Telephone skills with Derek Hendrikz is essential for frontline staff, front desk employees, call centre operators, personal assistants, secretaries, managers, and all people who deal with phone calls in the workplace. www.derekhendrikz.com

1. Telephone Skills
Derek Hendrikz

2. • The client call
• The internal call
• The superior call
• The social call
• The supplier call
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3. • Listening
• Problem solving
• Empathy
• Reliability
• Honesty
• Sincerity
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4. • Answering the Phone
• Talking on the Phone
• Proper Hold Procedures
• Proper closing
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5. • Redirect effectively
• Know your system
• Close the customer loop
• Be prepared (docs at hand)
• Have a database open
• Keep record
• Have messaging system ready
• Have a complaints system
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6. • Identify who you represent (your
company)
• Show courtesy (greet)
• Identify yourself
• Offer your assistance
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7. Babalinga Enterprises - good day.
This is Derek speaking, how may
I help you?
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8. • Busy with a customer and the telephone rings.
• Apologise to the customer, and ask if you can take the call.
• Ask the caller if you can phone back later and take a number and
name.
• Take your phone of the hook.
• Busy on the phone and a customer walks in.
• Tell the person on the other end of the line that a customer has just
walked in, and ask if you could call back later.
• Deal with the customer.
• Telephone rings while the customer enters.
• Follow all the steps discussed in the first scenario.
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9. Indicate the willingness to listen by saying “Would you
like to talk about it?” or “Tell me what’s on your mind”
You remain quit so that the other person can talk.
Without interrupting, you encourage and let the other
person that you are listening by saying “Mm-hmm”,
“Really”, “OK”, etc.
You could occasionally tell the other person in your
own words your impression of what he/she just said.
Active Listening…
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10. emotion
content
Whole
message
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11. • Listen and take notes without commenting.
• Show empathy with the fact that the customer has a complaint.
• Determine the name, address and telephone number of the caller
and write the date and time of the call down.
• Determine the facts and repeat them to the customer so that he
agrees with you.
• Decide who must handle the complaint.
• Decide on the best plan of action.
• Get the customers approval for the plan of action.
• Make a copy of the complaint and follow it up.
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