Telephone handling

Telephone Handling

Objective

Use the best words for getting the message acrossIdentify and speak to the customer's style of

communicationUse questions to get more information about a problemHandle conflict and angry customers

• Quality telephone process etiquette

• Elements of a good voice greeting

• Factors that create conflict

• Temperament of the caller

• Tips of active listening

• The meaning of empathy

• Probing and Query handling

• Challenging Situations

Content

What makes a successful Tele-agent

Always show a willingness and interest in servicing callers. Make a good first impression on the phone. Has subject matter expertise. Possess ability to gather accurate information from a caller. Know how to ask the proper questions in the right order. Speak in a clear and conversational style. Always use courteous words and phrases.

Avoid keeping callers on hold for too long.Knows how to maintain a good Call Handling Time.Know what not to say when a caller complains.Can effectively deal with irate callers.Follow through on problem phone calls.

A call is a combination of…

Seeking Information

Checking Understanding

Giving Information

Offering Recommendation

Eliciting

Building consensus

Recommendation

Setting the tone

Exhibiting a desire to serve

Acknowledging feeling and emotions

Accepting responsibility

for solving the issue

Task Skills Interpersonal Skills

The Quality Call Cycle

Elements of a Good Opening

Warm and Friendly

Willingness to help

Welcoming

Dress well and look good in a call

The first 20 seconds

The verbal handshake

greeting

personalize the call

tune in

set the tone

welcome

Hello Mrs.

Smith!

How may I help you today?

Your Tone of Voice creates an impression

Qualities of a good voice

Tone warmth, enthusiasm, positive, friendly, confident, sincere

Clarity speak clearly and slowly

Volume speak up, emphasize points with appropriate inflection

for emphasis, give caller time to absorb

It makes you feel better and the caller will hear the difference


Let your customer not ask this…

Tips of Active Listening

Give verbal indications you are listeningAsk questionsBe patientNever interrupt the callerCarry a positive temperamentConsider the caller’s frame of mind

Empathy

Is saying…. “I understand”“I understand” Recognizing the caller’s feelings

Making sincere statementsand matching efforts

Customer Service PhrasesCustomer Service Phrases

Sentences to demonstrate friendly greetingHow are you doing today?I’m very well thank you. And how are you?I’m very well. Thank You.How may I help you today?Hello! Getting more informationCould you tell me some more about….? Could you also tell me……


Sentences to demonstrate helpfulness“How may I help you today?”“Please call us if you have any questions.”“What I would suggest is…Would you like me to do that?”“We’ll be glad to help you….I’d be glad to do that for you.”“Is there anything else I could help you with?”“If you could let me see how I can help you.”“I will be glad to help you.”“Certainly, definitely… ” (Very commonly used)“I’ll be happy to help you with that”"I could do that for you"

You may accept or reject offers made to you by using ‘yes please’, ‘if you could’, ‘if you wouldn’t mind’, ‘thank you, that would be great’ or ‘I can take care of that for…’, ‘don’t worry I’ll do it” etc. respectively


Phrases to acknowledge understanding/ listening“Alright”“Really”?“Yes”“Right”“So based on what you’ve told me..”“Sounds as though “x” would/will be useful for you”“I understand” How to give instructions “What I’d like you to do is…” “I would appreciate it if you would…”


Sentences to use while seeking clarifications“If I understand you correctly…”“I’m sorry I didn’t get that. Could you repeat that for me?”“Let me check if I’ve got this right.” Sentences to use while seeking permission“May I please have your account number?”“May I have your name please?”“May I have your address please?”“May I place you on hold for a minute?”“Would it be ok if…”


Sentences to use when making suggestions“You could try..” “I would suggest…”“I would recommend…”“You could always…” “Perhaps we could…”“Why don’t I..”“What I’m going to do is…”“Could I check this again” After you’ve suggested an action “Would that be alright?”“Would that help you?”(If customer response is positive, use words like good, great, perfect.)(If no response from customer, continue with “now…”)


