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\nCustomer service expert Jeff Mowatt has created a list of Top 10 telephone turnoffs to avoid – or risk alienating your colleagues and clients.<\/strong><\/p>\n Like you, there are times in my work when emails and texts aren\u2019t efficient and I actually need to phone someone and have a real conversation. I\u2019ve made literally thousands of calls over the years and \u2013 since I pay particular attention to customer communication \u2013 I\u2019ve created a list of Top 10 Telephone Turnoffs.<\/p>\n See if you can relate to them, which I\u2019ve rated from least annoying to worst. More importantly, read the accompanying tips to ensure you and your team members aren\u2019t committing the same offenses.<\/p>\n 10.\u00a0\u201cGood afternoon, thank you for calling ABC company, Ralf speaking. How can I help you?\u201d<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0 Long greetings waste the caller\u2019s time. Instead, just open with, \u201cThank you for calling ABC company, this is Ralf.\u201d It\u2019s concise and finishes with the employee\u2019s name rather than the word\u00a0speaking<\/em>. People remember the word spoken last and the most important word is your name. While you\u2019re at it, avoid asking,\u00a0\u201cHow can I help you?\u201d<\/em>\u00a0The caller will tell you this, and adding that statement essentially steps all over your name by following it with more words that make it even less memorable.<\/p>\n 9.\u00a0\u201cHello.\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0While, turnoff #10 was too long, this greeting doesn\u2019t offer\u00a0enough<\/em>\u00a0information. If a call is transferred to you from a switchboard, just say,\u00a0\u201cGood morning (or afternoon) this is Jeff.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0In this case, by saying\u00a0good morning<\/em>\u00a0you let the caller know they\u2019ve reached you\u00a0live<\/em>; not your voice mail.<\/p>\n 8. \u201cHow\u00a0are you?\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0Asking this question to someone you\u2019ve never met has two unintended consequences: 1) sounds insincere 2) wastes the person\u2019s\u00a0time. Not a great start, especially when the most important thing you\u2019re trying to establish is trust. Instead of asking,\u00a0\u201cHow are you?\u201d<\/em>\u00a0simply introduce yourself, then explain, \u201cWe\u2019ve never met. The reason I\u2019m calling is\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n 7.\u00a0\u201cPlease hold.\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0Putting a caller on hold without asking permission is rude. Instead, ask permission and thank them:\u00a0\u201cMay I put you on hold for a moment? Thank you.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n 6.\u00a0\u201cI\u2019m either on the phone or away from my desk\u2026\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0Callers understand that they\u2019ve reached your voice mail. They don\u2019t need an explanation about why. If you\u2019re out of the office for several days mention that. Otherwise, just state, \u201cYou\u2019ve reached the voice mail of Jeff Mowatt. Please leave a message. \u2018Nuff said. (Please don\u2019t tell me to have a great day \u2013 just stop talking so I can leave a message).<\/p>\n 5.\u00a0\u201cYour call is important to us.\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0This is the default recorded message you often hear when reaching a call centre. Again, the most important thing to establish with customers is trust. It doesn\u2019t help when the record message tells a lie. If our call was really that important to the organization, they\u2019d have a live person taking our call. This statement insults our intelligence. Instead, opt for,\u00a0\u201cYour call will be answered in approximately x minutes. Thank you for your patience.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n 4.\u00a0\u201cYou need to call department x.\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0(When customers have a complaint). The last thing customers want when expressing a concern is the runaround. If a customer is unhappy, rather than foisting them on another department, ask permission to put the caller on hold. Then\u00a0you<\/em>\u00a0call the department to brief them about the customer\u2019s concern and their state of mind. That leads us to turnoff #3\u2026<\/p>\n 3.\u00a0ABC department?<\/strong>\u00a0(When picking up a transferred call after you\u2019ve been briefed about their complaint). Forcing unhappy customers to repeat themselves simply elevates their frustration. Instead, answer the call by introducing yourself with your first and last name, explaining that your colleague briefed you, and paraphrasing your understanding of the situation. Then, rather than starting back at square one, the customer can simply correct or confirm the details.<\/p>\n 2. Peeking at your smart phone screen while in face-to-face conversation.<\/strong>\u00a0When you check your phone in front of others you demonstrate a focus on yourself that undermines trust.<\/p>\n 1. Talking on a cell phone around others.<\/strong>\u00a0No one wants to hear a half of a phone conversation from a bystander. Anywhere. Anytime. We\u2019d rather listen to jets taking off than be subjected to someone\u2019s stream of consciousness. If you must make a phone call while others are within earshot, keep it short or go elsewhere to make the call.<\/p>\n The good news about these telephone turnoffs is they are easy to avoid. As I teach in my seminars \u2013 ask yourself if everything you say and do enhances or diminishes trust. When you demonstrate your respect for your customers\u2019 time and intelligence, chances are you will be rewarded \u2013 literally \u2013 with their loyalty.<\/p>\n About the Author<\/strong><\/p>\n Jeff Mowatt is a customer service strategist, Hall of Fame speaker, and bestselling author. This article is based on Jeff\u2019s bestselling book, Influence with Ease. You can obtain your own copy of his book or to inquire about engaging Jeff for your team at\u00a0www.jeffmowatt.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Customer service expert Jeff Mowatt has created a list of Top 10 telephone turnoffs to avoid – or risk alienating your colleagues and clients.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":337,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[2],"tags":[50],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.customerservicemanager.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23515"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.customerservicemanager.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.customerservicemanager.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.customerservicemanager.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/337"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.customerservicemanager.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23515"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/www.customerservicemanager.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23515\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":23533,"href":"https:\/\/www.customerservicemanager.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23515\/revisions\/23533"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.customerservicemanager.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23515"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.customerservicemanager.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23515"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.customerservicemanager.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23515"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}