How Should a Business Answer the Phone?
Every time the phone rings, your business has the opportunity to make a positive impression on a caller. Knowing how your business should answer the phone will set your company up for success.
When the phone rings, you should just answer it by saying “hello,” right? That’s certainly a good start, but your business should answer the phone differently from how you’d answer personal calls. Properly handling business calls requires a little planning up front and a little practice, but if you get these aspects of it right then your business will be able to facilitate a great phone experience.
Here are several components to keep in mind when setting the script for how your business should answer the phone:
Speed of Answer
How should your business answer the phone? Quickly! As soon as the phone starts ringing and before you say a single word, you’ve got an opportunity to get things started on a positive note. Always answer your business phones on one of the first three rings. Read more about Why Speed of Answer Matters.
Greeting
When answering phone calls, it’s essential for businesses to start with a warm greeting that sets a professional yet inviting tone for the conversation. Begin with a general salutation such as “Good day” or “Welcome,” followed by mentioning your company’s name to immediately inform the caller they’ve reached the right place.
Introducing yourself by name personalizes the interaction and makes the caller feel more at ease. Incorporating a unique element, like your company’s slogan or a friendly remark related to your business’s services, can further enhance the caller’s experience by making the greeting memorable and engaging.
Concluding with an offer of assistance, such as asking how you can help or what you can do for the caller today, demonstrates readiness and eagerness to address their needs. The essence of a great phone greeting lies in its ability to convey warmth in a professional manner and with a clear indication of your willingness to assist, all while embodying the spirit of your brand.
Consistency in this approach across all calls ensures that every caller receives the same high standard of welcome, reinforcing your company’s commitment to excellent customer service.
Attitude
Always make sure your company’s phones are answered with a positive attitude. Too often those charged with answering the phone are thinking about something else or are in a negative mood, and it shows when they answer the phone.
Callers are looking to do business with a happy, successful company and if the people picking up the phone sound downtrodden or miserable, it’s really easy for the caller to pick up on that. So always learn how to answer the phone professionally and with a cheerful tone and chipper attitude.
Professionalism
Do give the caller your undivided attention. Don’t be eating or have anything in your mouth while talking to them. Do keep yourself from bringing up inappropriate topics, discussing issues from outside of work, or oversharing. Don’t use bad language or be too casual. Always speak clearly and keep things focused on business.
Helpfulness
Why did your caller dial your business in the first place? It was to get some information, take care of something, speak to someone, place an order, or just get some kind of help. So always remember to be helpful! Facilitating a great customer experience hinges on helping your caller with whatever they called you about.
Whether they called for directions or need help troubleshooting with one of your products, take care of anything you can personally or get them in touch with the right person they need to speak with asap.
Final Quick Tips
To provide a seamless and engaging experience for callers, it’s vital to prioritize answering calls with a live person whenever possible, minimizing the need to put callers on hold. Strive to adapt your communication style to match the tone of the caller, whether they’re reserved and soft-spoken or lively and assertive, to create a more comfortable and relatable conversation.
Toward the end of the interaction, always inquire if there’s any additional assistance you can offer. If they’re satisfied, express gratitude for their call before ending the conversation gracefully.
A key principle in effective phone etiquette and communication for businesses is the commitment to ensuring every call is answered by a live individual. This approach underscores the importance of a personalized touch and highlights the value of each caller’s experience.
Answering Services from AnswerMTI
If consistently achieving this level of personal attention is challenging, particularly outside regular business hours, integrating a 24-hour phone answering service or employing a virtual receptionist can be an effective solution. These services ensure that calls are handled professionally at all times, maintaining the high standard of customer service that callers expect.
Embracing these practices will significantly enhance the quality of your phone interactions, reflecting positively on your business.
If having a person answering every call around the clock is a challenge for your company, then it’s time to consider a 24-hour answering service or virtual receptionist from AnswerMTI.
