what they are saying, they
feel important and respected, and the call has a
higher chance for overall success.
• Again, approach each call as if it were your first call of the day. No callers
should have the quality of their service adversely affected because of a
negative call you just completed. As the phone rings after a difficult call,
take a deep breath and tell yourself that just because your last call went
poorly doesn't mean this one will, too. Then get ready to provide the best
service you can.
• As a call center agent, you are at a disadvantage because you cannot see
your customers. You don't know what is happening around them. They
could be stuck in traffic or trying to tend to their children while speaking
with you. In fact, you could be the second or third agent they've spoken to
after being transferred several times. Bottom-line, you don't know what
baggage and distractions they're bringing into the call. Your job is to
ignore those factors and treat customers with respect and care regardless
of their potentially terse tone.
• However, during normal calls when customers speak to you with tones
you don't like, take the opportunity to bring in your A game and bump up
your level of customer service to the peak of your ability. Working with
customers with the goal of providing such good service they'll have to
smile is often the best way to approach negative customers. Sometimes
you'll even succeed, and they're demeanor will change before they hang
up the phone. Then you can pat yourself on the back knowing you
performed your job well, and get ready for the next call.
• It's bad enough that telephone headsets muffle your voice, but speaking
to callers while you're eating, drinking or chewing gum makes your words
unintelligible. Not only is it difficult for customers to understand you, but
the sound of chewing and drinking is amplified when you're talking on the
phone. While you may think you're chewing quietly, to your customers it
may sound very different.
• Remember to say please and thank you. These words go a long way to
showing the customer you respect them and value their business.
• Don't interrupt angry callers Be patient and let them finish speaking.
Sometimes they just need to vent their frustrations then they can relax a
bit and work with you as you try to resolve their problem. Sometimes they
aren't interested in getting help at all. Instead, they may simply want to
voice their anger and complaint. If the customer knows you're listening
and want to help them, there is a strong likelihood they'll calm down.
• Your goal is to bring closure to every call whether that means a completed
sale, a change of address or resolution to a problem from an angry caller.
• By working with this goal in mind each time you answer the phone, you'll
be setting yourself up for success, and you'll be offering customers first-
rate service.
•Accuracy
•Friendliness
•Timeliness
•Efficiency
•Courtesy
•Honesty
Paraphrase
Visualize
& Repeat
•Not only do you need to be able to hear what they are telling you in terms
of sheer data, you need to be able to try to understand what they mean
by what they are saying. This is one of those customer service skills that is most
often polished over an entire career,
but it begins with a willingness to listen and listen closely.
•Aside from being able to listen, you also need to be able to communicate verbally
with the customer. While written communication is another of the
customer service skills you'll want to master, it is verbal communication
that is most often used in today's call centers.
Ability to Empathize
•This is an ability that will most likely be honed over time and it is one of
the customer service skills that can actually erode for some who have
been in this industry for a while. You need to be able to listen and
actually involve yourself in what the customer is telling you about their
situation.
• If you are only following policy and not listening, you may miss
important special considerations that need to be taken into account in
order for customer service to be kept at a high quality level. Empathy is
sensing and understanding the emotions of others and of all the
customer service skills, some will argue that this is most important.
Those who are good at empathy can often win the trust of even the most
dissatisfied customers because those customers will feel they have
someone on their side at last.
•It is important that you can type quickly so that customers do not have
to wait and that you understand the basics of using a computer
and software so that you can properly perform your job.
•This can often help you defuse tense situations and anticipate
what a customer wants before he or she verbalizes it.
This is one skill that can impress customers and your superiors alike.
•The fact is, sometimes in order to maintain professionalism you are going to have
to put on a mask of friendliness and concern.
This does not mean you are attempting to deceive anyone for a nefarious
purpose, but it is important to know how to do.
Even if a customer is irritating you, it is not appropriate to act irritated .
•Basic acting can help you present certain information in a more cheerful
and upbeat tone, make sure your body language and facial expressions convey
what you mean to say and generally help you get into the mindset you must be in so
that you can do your job well.
•Most customer service positions are within companies that have official ways of
handling calls. You will need to be able to not just look over the rules, but actually
internalize them.
•You need to understand the guidelines and then use them the way they are intended.
Those who follow the rules best usually end up working at a company the longest.
•While you can certainly act the opposite of how you feel, it is important to
deal with your own emotions.
•If you can learn to manage your emotions in healthy, productive ways, the stress
of customer service positions will be water off a duck's back to you.
•Many times, in customer service work, you will encounter a problem that is not
covered in the company's guidelines. When this happens, you are going to need to
evaluate the situation and decide whether or not you need a supervisor present.
One of the most important customer service skills to have is being able to decide
whether or not a person is being honest or trying to deceive you.
To do this, you have to be able to analyze data and, preferably, do this quickly.
1. Professionalism
2. Speedy Responses
3. Accurate Information
4. Genuine Concern
5. Reliable Follow-through
• Answer Promptly
• Greet the Caller and Identify Yourself
• Offer to Help
• Listen Carefully
• Use Caller’s name
How to handle?
•Let the customer finish talking. Don’t interrupt.
Use the pressure cooker method
•Be firm and polite else they may not be happy
How to Handle?
•Be firm yet polite
•Be professional
•Avoid being too docile but not rude
How to handle?
•Listen carefully what they have to say
•Sound professional and don’t brush them aside
•Gain their confidence
Definition:
• A customer who goes beyond expressing
anger about a problem and begins attacking
the person handling the him/her
• Often includes swearing and personal attacks