Guide to Excellence

in Telephone Etiquette
Prepare yourself
to answer the call

 Stop attending to the task you are currently doing

 Try to answer the call within 3 rings
 Make sure you are not eating, drinking, or chewing gum
 Take a deep breath and clear your head
 When answering the phone speak clearly and avoid speaking fast.
 Avoid negative language and slang
 Always speak with a positive and respectful voice
 Have a paper and pen in front of you to make notes of the call
Attitude and energy

 “Noise” is a kind of distraction so make sure you have no interruptions from co-workers
 Don`t interrupt with co-workers once you answer the call
 If your office is to loud go to a more quiet place if it is possible
 Maintain a professional and energetic demeanour
The Greeting

 When answering the call make sure you follow the steps below:
- Greeting: “Good morning/Good afternoon”
- Thanking: “Thank you for calling Your Support Line”
- Introducing yourself and the company: “You are speaking to John from
XYZ Ltd”
- “How may I assist you?/ How can I help you today?”
 First Listen, then Speak

 Focus on what is the client saying

 Limit your own talking
 Use reflective phrases (e.g. Mr Smiths, you mentioned….)
 Try to understand the issue then ask questions starting with “who, what, why, how, where,
or when”
Data Protection

 Due to GDPR regulations you need to make sure that before you disclose any information
you have the authority to do so
 Tell the client that due to Data Protection you need to ask some questions
 If the client passes the questions you can carry on with the call
 If the client gives you wrong answers you need to advise them to call back another time as
now you are not able to discuss the matter.
 General information, such as our telephone number, email address, opening hours or
address can be given without asking any Data Protection questions.
 If you believe you breeched GDPR report it to your line manager immediately
Message Taking if
it is not your case
 If the caller`s case is handled by another co-worker transfer the call. If your colleague is
out of their desk/office, ask the client to provide you the following details:
- Name
- Name of the company they are calling from
- Their contact number
- Reason for the call, or reference number
 Do not give a time to the client when your colleague will return their call as you don`t
know their time schedule, however make them comfortable by telling them that you will e-
mail your colleague with their details as soon as you hang up the phone with them.
 After receiving all the above details please email your colleague immediately and ask them
to call the client at their earliest convenience.
Placing a client on hold

 Before doing so, please ask permission to place them on hold

 Wait until they respond
 Tell them how long is the hold going to be
 After 1-2 minutes on hold return to the client and ask if they are alright to hold the phone
further
 When returning to the call thank them for their patience
 If client doesn`t agree to be placed on hold ask for their contact details and advise them
that the case manager will call them back and apologise for the delay.
 If you are being placed on hold please mute the call at all the time.
 Outbound calls

 When calling somebody please make sure you:

- Greet them first: “Good morning/ Good afternoon”
- Introducing yourself and the company: “My name is John from
XYZ Ltd”
- Tell them who do you wish to speak to and what is it regarding to:
“I would like to speak to Jenny from the collection department in relation to
my client`s – Mr Adam Smith`s- case.”
 At the beginning of the conversation you MUST tell them that “ Please be advised that all
our calls are being recorded for training and monitoring purposes.”
 If we don`t inform them about the call being recorded we won`t be able to use the phone call
as evidence in Court!
Speaking to an
angry client
 Make sure you never raise your voice
 Let them speak and make sure their voice is heard
 Acknowledge and validate their frustration
 Never use swear words or disrespectful language
 Try to keep your voice calm and relaxed
 Paraphrase or repeat back their complaint to confirm you understand it
 Make them comfortable by saying “I understand your point of view, however….. Or I understand your concerns, but….”
 Ask them what they would like to see happen
 Identify what can you do for them
 Ask them politely to give you a chance to reply
 If the client is still using vulgar language or shouting, tell them you have to finish this call but you are happy to talk to him
once he calms down and speak to you in a respectful manner.
 Do not take it personally and don`t let the call to upset you.
Message recording

 If your call hasn`t been answered it is recommended to leave a voicemail. Please include the following in your
message:
- Greeting
- Your name
- Name of organisation you are calling from
- What is the call in relation to
- Your contact details – say it slowly and clearly, you can repeat it to make sure they have got
the correct number
- You can also let them know your working hours so they know when can they call you
back.
“Good afternoon, my name is Adam Smiths and I am calling from XYZ Ltd. I wished to discuss the email you sent
me in relation to our client`s – Mrs Jennifer Smith`s case with you, reference number is 123456. Please call me
back on 07799856589 or on 0333 880 4405 between 9am and 5pm to discuss the next steps. Have a nice day,
Adam Smiths.”
Internal Calls

 When speaking to your colleagues on the phone please always:

- use official language
- be polite
- be respectful
- speak clearly
- have a reason to call
 Always return the missed calls
 If your colleague does not answer the phone leave a voicemail
 If your colleague`s phone is ringing and they are not at their desk please answer the call after 3
rings by pressing *21 on the keypad. The call will be reverted to your device and you will be able
to answer the phone.
Taking payment
through the phone

 If a client wishes to pay through the phone please follow the steps below:
- Ask the client to wait a second while you stop the phone to record the
conversation
- Press *1 to stop the call recording
- Take the card details from the client
- After you have taken the card details, press *1 to continue recording
the call. Inform the client that now the call will be recorded again.
- Thank the client for the payment
- Advise them they will receive a paid invoice by email within 72 hours
Closing the conversation

 Before ending the phone call, make sure the client understands what is being
communicated by summarizing the conversation before hanging up
 Thank the client for the call or if you called them thank them for their time
 Wish them a pleasant afternoon/day/weekend