Call answering tips from Contact Centre Professionals

Sunday, January 11th, 2015

There just seem to be so many things to attend to when it comes to customer services, it’s no wonder more and more companies are are outsourcing to a professional contact centre like Birmingham’s mplcontact.

Whilst these days, enquiries might originate from your web site, social media channels and maybe even a live chat system too, it is the good old fashioned telephone which still reigns supreme. That said, if call answering remains such a hot topic, why is it that so many companies still struggle to get it right?

Professional contact centres are seemingly able to turn call handling into an art form, so it’s only logical that you should aim to implement some of their working practices to turn that all important first contact into a great experience for your customers.

Telephone Answering Contact Centre Style

Cut Out Delays
This may seem blatantly obvious, but when it comes to call answering, delay is major factor when it comes to customer dissatisfaction and is not a sign of a professionally run organisation. Someone has chosen to call your business above all others and timely call answering is the first way to show them that they have indeed made a good decision.

Smile!
Well we all know that the customer can’t see you or your staff, but answering the call with a smile on your face is thought to project warmth, which in turn then resonates all the way down the line. The only option is to try it and see for yourself!

Getting It Right First Time
Call answering should always begin with your company’s name to prevent the customer having to check that they have reached the right place. In short, project professionalism from the word go. Ensuring that your operators speak clearly, gauge the customer’s knowledge and use technical terms only where necessary will help too.

Check
When taking messages it may help to read them back to the customer and check any spellings. Nobody wants to see their name spelt incorrectly in an email or letter, and it is the very first thing that they will pick up on. Using the phonetic alphabet to confirm spellings gives a professional touch.

Contact Centre Outsourcing

Finally, as many people cannot call during office hours, one way of catering for them is by using a 24/7 outsourced contact centre such as ourselves.

So why not give mplontact, a contact centre based in Sutton Coldfield/Birmingham, a call today on 0121 362 7001 (or use freephone 0800 018 6009) and we will show you how we can help your business thrive.