Sentences to request repeating informationI apologise, I would need to take down your name again?Would you please spell your last name for me?Would you mind giving me your name again?I’m sorry, I didn’t get all of your………………... Would you please say that for me

again?I’m sorry, would you mind repeating it, I didn’t understand all of that. Could I ask you to repeat that?Could I ask you to spell out your name for me?Buying TimeWell let me see………Well now…………….Let me check your account……...I’m not sure on that. I’ll check that for you…………..That’s a good question…….I’ll check that for you…


Sentences that offer reassurance“Not a problem” (Very commonly used)“I apologise for the inconvenience caused. I do understand that this is upsetting for

you Mr/s _, let me go ahead and take care of that for you…” Sentences that acknowledge customer dissatisfaction, demonstrate

empathy“I completely understand, and I’m sorry about this situation. Let me see how I can

help you…”“I understand that you’re upset about this, I would feel the same.” (Respond to

specific situations.)“I can appreciate that you feel annoyed about this. I would feel the same.”“I’m very sorry about this. Please tell me what you would like me to do?” “ I am sorry you felt that way. Let me tell you what I can do/ how I can help.”“ I apologise for this situation. I’ll get it straightened out right away”“ I am sorry that you are upset about this.”“Please accept my apologies for the misunderstanding.”“I am sorry to hear that……Let me see how I can help you..”

Customer Service PhrasesCustomer Service PhrasesSentences to demonstrate confidenceI’ll walk you through the steps.I’ll take care of it right away.I could do that for you When being asked to do something you CAN do OR somebody thanks you

for what you’ve done. Your welcomeIt was my pleasure assisting you today!Sure!Definitely. – “I’ll be happy to do that for you.Certainly.Absolutely. Sentences to use when other people don’t understand“Let me rephrase that…”“Let me put this another way…”

Customer Service PhrasesCustomer Service PhrasesSentences to use when making generalisations“I agree with you..”“Generally speaking…”“In most cases…”“In some cases…” “Often”, “sometimes” How to say a polite “no”Introduction:No one likes having to say no, or I can’t, or we don’t or It’s just not possible, but often there is no choice. Providing great service when you have to give anegative response is one of the toughest challengesyou will face taking calls. What are the phrases/ responses that drive people crazy?Sorry, I cannot help you, I have no idea, It’s not my fault, It’s not my job, No, I’m not allowed to, It’s not in our policy “What do you think the intent of these sentences are?”The intent is ‘not to help’ that makes the customer really angry and upset.

Customer Service PhrasesCustomer Service PhrasesShow empathy – Begin with a positive attitude“I understand why you need it urgently” “I’m sorry Mr. Jones…”“I wish I could help you.”“I understand your request but I’m sorry we are unable to…”“I appreciate/ I do understand how important this is…..” After you’ve shown empathy for their situation, it is a good idea to follow it up with something that tells the customer you’re going to go out of your way to help them. Understand the reasons why you can’t say ‘yes’State the reason with an honest logical explanationBe honest and state the situation as is. Use the word However. “However” say to the customer that you are about to give them new information or a possible alternative. Give alternate solution“What I’ll do is…” Remember, the difference between a hard ‘no’ and a ‘service no’ is that a service no is attached with a ‘yes’. Don’t say what you can’t do. Say what you can.

Customer Service PhrasesCustomer Service PhrasesGiving Step by step instructionsWhen giving instructions link the steps together using phrases like………First of all you need to……….The first thing you need to do is………What we’re going to do first is……….After you’ve done that you’ll need to……….The next thing you need to do is……………Now what we’re going to do is………….. It is important to check understanding at every stage while giving instructions.Use the following phrasesThat’s right, now………….Fine, now………….Great, now…………… HesitatingHesitating is a natural part of using a language. Silence is not a good way to hesitate. It causes embarrassment and confusion. Well let’s see now………..

