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What I understand by telephone etiquettes?

Telephone etiquette reIers to a set oI rules that apply when people make calls to
others or when they are receiving a phone call. There are slightly diIIerent rules Ior
a variety oI situations. Making and receiving personal calls are not the same as
making/receiving business calls. Within this set oI rules there can be diIIerences,
especially Ior business calls where companies may want callers or receivers to say
certain things. For personal telephone etiquette, calling someone means doing
several things. A caller should identiIy him/herselI when not recognized right
away. In calling a Iriend or relative, Ior instance, aIter the initial 'Hello, the caller
should come up with a greeting and identiIication. 'Hello/Hi this is John.
Sometimes a last name is needed iI the person being called is an acquit.
The next thing that is needed in telephone etiquette is a request Ior something,
such as speaking to someone else in the house. Variations exist on this like 'May I
speak to JenniIer, or 'Is JenniIer available? II JenniIer is not available, it may be
necessary to leave a brieI message, but it should be one easy to right down.
Sometimes the only thing necessary is to leave a phone number. Even this
simple telephone etiquette takes a while to learn. It`s a good thing to teach
children, as they oIten don`t know it, can`t identiIy themselves, and won`t leave
any Iorm oI concrete message.
Children should also be taught how to answer a phone, and all people can
beneIit Irom the Iollowing some standard etiquette concepts, including:
O !ick up the phone promptly with a salutation like 'Hello, and not 'Yeah
or 'Go!
O e prepared to take a message and always have pencil/pen and paper handy.
O II the call is undesired, as Irom a solicitor, merely inIorm the person in an
even tone that there is no interest Ior the product or service, say goodbye,
and gently hang up.
O Alternately, screen calls and let unwanted calls go to
. Every phone call is an attempt at communication between two people; it`s a
method Ior imparting and receiving inIormation. When telephone etiquette isn`t
observed, communication may be thwarted. In general, people are asked to keep
language more standard, as opposed to using slang, to be polite to each other, and
to make it clear who caller and receiver are. While it may be okay Irom time to
time to depart Irom etiquette, especially when calling very well known Iriends,
greater adherence to it is useIul voicemail.

What is good telephone etiquettes

!ut on a happy Iace : eIore you answer, smile. Doing so either reinIorces your
already-positive mood or manuIactures one Ior you. Remember, you're glad that
person called, so let her know that. Make it easy Ior her to want to do business with
you and your tea and coIIee store.
2. e prompt : When you answer the phone by the Iirst or second ring, you
communicate enthusiasm, eIIiciency, and proIessionalism. Sure, sometimes you're
so busy you just can't jump to the phone, but don't let more than a Iew rings go by
beIore somebody answers it.
3. Speak properly : Your voice is the only part oI you Irom which the caller can
Iorm an impression about you and your tea and coIIee store. ThereIore, don't rush
or mumble your words; speak slowly enough, and clearly. Also, put some liIe in
your voice by varying the inIlection, to avoid a monotonous tone.
4. IdentiIy yourselI : Don't wait Ior the caller to ask iI she dialed the right number.
Friedman recommends the three-part greeting: egin with a buIIer oI "Hello" or
"Good morning," Iollowed by your tea and coIIee store's name. Then, say your
own name, preceded by "This is...," since people tend to remember the last thing
they hear.
5. OIIer your help : AIter your name, say the words, "How can I help you?" Says
Joel Lipchitz, president oI New York City-based !hone Ior Success, "When you
use the word, 'how,' the person Iocuses more on why they're calling, so you can
both get to the point more quickly."
6. e pleasant : "Never be too busy to be nice," says Friedman. "eing busy does
not give you carte blanche to be rude." Neither does being in a bad mood. The
caller does not care that you're Iacing a line-up oI waiting customers or that you
got stuck with a parking ticket while you were Irantically running errands during
your lunch hour.
7.e enthusiastic: When you are, it's oIten contagious. The caller Ieels excited
about doing business with you and your tea and coIIee store and believes that
you're interested in her reason Ior contacting you. Show your eagerness to talk to
and help the caller when you use an up-beat tone oI voice and words that convey
you care.
8.Listen actively: !robe the caller with comments that reIlect her words, such as "I
understand what you mean," or "You seem to Ieel pretty strongly about this."
!araphrase her, to assure her that you're listening to and understanding what she is
saying. And keep a pen and some paper by the phone so you can take notes.

