Essential Rules of Phone Etiquette

When you're working in customer support, you know that answering phone calls becomes the bread
and butter of your position. A frontline worker typically is hired for their strong communication skills.

While it may seem obvious — just pick up the phone and say "Hello?" — answering professional calls
are very different from answer personal calls. It's easy to slip up and accidentally speak to your
customer the way you would to your best friend or mother.

Following the rules below, you can remember while making or receiving a cll. you're always on your
A-game in the call center.

1. Answer the call within three rings.

2. Immediately introduce yourself.

3. Speak clearly.

4. Only use speakerphone when necessary.

5. Actively listen and take notes.

6. Use proper language. 

7. Remain cheerful.

8. Ask before putting someone on hold or transferring a call.

9. Be honest if you don't know the answer.

10. Be mindful of your volume.

11. Check for and respond to voicemails.

1. Answer a call within three rings.

If your position entails always being available to callers, you should actually be available. That means
staying focused and answering calls immediately. The last thing you want to do is keep a customer
waiting after a string of endless ringing or send them to voicemail when you should've been able and
ready to reply.
As long as you're alert and at your phone at all times — excluding breaks — this rule should be fairly
simple to follow. However, we recommend responding within three rings in order give yourself
enough time to get in the zone and prepare for the call. Picking up the phone right away might leave
you flustered.

2. Immediately introduce yourself.

Upon picking up the phone, you should confirm with the person whom they have called. In personal
calls, it's sufficient to begin with a "Hello?" and let the caller introduce themselves first. However, you
want to allow the caller to know if they've hit a wrong number, as well as whom they are speaking
with.

Practice answer the phone with, "Hi, this is [Your first name] from [Your company]. How can I help
you?" Your customer will be met with warmth, which will encourage a positive start to your call. And,
if it ends up being an exasperated college student trying to order pizza, they'll at least appreciate your
friendliness.

3. Speak clearly.

Phone calls, while a great option for those who detest in-person interaction, do require very strong
communication skills. For one, the person on the other end of the line can only judge you based on
your voice, since they don't get to identify your body language and — hopefully — kind smile.

You always want to speak as clearly as possible. Project your voice without shouting. You want to be
heard and avoid having to repeat yourself. A strong, confident voice can make a customer trust you
and your support more. In case of bad cell service or any inability to hear or be heard, immediately ask
to hang up and call back.

4. Only use speakerphone when necessary.

We all know the trials of speakerphone. It's easier for you because you can use your hands to
multitask. However, for the other caller, it's like trying to hear one voice through a honking crowd of
taxis in Manhattan — impossible and frustrating.

Give your customers your full attention, and avoid speakerphone. This will make it easier for both
parties to be heard, and it will ensure that you're actually paying attention to them. You may need to
use speakerphone at rare occasions, such as when it's a conference call or when you're trying to
troubleshoot on the phone. While speakerphone may be appropriate at these times, it's always better to
use a headset to remain hands-free.
5. Actively listen, and take notes.

Speaking of paying attention to your customers, it's essential that you're actively listening to them
throughout the conversation. Actively listening means hearing everything they have to say and basing
your response off of their comments, rather than using a prescribed script. This proves to your
customers that you're present and are empathetic to their inconveniences.

It's helpful to take notes during support calls. You'll want to file a record post-conversation, and notes
will be immensely helpful. It also ensures that, during long-winded explanations from customers, you
can jot down the main points and jump into problem-solving without requiring them to repeat.

6. Use proper language.

A key difference between professional and personal phone calls is obvious — the language. It might
be acceptable to use slang and swears when talking on the phone with your friends, but this kind of
language can cause you to lose a customer for life.

Always be mindful and respectful when on the phone. You never know what customers might be
offended by something you say, so it's best to use formal language. It's okay to throw in humor if
appropriate, but never crack a joke that could upset a customer.

7. Remain cheerful.

You never know when a customer is having a bad day. When someone is rude to you on the phone,
your immediate reaction may be to put them in your place. First, though, take a moment to step into
their shoes and recognize why they're so upset.

The point is to always remain positive and friendly, especially in the face of negativity. Your
optimistic outlook may be enough to turn a failing phone call right around. Remind yourself that the
last thing your customer probably wanted was to spend their afternoon on the phone with customer
support. So, make that call the best it can be, and it may create a loyal, lifetime customer.

8. Ask before putting someone on hold or transferring a call.

There's often nothing more infuriating than being put on hold. After waiting on hold for ten or fifteen
minutes to speak with a real-life human being, you finally get to explain your problem. Then, you're
immediately put back on hold and then transferred to someone else to whom you must re-explain the
whole problem. Talk about exhausting.
However, if you must put a customer on hold or transfer their call, always ask for their permission
first. Explain why it's necessary to do so, and reassure them that you — or another employee — are
going to get their problem solved swiftly. By keeping your customer in the loop, they'll be less
inclined to complain about a long wait time.