Customer Service PhrasesCustomer Service PhrasesAsking for permissionIs it all right if I………….Do you mind if I………..Would it be OK if I………….Giving reason for what you are doingIn order for me to (update your account, check your balance, issue a new card)I will need to………You will need to……….I will need you to………..The reason is…………….Agreeing/ Disagreeing with somebodyAGREEMENT… Yes (Be sure you absolutely agree)Exactly I couldn’t agree more.That’s a good point.Absolutely DISAGREEMENTYou need to be very polite when disagreeing with someone.I can understand… how that may look/why you would think that.. , but let me explain…

Customer Service PhrasesCustomer Service PhrasesThings to say for objection handlingI do appreciate how frustrating this delay is….. Responses to buying signals- with that in mind, you might want to consider…- that’s why this card offers…- that’s exactly the reason that…- If you travel frequently you might find….- I appreciate how frustrating/upsetting that was… Wrapping up a line of questioning especially while verifyingThat’s all the information I need.With that information I can….That’s all I need to know!- and the next thing I’d like to do is…- now, what I’ll do is… I think that about does it- Next, why don’t we- And now, I’m just going to…


Making transition statements…moving from one part of the call to another- Okay, so…- And also…- In addition…- As well… Recap Phrases- So to summarise- Just to confirm what we’ve discussed/agreed- Let me summarise-What I’ve done …-What will happen next… Closing a call - Is there anything else that I can do for you today?- Thank you for calling American Express…..Goodbye.

Understand customer need

=+


Probing Skills

–OPEN–CLOSED

Summary of Questioning Skills

Begin with an open probe Analyze the situation

Continue with closed probes Don’t badger the caller with questions


Supplying Information

Clarity Relevance Checking understanding and acceptance Jargon

Extending Yourself

Take ownershipIdentify alternativesTake all steps to avoid repeat callClose the loop

Show you care

AcknowledgingAppreciating

AffirmingAssuring

Your target:Your target:

So what is it that you can do to achieve 100% FCR?

The Tools of Quality Communication

Write your own script

Build pauses into your script

Include conversational elements

Use short sentences and simple language

Use customer’s name

Speak the way real people speak

Know your product well

Take a breath

Practice PracticePractice PracticePractice

Check your courtesy quotient

1. “Please”2. “Thank you”3. The customer’s name4. “I’m very sorry”5. “Excuse me”6. Friendly greetings such as “Good morning”, “How are you

doing today?”7. “You’re welcome”8. “I’d be happy to do that for you”9. “May I help you please?”10. “I’m sorry to keep you waiting”11. “It was nice talking with you”12. “Thank you for calling”13. “Its been a pleasure serving you”

ALWAYSSOMETIMESNEVER

The art of putting a customer on hold

Hold Procedure

Seek permission Give a reason Give an expected

hold time Get back to the

customer every 30 sec to update on status

Thank the customer for holding

Avoid a cold Transfer

Inform the customer – Who– Why

Brief the person you are transferring the call to

“Good Morning Mr. Smith. I hear from Sally that you have some concerns. I’ll be glad to address them.”


Terminate Warmly

ATTITUDE towards the caller

The Rational Mind State

– Think then act– Solve problems– Evaluate rationally– Keep cool under pressure

The Emotional Mind State

– Acts on impulse– Blames the caller for all difficult

situations

The Domineering Mind State

– Criticizes– Personalizes– Feels superior to the caller– Judges and blames

Feeling vs. Facts

:

“You are not going to get a person to listen to you and engage in solving their problems unless you acknowledge their anger, upset and fear”

Different strokes for different folks!

Analytical DirectInsecureAnxious

ConfusedUncertain

SkepticalCynical

EmergencyPanic

Be specific EfficientConfidentPleasantProfessional

ReassuringGive senseOf well-being

PatientCaringClarifying

ReassuringMake know-ledgable ResponsesProfessional

Match urgencyIn responseBe calming

The customer is your Partner

When in agreement with the customer, say so and why

Build on the customer's ideas, when possible

Be non-judgmental toward the customer

If disagreeing with the customer is necessary, give the reason first, before disagreeing

Openly explain what is being done to solve the customer's problem

Allow the customer to do the steps necessary to solve the problem, while explaining the steps to the customer

The impression of negative words

Challenging Customers

Identifying Challenging Situations

Think of a time when a customer was dissatisfied, upset, irate or hostile.