What is bad telephone etiquettes
Good phone manners are important both in home and proIessional settings. When
you speak with someone on the phone, your only interaction is verbal, so it is
important to say the right things and behave appropriately to make the right
impression.

Talking loudly:

Talking loudly on the phone to the point where others in earshot can hear your
entire side oI the conversation is bad telephone etiquette. Shouting into a phone is
like talking loudly to someone who does not speak your language and does not
accomplish anything.
Talking About !ersonal Topics
!roper telephone etiquette does not advocate talking about personal topics when
you are in earshot oI others. Respect the sensibility oI others and do not discuss
medical issues, romantic escapades and other personal matters when others can
hear you.
$.reening Calls:
&sing an answering machine or caller ID to screen your telephone calls is bad
telephone manners. II you preIer to speak to the person at a later time, the polite
thing to do is to tell the person that it is a bad time to talk, and you will return their
call later.
Talking And Eating On The Phone:
Eating while conversing on the phone is comparable to talking with your mouth
Iull, and may prevent others Irom understanding you. II you're hungry, wait to eat
until the call is over.
#espe.t Your Audien.e:
Others may perceive you as rude iI you are already having a Iace-to-Iace
conversation with someone else and opt to take a phone call mid-conversation. II
you absolutely need to take a call, Iirst request permission Irom the person you are
conversing with and excuse yourselI.