9. Be honest if you don't know the answer.

You might need to put a customer on hold or transfer their call if the dreaded occurs — you don't
know the solution. Perhaps you've tried everything you can or simply have no idea what they're talking
about. Don't panic; customer support representatives are humans, too, and it's okay not to be the
omniscient voice of reason.

It's best to admit when you don't know something, rather than making excuses or giving false
solutions. However, tell them that you're going to do everything you can to find an answer and get
back to them momentarily, or find a co-worker who does know the answer. Customers don't typically
expect you to have all the solutions at hand, but they will expect you to be transparent.

10. Be mindful of your volume.

You may be so focused on your phone call with a customer that you're barely paying attention to your
present setting. When working in a call center, things can get pretty loud. You always want to be
mindful of your volume and ensure that you're not disrupting the ability of your co-workers to speak to
customers and get their work done.

If you are on a call that requires you to speak louder due to a bad connection or a hard-of-hearing
customer, simply step out of the room and speak with them separately. Your customers are always
your main concern, but you don't want to inhibit the work ethic of others in your workplace.

11. Check for and respond to voicemails.

It's quite possible that a customer might reach out to you when you're on a break or after you've left
work for the day. If it's possible for you to receive voicemails, make sure you're always checking for
them. It's easy for a voicemail to slip under the radar, but the customer won't easily forget.

Start and end each day by checking your voicemail. It takes just a few minutes and can avoid a lost
customer support request. Your customers will appreciate your prompt response, and you can get on to
doing what you do best — providing knowledgeable and friendly support.

These tips should provide you and your team with basic guidelines for phone etiquette and, if executed
properly, your company should see significant improvement in customer experience.
 However, there will be some interactions where these actions may not be enough to defuse the
situation. Some customer interactions will require your team to take special measures to ensure you're
meeting the customer's immediate and long-term needs. In the next section, we'll break down a few of
these scenarios and what you can do to resolve them.

Do’s
1.  Greetings – always greet the person you are conversing with.
2. Always identify yourself and the company or business you are representing.
3. Ask the caller, “May I know who I am speaking to?” It is imperative that you know who is on
the other line.
4. Smile when you answer your calls. The other party will hear the smile in your voice, even
though he/she can’t see it.
5. Practice good listening skills.
6. Be eager, considerate and courteous.
7. Be as helpful as you can in addressing concerns and issues.
8. Ask questions, pay attention about the caller’s concerns and show you care.
9. If there is a problem, be concerned, empathetic, and apologetic.
10. Speak Clearly – smile while talking on the phone and speak slowly and clearly, enunciate your
words so the person on the other line will understand what you are talking about.
11. Be aware of the position of your headset’s mouthpiece. Regularly check your mouthpiece
while you’re working to ensure it is properly positioned based on the manual. Take note that the
recommended position for the microphone on most headset models is two fingers’ width from your
mouth.
12.  Before placing a caller on hold, ask their consent first and thank them.

13. It is advisable to return calls promptly that have been left on voicemail. If you can’t simply
give time to do it, it’s  better to hire a Telemarketing Virtual Assistant to handle all incoming and
outgoing calls on your behalf
14. Always have your pen and paper readily available to jot down important concerns.
15. Answer calls by the second or third ring.
16. Learn how to handle several callers simultaneously with ease and grace.
17. When ending up a call, make sure the caller or person called hangs up first.
18. Thank the caller for calling. Ask them to call again if there are has concerns.
19. If you are the one who called up, thank the other party for his or her time.
 Don’ts

1.  Don’t interrupt callers when they are speaking. Let them have the time to express their
concerns.
2. Do not call a customer or client’s home before 8:00AM or after 9:00PM, unless you have prior
permission to do so.
3. Don’t forget to return the call as you promised.
4. Never answer the phone if you are drinking, eating or chewing gum.
5. Don’t give your clients and prospected customers the hunch that they are rushed. It is best to
return the call when you can give the person the time they need to know and identify the reason for
their call.
6. As much as possible, don’t ever leave a message with someone else or on a voice-mail
regarding details of a delinquent account. Instead, leave a message asking the person to call the
“Accounting or Billing Department.”
7. Don’t let callers’ negative or angry voice affect you.
8. Be flexible and don’t bring your emotions from a previous call into your current call.
9. Never cough, sneeze or clear your throat directly into the mouthpiece of your headset.
10. Don’t breathe loudly into the mouthpiece of your headset.
11.  Don’t make up information when you don’t know the answers to callers’ queries.

Each of us has our own unique talent and skills. Some of us are really good at engaging
with other people while others are more expert in the business development aspect. If you are someone
who is having a difficult time dealing with an angry customer and manage stress, then it is
recommended you use a virtual assistant. Skilled VAs can pitch a sale or two and can answer customer
or client concerns to help your business grow and run smoothly.