Back to Blog | Mar 7, 2012 | 3 min

10 Answering Service Tips

Sometimes it’s the small things that make people the happiest. In a call center in California, a little bit of customer service goes a long way. Read the following tips that many receptionists use for graceful, polite caller experiences.

  1. Always use the caller’s name more than once throughout the call. The smallest form of personalization makes the caller feel that they are important to the receptionist. Over the phone it can be difficult to build initial rapport, so this is always a good starting point.
  2. Answer calls with gusto. Avoid becoming robotic – use day parts in your greeting such as “Good morning/afternoon/evening,” and thank them for calling. Always use the business name you are representing and ask a directive question such as “how may I assist you this morning?”
  3. Ask a question to set the tone of the call, particularly if the client is waiting for you to pull up account data. Something as simple as “how are you?” can help build a relationship.
  4. Show the caller you are happy to take care of their needs. Use enthusiastic phrases such as “My pleasure” or “Absolutely” in place of half-hearted agreements like “Okay” or “All right.”
  5. Mind your manners – using “may” instead of “can” makes receptionists seem more professional. “May I have your account number?” sounds more polite than “Can I have you account number?”
  6. If a caller needs to be placed on hold for a significant period of time, check in with them to assure you will be back on the line shortly. Again, try using their name when doing this.
  7. Saying “please” and “thank you” never go out of style – and in many cases can save a challenging phone call.
  8. Avoid flat-out saying “no” or other negative phrases. Call centers in California train receptionists to focus on the positive. For instance, instead of telling a caller “Mr. Smith can’t talk right now,” choose something like “Mr. Smith stepped out of the office for a moment, but I’d be happy to transfer you to his line.”
  9. When taking a message never say, “Mr. Smith will call you back right away”, unless you know for sure he will. If it’s possible to know at what time Mr. Smith return’s calls that’s great, if not then it’s best to tell the caller you’ll get the message to Mr. Smith right away.
  10. End the call positively. Use friendly goodbyes such as “Have a wonderful day, Bill!” or “Great to hear from you Bill, don’t hesitate to contact us again.”

By following these tips, call centers in California will improve their image and convey a client-centric strategy. Customers will disassociate any bad stigma they have with call centers from past experience and go into future calls with your company more positively.

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