The Five Golden Rules of Customer Service within an Answering Service

Every brand’s core value should be excellent customer service. Whether you’re a startup or an established industry leader, providing great customer service should be a key component of your business strategy, including a foundation of professional phone communication. Every call your business gets is important, and every single call warrants a high quality customer interaction that puts your brand ahead of the competition by following the 5 golden rules of call handling.

At Onwards Answering, we are customer support experts, we maintain continuously high-quality standards through a rigorous induction procedure and continuous training. It’s never too late to improve. As a result, we’ve established these five golden standards of call handling to really help your customer service representatives improve the service they deliver.

Five Golden Rules of Call Centre Agent Phone Etiquette

1. Answer the call quickly and professionally

An excellent customer experience begins with a prompt answering service. Throughout the call, you need to maintain professionalism in mind. A key component of addressing any problems your caller may be having is being aware of the business and its rules.

Setting a limit on the number of rings your employees must answer can help guarantee prompt call response. A target of three rings per call may be a suitable and realistic standard. Once the call is connected, start with a warm tone and introduce yourself immediately. This helps establish credibility.

Effective call handling also requires preparation. Continuous training is essential, and your customer service representatives should be knowledgeable, not just regarding the company and its rules, but also the most recent offers and campaigns. Keep all levels of staff informed about the proper phone etiquette to enhance customer interactions.

2. Consider the tone of your voice

Maintaining composure when speaking on the phone will ensure a constant level of service. Avoid using a pressured or rushed tone of voice. Try not to interrupt the customer, speak clearly and stay calm at all times throughout the conversation.

Adjusting your tone of voice is not as easy as many people believe. However, it is vital to practice maintaining a composed and professional demeanour. Ensuring you sit up straight helps you focus and respond with polite and clear answers. Mind your volume too. These small adjustments impact the way you handle calls and help project a competent, professional approach.

A good way to start is using a call recorder to observe how your voice sounds to a customer.

3. Active listening

Understanding what customers want, and their concerns, is an additional requirement that cannot be ignored, whether you’re accepting calls from an unhappy customer or one who just has positive things to say. By identifying the caller’s needs as soon as possible, you may lead the discussion toward a satisfactory conclusion for all parties. Pay close attention to what a person is saying. This helps resolve conflicts by showing that you understand and care.

Actively listening to a customer’s question and obtaining contact information to follow up allows you to take the essential steps toward the best answer. If the issue can be resolved in one call, listening and asking questions makes a good impression.

4. Only use hold as the last option

You’ll understand how frustrating it is to be placed on hold based on your own consumer experience. Although it can be necessary for customer service representatives, hold should be used as a last option. Putting customers on hold on an inbound call might make them feel unwelcome and ruin their overall experience, impacting the good customer service and customer care you wish to present.

To ensure customer satisfaction, you should never put a caller on hold for an extended period of time. If the customer has said something that hasn’t been clear, simply ask them to repeat themselves. It is also vital to be honest if unsure. It presents a professional setting if you and excellent attentiveness if you collect the customer’s contact information, gather all the necessary information, and quickly return their call, being sure to thank the person for their patience and understanding.

Being prepared is essential in providing excellent customer service. However, there is no shame in needing more time and knowledge to deal with a customer professionally and effectively.

5. Make every call matter

All of your callers are valuable, regardless of whether they are well-researched, ready for a deal at the end of the line, or still undecided. Making every customer feel valued will foster the trust and loyalty that even the best companies need to survive. The importance of phone etiquette cannot be overstated in helping your organisation become synonymous with excellent service.

Consider the customer’s point of view and make them feel respected and at ease. Give your full attention, listen to their needs and use this knowledge to solve their problem or plan the best course of action. Thank the client, no matter the outcome of the call. Make it clear through your mastery of the art of conversation that and your expert answers just how important customer service is to your brand.

Our call-handling agents are taught to concentrate on providing the most outstanding service possible and to follow all of these golden rules to ensure that your customers are delighted with their professional call experience.

Looking to provide a better customer experience?

Please give us a call at 0141 286 4220 to learn more about our virtual receptionist packages and other call-handling services, including Voicemail. At Onwards Answering we excel in conversations that help you connect with new customers. Allow us to handle your customer service and present your brand expertly in every phone conversation!