Wait! Don’t jump straight in when the phone rings – if you pick it up at the first ring, studies have shown that the caller won’t be expecting it and may even hang up. The optimum time to pick up a ringing phone is between 2 and 6 rings. So the phone has rung twice...time to pick it up? No! First check what time it is so you know whether to say ‘good morning’ or ‘good afternoon’, and put a smile on your face. Now you’re finally ready to answer the call.
I was always taught to answer calls with some form of the phrase; “Good morning, [Name of company], [my name] speaking”, possibly followed by “how can I help you” if the company I worked for preferred that. Why such a long introduction? Even though you’ve given them at least two rings to prepare, a lot of callers still won’t be expecting you to speak and will miss the first thing you say. By ensuring that something like ‘good morning’ comes first, you can be sure they aren’t missing anything that matters! You have then gone on to remind them what company they have called, and politely introduced yourself by name.
How the call proceeds will obviously depend on the business you are answering the call for, but it is always important to remember that the only contact the caller has with you is your voice. Try to keep your tone lively and interesting, keep smiling, and if the caller is explaining anything at length, be sure to make interested sounds or comments (the occasional ‘mmhmm’ can suffice) so they know you really are still listening.
Before you say goodbye, ask the caller if there is anything else you can help with, and then wait for them to hang up. If you hang up first, there is a chance you will miss them remembering a last minute question, and they may not feel it is important enough to warrant a call back.
Call Answering Services from Zoom UK
