Rules of Communication by Phone in Business

Despite the prominence of texting and email, the phone is still the most common way for customers to contact businesses. The way the phone is answered will form a customer’s first impression of the business. Adhere to the following procedures and your business will know how to answer the phone and properly represent your business:

1. Make answering all incoming phone calls before the third ring a high priority.
2. When you answer the phone, be warm, happy, and above all, professional.The voice on the phone could be your only chance to make an impression. Welcome callers courteously and identify yourself and your organization immediately.For example, “Good morning. Arizona Public Services.Doug speaking.How may I help you?” No one should ever ask if they’ve reached your business.
3. Clear communication is essential, keep your voice volume moderate, speak slowly and clearly, and control your language when answering the phone so your caller can understand you easily.Avoid using slang or confusing terms. Instead of saying, “OK”, or “No problem”, for instance, say “Certainly”, “Very well”, or “All right”.If you use fillers when you speak, like “uh huh”, “um”, and other repetitive speech such as “like” or “you know”, train yourself not to use these when you speak on the phone or replace them with more respectful fillers like “Yes, Sir/Ma’am”.Your voice and vocabulary need to be positive when phone answering, regardless of your emotional state.Never say, “I don’t know”, say, “Let me see if I can find an answer for you”.
4. When taking phone messages to ensure completeness and accuracy.If you don’t understand or can’t spell the word or name, ask the customer to repeat it or spell it for you; afterward, repeat it back to ensure accuracy.Above all, make sure the message is delivered in a timely manner.
5. If you have to put a caller on hold, always ask the caller if it’s all right and never leave people on hold.Check on callers every 30 to 45 seconds.Ask the caller if they are ok waiting, “That line is still busy.Would you like to stay on hold or should I have them call you back?”
6. Only use speaker phone when you need more than one person to be in on the conversation at your end.Speakerphone can give the caller the impression that you may not be fully concentrating on his call or that the call isn’t private.Always ask the caller before you put them on speaker.
7. If you use voice mail or answering machines, ensure your message gives callers any pertinent information before it records their messages.Update your voicemail message often.If your business is going to be closed for a holiday or there is a change in hours, update your message to let your customers know.

Remember to train everyone who answers the phone to answer the same way. Listen in and check on how your business’s phone is being answered to ensure this is done in a professional manner. Set up cards and reminders by the phone so all employees know how to answer phone calls properly.