TELECOM Digest OnLine - Sorted: Re: Best Way to Answer a Business Phone?

Re: Best Way to Answer a Business Phone?

Scott Dorsey (kludge@panix.com)
12 Sep 2006 10:32:09 -0400

<hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com> wrote:

> Many companies today answer their phone with a long winded answer. As
> a customer, I find it annoying and distracting. Which do you think is
> best?

> a) "Jones & Co."

This is fine.

> b) "Good morning, Jones & Co."

This is fine, if it's actually in the morning, but it takes a little longer.

> c) "Thank you for calling Jones & Co, this is John Smith speaking, how
> nmay I direct your call?"

This is fine for someone who is a receptionist or otherwise directing
calls. A better variant for other folks is "Jones and Co., John Smith
speaking."

> d) "Thank you for calling Jones & Co, this is John Smith speaking, how
> may I give you the best customer service ever today?"

Managers that make people do this sort of thing should be shot. When
I was a kid, we had a man from the telephone company come to speak
with us at school, probably around third grade. He explained that the
key to using the phone was to keep your call short and get your
business done while being polite about it. Anything that extends the
call needlessly is a bad idea, especially if it's possibly offensive
and condescending to the customer like this is.

> While waiting in line at the video store, the clerk had to answer the
> phone with D. To me, that was a waste of time, especially when other
> customers are waiting.

Yes, it's very popular, because it's easy for managers to do this and
get a notion that they're making their employees care about customer
service. In fact, this sort of thing makes employees LESS apt to care
about really taking care of customers.

scott

"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

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