What emotions or specific behaviors did the customer display?How did that behavior make you feel?

Interacting with an Angry Customer

Describe your Own Skill Practice:

1. Think of a situation2. Write a brief description to share with the

group3. Include the feelings you experienced

The Negative Emotions

I’m frustratedI’m not importantI’m stupidI’m guiltyI’m incompetentI’m powerless and a victim….Others.

Two Categories of Challenging Situations

Initially Challenging

Potentially Challenging

EMOTIONAL COLOURS

GREEN CUSTOMER RED CUSTOMER

GREEN CUSTOMERS

•They are generally query seeking customers

•Be Careful- a misinterpreted tone of voice , or being put on hold for too long etc. can trigger a seemingly non-emotional person to move up the emotional scale without notice !!

Use interpersonal skills to show you care and want to help .

Show your appreciation or making you aware of the issue e.g. ‘‘Thank you for bringing this to my attention’’

Dealing with Green Customer

RED CUSTOMER•People with whom to use caution

•Range from mildly irritated to red hot

•If you do not acknowledge their emotional state , you may escalate them to raging red

•Treat these customers carefully or you risk losing them

The really angry customer

Dealing with Red CustomerDealing with Red Customer

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Service a complaining customer

istenisten

pologisepologise

olveolve

hankhank

Some Survival Tips

when you feel like this

Don’t take it personallyFocus on the problemGive up the desire to arm wrestleShow interest and concern

Taking the anger personallySetting the customer straightBlaming the customerAvoiding blameDominating the customer

Case study # 1 – The Broken clock

Roger is a customer service rep with a very annoyed customer on the line. It seems the customer had purchased a very expensive, imported clock from Roger’s company only to take it home and find that it didn’t work. Interestingly enough, that was least of the customer’s problems. Her major complaint was the way she had been treated when she brought the clock back.

“I’ve bought stuff from you for years,” the lady said, “and never had a problem before. With the clock, I followed the operating instructions to the letter – which, let me tell you, wasn’t easy. Have you seen the instruction booklet? ‘Confusing’ doesn’t begin to describe it.

“But even that is not why I am calling . The main reason is that, when I brought the clock into your store, I got the third degree from your employees. I felt like I was on trial. I was there for nearly an hour waiting in line, filling out forms, answering questions. And they acted like I was trying to cheat them or something. Is that your idea of how to treat your customers?”

There were a number of problems here, and Roger knew he’d have to take them one by one. What did he say to the customer? What did he do for her? And what additional steps did he take afterward?

Factors that create conflict…

Telling customers they have no right to be angry with you Trying to justify under delivery Blaming someone else Answering with a ‘smart’ remark Transferring callers without verifying Putting people on hold without their consent Long calls

Showing indifference toward the caller By quoting “Organization Policy”, instead refer to it as a

last resort.(could be process specific) Indicating that your are too busy Calling out to someone to take a call without first

putting the caller on hold

Factors that create conflict contd…

Handling objections

Misconception – explain to the customer

Skeptical – Prove by showing facts

Bad experience

Apologize and action plan

Real disadvantage – Highlight other benefits.

Use close ended question to bring back – on - track

Use minimum response

Handling babblers

Some powerful tools when you have to say a ‘no’

How to use the Broken Record TechniqueBroken Record Technique

The art of saying a SERVICE NOSERVICE NO.

Giving Bad News:Common

Mistakes

Avoiding RushingScapegoatingDominatingMiscommunicating

Guidelines for Giving Bad News

Present the bad newsListen and observe reactionDemonstrate empathyClarify misunderstandingExpress expectationsProvide assistanceEnd positively

You, Your and Yours

The five most important words

“T H A N K Y O U FOR CALLING”

The four most important words:

“MAY I HAVE YOUR NAME P L E A S E”

The three most important words:“KINDLY HOLD ON”

The two most important words:

“THANK YOU”

The one most important word:

“WE”

The least important word:

“I”

Documents

Telephone handling