Zoom's top ten answering tips!

Here at Zoom we answer all your calls professionally and handle each customer the way we'd like to be dealt with if it were the other way around. 

Here are our top ten tips for professionally handling telephone calls!

#1: Learn the callers business language. We research each sector we answer calls for, making sure we understand and can use similar phrases and terminology, so the customer feel that they can trust us. 

#2: Match the customers approach. If a customer is in a hurry, we'll always acknowledge this and if we have to get help or information from elsewhere, we always let them know an estimate of how long it will take. 

#3. Answer the call after 2 rings and before 6. Answering a call after 1 ring generally can throw people completely, they don't expect such a sudden answer and generally they aren't quite ready! So we answer all calls after 2 rings and always before 6, as no one likes to be kept waiting.

#4. Don't hang up first, let the caller. We never hang up first, as 30% of people on the phone add a sudden "Oh by the way..." and if we hung up first, we'd miss this!

#5. Sound lively, interested and efficient. This is the impression the caller has of the company and we want to keep it that way. We will never lower your businesses reputation.

#6. Have open questions ready in case of a pause. Pauses of longer than 10 seconds are unacceptable to callers, so we always have a list of questions or non-contentious things to talk about to make sure all callers feel comfortable dealing with us. 

#7. Never assume callers are like you. We will never pass comment on issues such as race, religion, politics or even sport, as we never assume that people hold the same views as us. Even a passing comment may cause an issue if there is a difference of opinion and that just won't do when the caller expects a professional phone call. 

#8. Don't worry about good vocabulary. In other words, there's no need to use long, fancy and difficult language as it may well just confuse the caller. We use plain but professional vocabulary to make sure they understand exactly what we are saying. 

#9. Don't say "I don't know". We never say this, it's highly unprofessional. Instead we'll always tell the caller that we'll find out and get back to them, it leaves them with the reassurance that we care and we want to help them with their enquiries. 

#10. Be an active listener to build trust. Listening is critical on the phone and the caller needs to know that you're paying attention to what they're saying. We use short phrases such as "ok”, "I understand" and "yes" to show we are interested and actively listening to what the caller is saying. 

Divert To Us

Here at Zoom, we understand that the importance of good business, which is why we take pride in answering each and every telephone call in a professional and polite manner. Even when you transfer your calls to us, you’ll always be in control. 

In an ideal world, every business owner would be able to answer the business’s incoming telephone calls, however as the business expands and develops, this isn’t always possible. With Zoom’s unique answering system, you can choose to divert incoming calls to Zoom Answer Call simply by activating a diversion from your very own telephone keypad. 

We will provide you with a unique Divert Number, which allows you to divert any call either when your don’t want to be disturbed or if you’re just simply out and about. The diversion occurs within a matter of seconds and is completely undetectable. 

Your call can be diverted to us in numerous ways. If you’re busy, just simply divert to us when you’re on another call so the other caller won’t experience the engagement tone. If after four rings the call remains unanswered, you can choose to divert to us automatically if you’re unable to take the call or get to the phone in time. Finally, if you’re with another client, in a meeting or simply you just don’t want to be disturbed, then you can choose to divert to us permanently. 

Call us today for free on 0800 583 5020 for more information. 

Divert To Us

Here at Zoom, we understand that the importance of good business, which is why we take pride in answering each and every telephone call in a professional and polite manner. Even when you transfer your calls to us, you’ll always be in control. 

In an ideal world, every business owner would be able to answer the business’s incoming telephone calls, however as the business expands and develops, this isn’t always possible. With Zoom’s unique answering system, you can choose to divert incoming calls to Zoom Answer Call simply by activating a diversion from your very own telephone keypad. 

We will provide you with a unique Divert Number, which allows you to divert any call either when your don’t want to be disturbed, or if you’re just simply out and about. The diversion occurs within a matter of seconds and is completely undetectable. 

Your call can be diverted to us in numerous ways. If you’re busy, just simply divert to us when you’re on another call so the other caller won’t experience the engagement tone. If after four rings the call remains unanswered, you can choose to divert to us automatically if you’re unable to take the call or get to the phone in time. Finally, if you’re with another client, in a meeting or simply you just don’t want to be disturbed, then you can choose to divert to us permanently. 

Call us today for free on 0800 583 5020 for more information. 

Unsure of the answer?

Dealing with numerous callers each and every day requires a large array of skills. Patience, politeness and having a vast amount of knowledge are just to name a few. You learn how to direct calls to the appropriate place, solve various issues and answer many many questions. However, there will be instances when you just don’t know what to do with the caller on the other side of the phone, how to solve the problem at hand or answer their questions. When this sort of situation occurs, it’s easy to become panicked, but there are ways to deal with these issues when situations like this occur.  

