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Telephone Etiquette. Helpful Guidelines and Hints. Objectives. Enhance your professional etiquette How to speak How to listen How to be courteous. Why is this Important?. Display courtesy and respect Project professionalism Telephones are a daily business tool. How to Speak. Slow
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Telephone Etiquette Helpful Guidelines and Hints
Objectives • Enhance your professional etiquette • How to speak • How to listen • How to be courteous
Why is this Important? • Display courtesy and respect • Project professionalism • Telephones are a daily business tool
How to Speak • Slow • Clear • Smile • Pleasant • Lower mellow pitch • No gum or food • Avoid slang or complicated language • Concise
How to Listen • Turn off background noise • Listen carefully • Mentally imagine the other person
How to be Courteous • Call between the hours of 8am and 10pm unless you have prior permission • Remember time zones • Ask for permission before placing someone on speaker phone • Maintain a calm attitude
Answering the Phone • Answer with 2-3 rings • Use a professional and pleasant greeting • Identify yourself and your organization/department
Answering Quiz Phrase CorrectIncorrect Questionable Accounting, this is Mary. Accounting, what do you want? Good morning, STC, may I help you? ?
Placing Callers on Hold • Do you mind holding? • Periodic checks (30-45 seconds) • Offer options: Continue to hold or call them back • “Her line is still busy, do you wish to continue waiting or may someone else help you?” • Thank them for waiting • Take a message, transfer or arrange a specific call time if caller cannot hold
Transferring Calls • Know how to transfer calls • Provide the reason for the transfer • Give the name, department and phone number of where they are being transferred to • Ask if they would like to be transferred • Call ahead • Not sure where to transfer them? • Investigate and call them back
Screening Calls • Not good for public relations • Announcing calls • “Yes he’s in. May I tell him who’s calling, please?” • Screening calls • “May I say who’s calling?...Thank you. Let me check and see if he’s in.” • “She’s away from her office; may I take your name and number?”
Taking Phone Messages • Use telephone forms • Name of person for whom the message was left • Caller’s name, company/department, phone number • Date and time • Message • Action • Always repeat messages for accuracy • “Will you spell the name, please?” • “Will you repeat the number, please?”
Closing the Conversation • Talk in past tense • Use “closing phrases” • State follow-up action • Thank them for calling and say “Good-bye”
Telephone Etiquette = Courtesy