Mobile phone manners

Dealing with difficult calls (complaints)

During

Before

1 Never answer a telephone without a pencil and paper. Keep near your own telephone a pencil and massage pad, an internal telephone directory, an appointment diary.

2 Stop talking to anyone else and reduce any other noise before picking up the telephone receiver.

1 Think about the needs of the receiver and give them everything they need to know, for example, announce your name and department (in a cheerful voice!).

2 Be prepared to answer the query, or take a message for someone who can, or transfer the call.

3 Listen carefully what the caller has to say and take notes; they will form the basis either of your action or of a message. Check that you have the right facts in the message.

4 Don’t hesitate to ask the speaker to slow down or to spell names and addresses if they are unclear, and always read them back.

5 Compensate for the lack of visual communication: the nods of normal conversation must be replaced by verbal equivalents, for example, ‘Yes, I see…’, ‘Fine, I’ll let him know…’, ‘I’m not sure I agree with that…,’ ‘Really?’ But avoid using over-familiar or slang expressions like ‘You’re not serious!’, ‘Yeah’, ‘Good God!’

6 Avoid saying the caller to ‘hold the line’ while you go on a paper chase; offer to call back.

7 Jot down your own reactions as well as points of hard information.

8 Before the call ends, repeat back the main points of the conversation and always read back any names, addresses, numbers, dates and times, to give the caller a chance to correct any errors or omissions.

9 Telephone etiquette requires that since the caller is paying, they should be the one to decide when the call ends.

Things to remember Alwaysvolunteer to help rather than to be asked. Alwayslet the caller let off steam without interruption until their anger is spent. Always show you are taking a serious interest by playing back the details of the complaint in your own words. Always encourage callers to voice all their complaints before starting to deal with any of them. Alwaysoffer sympathy to the caller (I can understand how annoying that must have been’) but without overdoing it.

Things to avoid Don’t attempt to reason with someone while they’re still angry. Don’tsuggest or agree to a solution (or take the blame) until all the facts have emerged. Don’ttake the complaint personally; be as objective as you can and avoid getting angry yourself. Don’tagree to do something you are not in a position to deliver; if necessary, offer to call the customer back after you have taken advice.

1 Never use a mobile while driving a car – the distraction, both physical and mental, caused by operating the phone causes accidents.

2 Always switch your mobile off when in a cinema, theatre or social gathering.

3 Always switch your mobile off when in hospital, surgery or in a plane – several plane crashes have been caused by interference to flight control systems.

4 If you must keep the mobile on in a public place or on a bus or train, turn the ring tone down or preferably switch it to vibrate rather than ring.

5 Don’t shout. Why is it that people seem to assume that their words are not being transmitted with the aid of a microphone? And even at normal volume, be aware that people can overhear you. Use discretion when discussing personal or sensitive business facts or conversation on public transport or in a public place. Otherwise, at best you could appear very foolish and at worst you may be betraying secret company information.

6 Don’t pay too much attention to your mobile, especially on a date or in the company of others. Accepting calls or spending the entire time with your eyes firmly fixed on your mobile as you red or send yet another text message is extremely rude.

7 And finally, take care using your mobile in the street to remember to look where you are going!

Summary – good telephoning

Remember! When you speak on the telephone, the efficient reputation of both you and your organisation is in your hands.

Дата добавления: 2014-11-20