No matter what issue you face, hanging up the phone in a panic is never going to be the solution, this would only annoy the customer and put you in a very bad light! There are many techniques to ensure that the customer on the other end of the phone has no idea that you’re struggling. If you don’t quite understand what the caller is after, there’s a certain limit to asking the caller to repeat themselves. Before you do this, try and read whether the caller is getting impatient. If so, then it might be worth trying to find someone who can help, or pass the caller onto someone else who you know is available and can help, this doesn’t mean you’ve failed the call, people interpret things differently. If you find that the caller is quite patient, it might be worth asking them to clarify what they’re after.  There’s nothing wrong with simply asking them to clarify, just as long as it’s done with a polite and professional manner.  If you have a vague idea of what the caller is after, try and quote that instead. For instance “So you’re interested in purchasing our new product?”. It’s best that you don’t actually say you that you don’t understand, this leaves the caller in an awkward position, and reflects badly on you and the company you’re representing. 

If you find that you’re becoming a little bit panicky because you’re just not understanding, then it’s worth jotting down key phrases the caller is telling you. You can look back on these notes at the end of the call and have more time and less pressure to understand. If you find that you simply can’t help the caller, then there will be times when someone else will have to contact them. Yet again try not to make any false promises with regards to who will call them back, people’s schedules can change on a day to day basis. 

At the end of the day, the key point is to not panic. Becoming increasingly worried and nervous about a situation will only put stress on yourself, and will most likely make the caller a lot more stressed too. Not all calls will be smooth sailing, but at least you know you’ve done everything possible and properly in order to correct the situation. 

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How a Call Handling Service Can Help SMEs to Grow

For small and medium enterprises (SMEs), competition can be tough. Start-ups and established businesses alike can struggle to grow when resources and staff are stretched to their limit. The elements that usually distinguish growing companies from others are: the ability to work around the clock and offering exceptional customer service. With the prevalence of online business and marketing, there's no such thing as 9 to 5 working hours any more, and if you are unable to provide customers with 24/7 availability then you may find it difficult to keep up with your competitors and larger companies. But there's a simple solution that any SME can afford and easily integrate into their existing operations: outsourced business call answering. 

Call handling services provide a high standard of customer service round the clock, enabling your company to offer a dedicated point of contact and ensuring that clients and customers always reach a professional representative when they call. Missed calls are missed opportunities and, as a small business, every opportunity is valuable. A staggering 94% of new customers whose calls are unanswered will seek their business elsewhere so every single call counts!

Most SMEs can afford a receptionist to divert calls to the appropriate person, or implement an automated answering service to cope with calls when they're out of the office, but neither of these solutions covers every base. Receptionists cannot catch every call, day and night, while automated services are often irritating and off-putting for a customer in urgent need to speak to an advisor. By providing your customers with a quick and professional customer service, you will acquire new clients, retain existing clients and boost your company reputation, allowing your business to grow. 

Call handling services are cost-effective and efficient, offering a wide variety of options that can be tailored to your business requirements, including:

• phone answering
• virtual receptionists
• call centre services
• call diversion
• appointment making
• message taking
• customer service
• technical support
• brochure/information sending
• franchise call management
• holiday/illness cover
• telemarketing
• recruitment drives
• non-geographical numbers (0800, 0870, 0845)

Professional business call answering ensures that each and every caller receives the best customer service possible and gives the impression of a larger company. With the rise of social media and smart phones, customers expect businesses to be accessible and quick to respond - don't be left behind, make the most of your SME's resources and outsource your call management to Zoom UK. Try our 7-day free trial and see how much we can help your company!

Learn to Handle Business Calls More Effectively

Not only can Zoom provide you with an expert team of call handlers to help your company run smoothly, we can also train you and your staff in what makes our techniques so successful.

Zoom business call training will provide you with a range of skills to improve your business calls and customer service, and increase customer acquisition and retention. We can coach individuals or groups in the following areas:

• Best practice for telephone operators
• Competency when dealing with enquiries and sales
• Positive attitude and polite manner
• Putting forward a good first Impression 
• Tools and techniques to handle a variety of callers
• Dealing with complaints and negativity
• How to meet customer expectations
• Adapting behaviour to win more business
• Tune-in to clients' needs, values and preferences

By carrying out simple behavioural tests, we can help your staff to see how to identify and understand customer expectations, requirements and values. With this knowledge and these skills, your staff will be able to more competently handle enquiries, drive sales and resolve complaints - working in harmony with your Zoom team of call management specialists!

For more information on our business call training please get in touch with us at www.zoomuk.co.uk or by calling 0800 583 5020. And you can even check your call handling skills with our online test!

Some Basic Tips For Answering Telephone Calls Professionally

The telephone is still the preferred communication tool of choice for many when it comes to business, even when web enquiries, emails, social media and live chat facilities are available. So here are our top tips on telephone answering.. 

ANSWER THE CALL QUICKLY - There is nothing more unprofessional than leaving a caller waiting. Research shows that if most of us wait longer that 24 seconds on the phone, we'll hang up. 

ANSWER WITH A SMILE -  You can always tell if someone is smiling or not over the phone. Smiling when delivering customer service when answering the phone is just as important as smiling face to face. If you are happy, the customers happy!

