Customer Service: The Introduction

When you answer a call, you set the foundation for the judgment that will inevitably happen.

The caller wants to know that you can and will help them. All of this happens in the first few seconds of the call, with the introduction.
Actually, it happens before that, from the caller’s end. From the moment they make the decision to call, go through the process of finding the number to dial, make the time to place the call, and then wait on the phone while the ringing happens. Hopefully not too many rings before some form of answer arrives. All of this means that a precedent has been set before the agent even gets to say hello.
But for this blog, let’s talk about what the agent can control the moment the phone is answered, and that is the introduction. How do they say, “Hello?”
Maya Angelou said, roughly, that people will forget what you said and did, but they will not forget how you made them feel. This can be applied to the agent’s introduction.
“How did the agent make the caller feel?”
It’s a bit of an irony with a call answering service. So many calls are coming in that you tend to believe that everyone, everywhere is calling. But that is not the case, is it? For a person to pick up the phone now is a big deal. We as a professional call answering service, or anyone that answers their phone, needs to remember what it takes for that person to dial their phone to reach you.
It takes some effort and a need to accomplish something quickly. It also introduces the need for human contact, even if by tone and talking alone.
Which is why the introduction is so important.

The tone will set the tone.

When an agent mumbles the company name, or speeds through the introduction, or sounds busy doing something else, the caller cringes. They feel they have wasted their time. They feel they are not respected. How do you treat the people that you feel don’t respect you? Walls go up, barriers to joint success are built. You want to go to battle.
With a kind, confident, smooth introduction, you are now a team with the caller. You are their sherpa, guiding them to the answers they crave.
As long as you make the caller feel special by simply taking the time to let them know with your tone that they are important and that you are there to help them, they will let you help them. They will help you help them.
Most callers to new businesses are rolling the dice when they call. They naturally anticipate a futile voicemail greeting or an endless auto-attendant tree. They really want a human that can help them.
Which makes our job as call answer professionals really simple. All we need to do is answer the phone and do our best to help the caller. No song and dance, no magic, just being nice, intelligent and confident.

The Art of Good Business is Great Communication.