The material in today’s Advisor is adapted from BLR’s 10-Minute HR Trainer session, “Telephone Etiquette.”
Don’t forget to train employees to follow proper etiquette when receiving phone calls. Here are several best practices for answering the telephone.
- Answer promptly if you are not relying on voicemail pickup.
- Greet the caller with a friendly tone, identifying yourself and your department.
- Get the caller’s name, if you don’t already know it, and write it down.
- Ask how you can help, which not only shows your willingness to assist the caller but also helps you quickly determine the reason for the call.
- Use the caller’s name in conversation to personalize the communication.
- Provide the caller with information he or she needs or promise to follow up, and call back with the information or send it by mail or e-mail.
- If you need to put a caller on hold, always ask if it is all right first, and keep holds very short.
- If you must transfer a caller, get a brief summary of the reason for the call, which will help you decide to whom to transfer the call. Take the caller’s name and phone number in case the transfer fails. Give the caller the name and phone number of the person you are transferring him or her to in case the transfer fails. Call the person the caller needs to speak to and explain who is calling and why.
- Conclude calls politely, asking if there is anything else you can do for the caller.
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Applicable Regulations
None
Training Tips
- Lead a discussion about how important it is for participants to conduct themselves properly when using the telephone at work and how it is a reflection of their professional image.
- Role-play some phone calls with volunteers and have the group critique the performance.
Knowledge Review
- Distribute copies of the handout and discuss the guidelines for telephone etiquette.
- Have participants complete the Telephone Etiquette Quiz. It provides a useful review of the subject.
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