SPEAK CLEARLY & PROFESSIONALLY  – Words like ‘cheers’, ‘uh-huh’, ‘mate ‘,’yeah’ etc. are not professional ways to speak to customers over the phone, keep it friendly but remember they are a customer and not a pal and remember to enunciate every word.

LEARN THE PHONETIC ALPHABET- and use it when you are confirming spellings back, Sounds a lot more professional than saying the first thing that comes to your head! 

REMAIN POSITIVE AND PROFESSIONAL - Even if you have no idea what they are talking about. By using ‘let me find that out for you and come back to you’ rather than ‘I don’t know’ as it shows interest and a willingness to help.

KEEP THE CUSTOMER HAPPY- make sure you go back to update them every few seconds if you have to put people on hold, and remember to keep offering to have them called back

Personalising Your Business Calls

Personalising your business calls with a dedicated call answering service is a great way to boost your customer experience and your company reputation. Here's how:

• Go the extra mile. Make sure your customers can get hold of you whenever they need to. If you can't man the phones 24/7 that's OK - that's what Zoom Answer Call is for! A telephone answering service means that you'll never miss a call again. And our call agents can do more than just answer the phone, we can direct your calls, take messages, send out brochures, book appointments, provide information and customer service, and even act as a virtual reception for your business. 
• Use customer information to help streamline your call. Bring up existing customer details as quickly as possible in order to anticipate and facilitate their needs. Refer back to previous calls and queries so they know you are up to date with their business history - this builds trust and confidence in your business. If you're speaking to a new customer, take down the information you need to help them as fast as you can; no one wants to answer endless questions when they call with a simple query.
• Smile when you answer the phone! Our Zoom UK call handlers answer every call with a genuine smile - you'd be surprised what a difference it makes! Offering pleasant, polite service costs absolutely nothing but can improve your customer service and let your customers know that you care about their custom.
• Make your customer service approach consistent across all aspects of your company, from phone calls to emails to doing business in person. Define your goals for a positive customer experience and train and educate staff to handle a variety of different customer situations. Zoom call answering agents will adhere to your customer service requirements to the letter and ensure that we are coherent with your business personality.
• Ask your customers what you can do to make their experience even better. It's all very well robotically saying, "Is there anything else I can do for you?" but do you mean it? Can you go above and beyond and offer extras and random acts of kindness to make your customers' day? Sometimes the best way to dissolve a negative situation is to ask what you could have done better, or what you can do to make things right. You could even turn a complaint into a glowing reference.

For help with tailoring your call answering service to reap the most benefit for your company, get in touch with us at Zoom Answer Call and our experts will help you to create a bespoke package for your business.

Tips for Professional Call Handling

When you're answering the phone to clients and customers, it's important to retain a professional attitude at all times - but that doesn't mean being cold or overly formal. Think about how you'd like to be treated when calling an enquiry line, customer services or technical support.

Providing a friendly but professional response to your business calls helps to make each enquiry count - it's what turns a call into a sale, or a complaining customer into a happy one. Here are a few tips from our professional call answering team on how to give your clients a great experience when calling your business:

• Remember to say "hello". Taking a few moments to greet your caller and ask how they are can dramatically affect the rest of the call. Every caller is an individual and deserves to be treated as such - it doesn't take much to be polite with a simple hello!
• Quality wins over quantity when it comes to call handling. It's far better to leave your customers feeling good about your company (even without making a sale) than feeling as if they were rushed off the phone or dismissed. Especially when generating leads, quality call answering can make a massive difference to your conversion rate.
• Have the right information at the right time. When a customer calls to ask a question, they don't want to be passed round to several different departments or end up on hold. Ensure that your call network takes your caller to the right person as quickly as possible. Our phone answering services can provide an information gathering service to determine the best department to direct each call to and simplify your operation, keeping your customers as happy as possible!
• SMILE! You really can hear the difference when a call handler answers with a smile! Our Zoom call agents answer each and every call with a smile and a friendly, polite attitude. Starting each phone call with a positive spin helps us to provide the very best call handling service we can, passing on our great customer service to your clients.

Never miss a business call again...

Did you know that seven out of ten people will hang up the phone when they reach an answer machine? How many missed calls does your business receive per day? How many customers are you losing from not having an adequate call answering team?

With Zoom Assistants from our professional call answering service you can rest assured that your company will never miss a call ever again. Call answering services can come in handy whenever you can't guarantee that one of your staff will be able to answer your phones, for example:

• during meetings
• at busy times
• during staff absences or holidays
• when the phone is engaged

Zoom Answer Call's answering assistants provide a personal service for your company, answering calls, diverting calls, taking messages, booking appointments, sending out brochures and providing information and a friendly response to all your clients.

Our multi-line, high speed call answering service allows your customers to receive the service they are after without even knowing that you have diverted their call. This means no busy signal, no answerphone, no multi-choice touch tone menu, just real people who answer the phone with a smile every time...

Give us a try with our 7 day free trial to see how Zoom Answer Call can help your business.