Communication Skills

TechNation (India)

Training Manual Communication Skills

Table of Contents

Answering a phone callTo place someone on holdTo transferTo end a callWhen a customer or client thanks youWhen a customer or client is frustrated (Handling Irate Customers)What not to do or say on a call

Answering a phone callAs Tech Support Engineers, you also have the critical role of being the face of the company. What you do and say on the phone to the caller is what the customer or prospective customer will perceive the company to be. Naturally you would want to be perceived as a highly experienced professional working for an equally professional company. Remember to sound upbeat, positive and calm.The typical opening can be as below:Thank you for calling TechNation (India). This is (Your Name). How may I help you?

To Place Someone on Hold:Try any of the following approaches and use the one you are most comfortable with. May I put you on hold for a moment while I look that up/handle that issue/etc.? If you could hold for a moment, I would be happy to look that up/handle that issue/etc. May I please put you on hold for a moment? Would you like to hold for a moment or would you like for me to call you back? Remember to wait for the callers answer. If it takes you more than one minute, pick the telephone back up and let the caller know you are still working on finding a resolution.

To Transfer: Let me put you in touch with (Persons Name/Departments Name). He/she/they can handle that for you. (Persons Name/Departments Name)_ is the subject matter expert. I can connect you with him/her/them. (Persons Name/Departments Name) can help you with that. One moment and I can put you through. If appropriate give the extension to the caller. If possible, stay on the line and introduce the caller to the person/department who can help.

To End a Call: Is there anything else I can help you with today? Thank you for calling. If appropriate, recap any actions you will take after the call.

When a Customer or Client Thanks You Its my pleasure. Im glad to be able to help. You are welcome. Is there anything else I can help you with today?

When a Customer or Client Is Frustrated (Irate Customers): Let me see if I can help you work through this issue. Lets take it from the beginning and see if we can work through this together. I can hear that you are upset, and I do want to help you. Im listening to you. If appropriate, repeat what the caller has said. Reframe any negative statements into solution-oriented ones. Stay calm. If the customer needs to vent, dont jump to the solution too quickly. The caller may not be ready to listen to you yet.

What not to do or say on a Customer Service call:1. "That's not our policy." This ubiquitous and pathetic excuse to avoid taking action on complaints or requests is not only poor manners. It's also damaging. If an employee cannot grant the request or fix the complaint, he or she ought to consult a superior for advice to find alternatives that will transform the customer from disgruntled to appreciative. Either way, keep the customer informed at every stage.2. "That's not my department," or "That's not my job." Customers do not really care. Everyone and anyone working for the company must be prepared to field any and every caller's needs. At the very least, if the employee lacks knowledge or responsibility, he or she should get a phone number, ask a manager for help and call back, expeditiously, with information that does the trick.3. "Could you call back? We're real busy right now." This one boggles the business mind. But employees say it more often than you'd think. It always makes me wonder: Busy with what? 4. "My computer's down," or "We're having trouble with our servers." This is simply not a caller's problem, nor a reason to suspend service. Business runs with or without active monitors. Even if the caller is a supplier that you hire and fire, apologize for the fact that you cannot help. Then pick up a pencil, write down the phone number, and (read this carefully) get back to him or her as soon as you can help unfailingly.5. "Didn't you get my voice mail?" In the bygone days of human operators, there was always that handy someone to blame when you wanted to duck a call or pretend you never got the message. But this tech update won't fly. Today, with 24/7 voice mail and (duh!) recorded timestamps, it's patently transparent. You cannot pretend a response when there wasn't one. If you fail to return a call in a timely and courteous manner, just face the music and apologize. This advice further applies to people who make a habit of returning calls during off-hours, like 7 a.m., lunchtime or 10 p.m., when respondents aren't likely to be at their desks. 6. "I was just waiting to get more information before calling you back." Everyone knows this is a ploy. If you were really gathering info, you'd send an interim e-mail or leave an explanatory voice mail which is what every pro does with important contacts. All this phrase does is insult the caller by signaling that he or she has no priority in your schedule or else that you're incompetent. 7. "I'll see that she calls you." This is pure self-protection. "You should only promise to deliver the message, not that there will be a return call," Friedman says. It's not up to you to promise someone else's attention. If there is no return call, you've created unnecessary disappointment or irritation.8. "Personal Problems." Never bring your personal problems into business conversations, unless you have a long-term and personal friendship with the caller.Phone calls are more about maintaining the customer relationship and less of a tool for customer acquisition." Attitude matters. Courtesy counts. Tone tells all.Every time you answer a phone call, the possibility of gaining or losing business is on the line. Make sure your opportunities don't go unanswered.