ow to .ommuni.ate on phone for business organization ?
Communicating usiness developments to employees is oI vital importance. One
must adopt several ways and tricks to eIIectively communicate Outsourcing, oII-
shoring, downsizing, mergers, acquisitions, restated earnings etc related
inIormation to employees. Few companies take the time and endeavor to connect
with employees i.e. to discuss such issues with its employees. Special attention
should be given to employees so that they could render their support in making
impossible possible.
Organizations must keep into consideration the criticality oI communicating
business developments to its employees. Human resources reaction to news plays a
critical role in the organization`s ability to manage diIIicult change scenarios. It
also helps in shaping external opinion about the particular organization. Hence, the
Iollowing steps could be taken into consideration while expressing signiIicant
business developments:
1. Look forward to and a.t in response to employee .on.erns:
&nderstanding an employees` concerns like job security, beneIits adjustments and
day-to-day operations would let him/her Ieel valued. Looking Iorward to
employees Ior suggestions oI new concepts boosts their morale resulting in more
intellect work Iorce. eIore communicating any business related issues ask selI,
what queries will this liIt up among employees? !repare yourselI Ior the same and
then head to share developments.
. Develop effe.tive two way .ommuni.ation .hannel:
Memos, pamphlets, Web sites or blogs that can be activated at a moment`s notice
are eIIective tools to communicate beIore any kind oI erroneous inIormation
spreads. Along with providing inIormation also as a compulsion ask Ior their
reactions and Ieedback. Two way communications is a very eIIective tool oI
disposing any kind oI situation or inIormation to employees and also to know
about their perception at the same time.
3. Transparen.y is a must:
Transparency leads to better organization environment oI trust and loyalty.
Considering organization as whole inIormation oI development must be disposed
to all but iI investigations are on its way and iI decisions are pending then usiness
strategy or development must be shared with all employees having role in
determining that strategy. Companies should tell employees as much as they know,
as soon as they know it.
4. Don`t give power to the rumor mill:
Companies at times think that iI they will say nothing or very little about an
alarming issue, no one will talk about it. WorkIorce is like consumers, when they
Iind something cooking up they try level best to know each and every detail. They
talk and seek out inIormation about things that concern them. Absence oI
believable inIormation Iorm the company will make employees turn to colleagues,
Iriends, Iamily and the media to Iill the void. To avoid such a situation man oI
determination must be give authority over inIormation related to every arena.
5. Give managers their required resour.es:
Managers and supervisors can be provided with suIIicient training and other stuII
which could help them communicate easily with employees. Managers can be
provided with resources to communicate inIormation to staII and time can be set
aside subsequently Ior department-level negotiations.
6. Use a diversity of .ommuni.ation .hannels:
EIIective use oI variety oI communication channels available will result in eIIicient
Ilow oI inIormation Iorm one level to another. This guarantees that inIormation
will reach a broad base oI employees. This will also make sure that the contour oI
the inIormation does not go though any change.
. Make sure that employees are informed before .ustomers, suppliers, and
shareholders:
This is the most important thing to be kept in mind that any inIormation, what so
ever it may be should be communicated to internal employees Iirst and then to
external bodies. This thing immensely damage morale more than any other thing
that is when employees learn oI major news Irom external sources. This would Ior
sure lead to disconnected employees. Such a thing could also result in strikes, lock
outs, absenteeism and many other consequences. To avoid such scene make sure
that employees oI your company are inIormed beIore external bodies.Many
companies and employers don`t understand and realize worth oI eIIectively
communicating DiIIicult usiness Developments to Employees, which is one oI
the basic stone Ior an organization to be successIul. Adopt these simple steps and
take your organization to a new horizon.
Use good telephone te.hnique
e in a quiet place. While sometimes it's unavoidable, you should try to be
in an environment that has as little noise as possible. Each person on the
phone will be able to hear clearly and without interruption.
Let the person on the other line know iI you cannot understand them as soon
as you can. That person may have a heavy accent, be on a cell phone with
bad reception or be in a distracting environment. Whatever the reason is Ior
any misunderstanding on your part, let the receiver know that you have a
hard time understanding them. You do not want to miss any important
inIormation. In return, you can ask that person iI they can understand you.
Sometimes the person on the other line may be too shy to let you know.
e Iocused on the conversation on the phone. II you can avoid it, you should
not be doing anything else. Taking notes or looking up inIormation Ior the
person is reasonable, but will get a lot more out oI your conversation iI you
are Iocused on what is being said.
Ask permission iI you can change the status oI the phone call. This includes
adding another person to the line, putting the conversation on speaker phone
or recording the conversation. Many people will Ieel uncomIortable iI you
do these things without their permission.
!lace calls at appropriate times. usiness calls should be placed during a
business day. Don't Iorget that those people may be eating lunch, too. Also,
unless the person is expecting your call on a personal level, you should not
call late at night or early in the morning. Calling during dinner can be a
major nuisance Ior most people as well. Have some respect Ior the
individual and only call at convenient hours Ior them.
II you keep missing the person you want to speak with, leave a message. Let
that person know what times are the best to get a hold oI you. It can be quite
aggravating to keep putting oII an important conversation just because your
times aren't matching up.
!ut a smile in your voice beIore you pick up the phone and keep a mirror
nearby to keep the smile there. Your attitude 'shows in your voice.
e prepared. Clearly state your purpose and have all backup materials
handy. Take notes as needed.
Never chew gum or be eating when you`re answering the phone. It sounds
extremely unproIessional to the person at the other end oI the line
Speak slightly more slowly on the phone than you would iI you were having
a general Iace-to-Iace conversation. Important details can get overlooked iI
you speak too quickly and it also saves you Irom having to repeat yourselI.
This is especially true iI you have a very pronounced regional accent
eep an eye on the time II you`re the one calling others, remember that at
lunchtimes and aIter 5pm, it is oIten diIIicult to get hold oI people and you
may either Iind you hit voicemail or the recipient may not be best pleased to
take your calls at certain times oI day
Never make outgoing calls oI a personal nature unless your employer has
given you explicit permission to do so and make sure you dissuade relatives
and Iriends Irom calling you at work. In general, however, iI you`re Iriendly,
courteous and helpIul, answering the phone should not present you with too
many problems.
Thank a caller.







What is total .ustomer delight ?
Customer Delight
To put yourselI in touch with the spirit oI what the client wants to accomplish is
the heart oI the value and principle oI "customer delight."The most successIul
businesses have discovered a Iormula that goes beyond product and service. Their
business is providing delight to their customers by understanding their speciIic
personal interests, anticipating their needs, exceeding their expectations, and
making every moment and aspect oI the relationship a pleasant or better yet, an
exhilarating experience. Customers are an organization`s biggest asset. There`s
much written and spoken about customer care, customer service, even customer
delight`, but what does it all mean? How does it relate to your business, your
people, and most importantly, to your customers.

$teps to .ustomer delight
$TEP 1: ADOPT A PO$ITIVE ATTITUDE

- Attitude is the Ioundation oI service. Without a positive attitude you will never
Iind the necessary motivation to solve your customers` problems.

