Even though times are changing and more and more people are using different channels to contact businesses, like social media or live chat, a lot of businesses still rely on phone calls to communicate with customers. Being able to answer a phone call professionally is important for these businesses, as professionalism goes hand in hand with good customer service. We will discuss why it’s important to answer a phone call professionally as well as different techniques you can use to do so.
Why is professional phone answering important?
First impressions are important in business, and a customer will judge your brand based on this. A phone call might be their first point of contact with your business, so it’s important that the phone call is answered professionally. Starting off a conversation with a customer in the right way could be the difference between a successful and productive conversation and them developing a negative view of your brand. Being able to create a good first impression and then handling the call effectively allows the customer service agent to create a long-lasting impression and help to develop customer loyalty.
What are the benefits of professional phone answering
There are many benefits to answering a phone call professionally, here are just a few of them:
Show professionalism – Answering the phone professionally allows customer service agents to represent their business and create a positive impression. Showing the customer professionalism when the agent first answers will establish your brand as trusted and worthy of repeat business.
Improved ratings – Being able to answer a phone call professionally and understanding a customer’s needs will help to create a relationship with the customer. When they are happy with the service that has been provided they are more likely to write a positive review.
Increased loyalty – When a customer has a positive interaction with the customer service agent over the phone, they can create and maintain a strong long-lasting relationship with them, meaning the customer builds loyalty towards your brand.
How to answer the phone professionally
There are many different techniques customer service agents can use to answer the phone professionally. Here are a few of them:
1. Answer promptly
Some businesses have a rule where a phone call must be answered within three rings, this helps to ensure a client’s inquiry can be dealt with quickly and ensure high-quality customer service.
2. Answer with a smile
The tone in your voice changes when you speak with a smile, so by doing this you can ensure a professional and friendly voice when answering the phone.
3. Personalized greeting
Adding some personal details like yours and your company’s name into the greeting helps to provide a professional greeting and ultimately a great first impression.
4. Speak clearly
There is sometimes a lot of background noise during a phone call, so by speaking slowly and clearly the customer is able to understand what you are saying.
5. Actively listen
By actively listening you are absorbing what the customer is saying whilst giving verbal nods. This helps to display empathy and make the customer feel heard if they are upset or want to make a complaint.
6. Ask follow-up questions
In lots of conversations a customer service representative will need more information or will want to make sure the details they have are correct. Being polite and not repeating questions will help to maintain professionalism.
Why choose VoiceNation?
You may find that you don’t have time to answer calls as a busy business owner, whether that’s from your team members or customers. If this is the case, why not try outsourcing your calls?
Here at VoiceNation, we are the call answering experts, and our answering service solution makes a lasting impression on all of your business calls.
Contact us today, to find out more about our pricing packages.