Phone Etiquette
© TaskUs 2014| Learning and Development | All Rights Reserved | Proprietary and Confidential
Phone Etiquette
Soft Skills Training
Objectives
At the end of this module, the teammates should be able to:
- Define what is telephone etiquette
- Enumerate the tips for proper telephone etiquette
[
- Explain the importance of telephone etiquette to a business
- Apply proper telephone etiquette when interacting with customers
over the phone
© TaskUs 2014| Learning and Development | All Rights Reserved | Proprietary and Confidential
What is Etiquette?
et·i·quette
ˈedəkət,ˈedəˌket/
noun
[
the customary code of polite behavior in society or among
members of a particular profession or group.
© TaskUs 2014| Learning and Development | All Rights Reserved | Proprietary and Confidential
[
What is wrong with this image?
© TaskUs 2014| Learning and Development | All Rights Reserved | Proprietary and Confidential
What is Phone Etiquette?
Telephone etiquette refers to a set of rules that apply when people make calls to
others or when they are receiving a phone call. There are slightly different rules
for a variety of situations. and making and receiving personal calls is not the
[
same as making/receiving business calls. Within this set of rules, there can be
additional differences, especially for business calls where companies may want
callers or receivers to say certain things.
© TaskUs 2014| Learning and Development | All Rights Reserved | Proprietary and Confidential
Tips for Phone Etiquette
A warm, helpful, professional and friendly voice
on the phone can build customer loyalty, or if
missing, drive them to a competitor. Extend the
common courtesies to your callers and create a
[
reputation of legendary service to keep your
customers coming back.
© TaskUs 2014| Learning and Development | All Rights Reserved | Proprietary and Confidential
Tips for Phone Etiquette
1. GREET
A warm, friendly, professional greeting including company names, dept name (if appropriate) and the person’s
name who answers the call. It is suggested that the greeting end with a helpful statement that assures the
caller you are willing to help.
2. LISTEN
One of the most important techniques in telephone etiquette is to actively listen to the customer. Listen for
both the content as well as the intent. Usually the customer tells you both in his/her opening statement. By
listening actively to the customer’s opening comments, you can then RESPOND with a statement that assures
the customer you HEARD.
3. EMPATHIZE
In other words, walk a mile in your customer’s shoes. Pause for a moment to be empathetic and then respond.
[
© TaskUs 2014| Learning and Development | All Rights Reserved | Proprietary and Confidential
Tips for Phone Etiquette
4. PROBE
Although probing is not a technique that may come naturally to everyone, it is a required skills for
anyone serving customers over the phone. Keep it simple and remember the basic open questions
… Who… What… When… Where… How.
5. COMMON COURTESIES
Ask permission to place a caller on hold and get the caller’s attention when you return. Most of us
can remember all too clearly a time when we were placed on eternal hold and wondered if we had
been forgotten. A simple rule to remember: call the customer by name when you return to the
line and wait for her to respond, then continue.
[
TIP: if you know the wait time will be a few minutes, tell the customer before you leave the line. You will save on
customer irritation and possible repeat calls. To the bottom line of a business, you could lose revenue and productivity.
© TaskUs 2014| Learning and Development | All Rights Reserved | Proprietary and Confidential
Tips for Phone Etiquette
6. AVOID COMPANY JARGON & RULES
All companies have their own set of rules and terminology. These can sometimes be perceived as
hot buttons for some customers as most of us do not want to hear quotes about what you can and
cannot do from the company manual.
[
7. OFFER SOLUTIONS/ALTERNATIVES
If you know you can’t do what the customer is asking, just tell him/her what you CAN do. There
are usually alternatives that a customer will be willing to accept, IF you just take time to offer!
© TaskUs 2014| Learning and Development | All Rights Reserved | Proprietary and Confidential
Tips for Phone Etiquette
8. TONE
Since you are not face-to-face, the most important measure of good communication in this case is
voice quality and tone. Keep it positive and enthusiastic. Remember, the image the customer has
of the person who is answering your company’s phone is the image the customer has of YOUR
COMPANY. Is it flat, monotone or upbeat and perky? Is it abrupt, indifferent or polite and
empathetic?
[
9. APPRECIATION
Before the caller hangs up, make sure your customer service associate has expressed sincere
gratitude for the customer’s patronage.
© TaskUs 2014| Learning and Development | All Rights Reserved | Proprietary and Confidential
Tips for Phone Etiquette
10. GO THE DISTANCE
Run an extra mile for every customer – every time! Take time to extend yourself in some way to
make a positive, lasting impression on the customer.
Providing exceptional telephone service is nothing
more than following “the Golden Rule”
what we all learned as a child.
[
© TaskUs 2014| Learning and Development | All Rights Reserved | Proprietary and Confidential
Call Listening Activity
Type of Call
Agent Name
Click to listen
Juul Consumer Line / Inbound
Tim
Call 1
Marcia
Call 2
Juul Consumer Line / Inbound
Carmelita
Call 3
Pax Consumer Line / Outbound
Tim
Call 4
Pax Consumer Line / Outbound
[
© TaskUs 2014| Learning and Development | All Rights Reserved | Proprietary and Confidential
Q and A
[
© TaskUs 2014| Learning and Development | All Rights Reserved | Proprietary and Confidential
Objectives
After this module, the teammates should be able to:
- Define what is telephone etiquette
- Enumerate the tips for proper telephone etiquette
[
- Explain the importance of telephone etiquette to a business
- Apply proper telephone etiquette when interacting with customers
over the phone
© TaskUs 2014| Learning and Development | All Rights Reserved | Proprietary and Confidential
Thank you!
[
© TaskUs 2014| Learning and Development | All Rights Reserved | Proprietary and Confidential