- Acknowledge the Iact that customers are the most important thing Ior your
organization and commit yourselI to doing your best to delight them, everyday and
in each interaction.

- Develop a genuine interest in helping customers when they need you. usinesses
are not just about money. Learn to enjoy doing something special Ior others and
obtaining nothing but a thank you or a happy Iace in return.

$TEP : #EA$$U#E TE CU$TOME#

- II the customer Ieels too upset, communicating with him will be very diIIicult
unless he calms down thereIore, allow him to vent his anger.

- Let him talk and do not interrupt him.

- Do not take any oI his remarks personal.

- Emphasize that your job is 'to help him Iind a solution.

$TEP 3: E$TABLI$ EMPATY

- For a customer with a problem it is comIorting to know that the employee
understands his situation. Make a real eIIort to put yourselI in the customer`s
shoes.

- &se emotional and empathetic lines such as: 'I understand how you Ieel, 'I am
sorry you had this experience with us.

- Regardless oI whether it`s the company`s Iault or not, the problem is real. Face it
and do not question the customer.

$TEP 4: OFFE# AN APOLOGY

- OIIer an apology on behalI oI the organization. Sometimes this is all customers
want.

- Do not point Iingers and do not put other departments or employees on the spot.

$TEP 5: IDENTIFY TE P#OBLEM AND TE CAU$E

- Ask eIIective questions that help you understand the problem and its cause.

- Listen careIully to the customer.

- &pset customers oIten stray away Irom the core issue. Get the conversation back
in track when this happens.

- e as thorough as possible. Sometimes a complaint is just the tip oI the iceberg.

$TEP 6: GUIDE TE CU$TOME#

- II the problem was caused by a product or service misuse, or was due to lack oI
awareness or inIormation, explain the causes and instruct the customer so that this
doesn`t happen again in the Iuture.

$TEP : #EQUE$T O# OFFE# ALTE#NATIVE $OLUTION$

- Ask the customer how he would like his problem to be solved. II it`s in your
hands, do it, otherwise request authorization. Do not worry, in most cases customer
demands are much less than we imagine. What most customers want is a Iair deal.

- II what the customer requests is not Ieasible, oIIer him diIIerent alternatives to
solve his problem. Not all people settle Ior the same.

$TEP 8: COMMUNICATE TE $TEP$ TO FOLLOW

- Explain the customer all the steps and / or actions you will undertake to get his
problem solved.

- Agree on a contact channel and Irequency to keep him posted during the whole
process.

$TEP 9: $OLVE TE P#OBLEM

- Embrace the complaint. Do not ask yourselI iI it has to do with your job Iunction.
The customer complained to you, so this complaint is 'yours and it`s your
responsibility to solve it.

- Act immediately. A customer problem is priority number one. Do not write it
down on your 'to do`s list.

- II the solution is not in your hands, reIer it to the corresponding area but never
disown the problem. Make a close Iollow-up and keep the customer inIormed.

$TEP 10: INFO#M TE CU$TOME# WEN TE P#OBLEM I$
$OLVED

- Contact the customer when the problem has been solved.

$TEP 11: COMPEN$ATE TE CU$TOME# O# GO TE EXT#A MILE

- OIIer the customer some kind oI additional retribution Ior his bad experience. It
doesn`t need to be monetary, but it has to be valuable. For example, an airline
could oIIer an upgrade; an hotel could oIIer a Iree day oI Internet access Irom the
customer`s room, etc

- II you are not authorized to oIIer compensations, do something special to surprise
the customer and exceed his expectations. For example, when a customer`s brand
new car broke down while driving to the airport, the service manager at the car
dealer sent over an employee to pick him up and take him to the terminal, and a
Iew days later he showed up in person at the arrival`s gate to meet the customer
with his car Iixed and a box oI chocolates.

$TEP 1: MONITO# FINAL $ATI$FACTION

- Contact the customer a Iew days later to make sure he`s satisIied with the way the
problem was solved and ask him iI there`s anything else the company can do Ior
him.

-&se this guideline as a reIerence to develop your own complaint and problem
management policy, suit it to the characteristics oI your business and train all your
staII to implement it properly.

-Although this won`t lower your rate oI mistakes, it will at least ensure that when
your service Iails customer satisIaction won`t be aIIected and that the image oI
your company may even end up strengthened.








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