How do I handle business phone calls professionally?

There is more to winning work than price or skill, and every time the phone rings, you have the chance to win or lose a customer. How you answer the phone is how people judge your business. If you treat every call as an opportunity, there’s a good chance you’ll impress some of the people who might do something useful for your business: suppliers, customers, your boss, your staff or even someone who made a wrong number.

There are things about telephones that create unintentional rudeness, and make it too easy to show contempt, ignore concern, or dismiss a caller. You hate being stuck on hold, or being questioned like a criminal, but you let your staff do it to customers.

At best, such calls are irritating. At worst, poorly handled customer contacts can sour the caller’s impression of your company or even your product.

The phone is the first thing many people see of you. People form quick judgments based on small details, and the phone can make a startling impression in a short time.

Answer the Phone in Two Rings if Possible

Treat the telephone as a vital link to your customers, and let every employee know how essential it is that you answer calls quickly and courteously. Picking up on the first or second ring can make your whole company seem responsive, while a ringing phone is the most obvious sign of neglect. Answer the phone in two rings if possible, never more than four. Do your best to reach the phone quickly, and show your callers that you care about getting to them before they get to the competition.

Take the few extra moments to clearly identify yourself and your department or organization. “Hello” isn’t enough, even if you’re the only person in the company.

For example: “Quality Control, Mike Bugalowski speaking.” Then the caller will do the same. It shows that you’re businesslike and ready.

If you answer a phone that isn’t yours, give both names. “Tod Pitlow’s office, Mike Bugalowski speaking.” Then the caller knows someone is responsible for getting him an answer.

Telephone Screening

Don’t tie up your receptionist or secretary screening your calls. A secretary is a filter, and it wastes time to hear one person describe the nature of your call and another have to recreate it.

It’s faster and easier to answer the phone yourself. It shows you’re interested and ready to help, and it makes it much easier for callers to get what they want. Business can be an ego game, and some executives enjoy showing off how important they are, even at the expense of the company. Place your own calls, too. Don’t waste time or business doing ego exercises.

There are exceptions, of course. A busy executive has to filter out distractions, and has to protect his time. If you must use a screener, keep it short and courteous.

There are words you use on the telephone that sound rude, and few of them are intentional. “Who is this?” sounds aggressive or abrasive to many people. “May I tell him who’s calling?” sounds much better.

If you’re unavailable, he can say, “I’m sorry, Mr. Pitlow’s in a meeting. May I tell him who’s calling?” Telephone screening doesn’t have to be nasty.

Always give the caller a reason. “He’s in a meeting” can mean “He’s in a meeting and can’t be bothered to talk to you right now,” but it’s polite enough to accept.

So are “out of the office” or “on another line.”

”He’s unavailable” and “She can’t come to the phone” are another story. Don’t use euphemisms, but don’t be evasive. An evasive answer feels like a lie, even when it’s the truth. If you say, “He can’t come to the phone,” he has no options. You have forced him to wait, and he’s bound to be irritated.

If you have the time, you can offer to help. Or simply offer to take a message, and ask how to reach him in return. Never tell the caller to try again later.

Avoid asking “Does he know you?” Most of us respond to this challenge with a muttered “Yes” or “No,” and some people can feel threatened or insulted. Many callers are offended at the suggestion that they might not be invited to your little party. It feels pushy and hostile and insulting.

Don’t ask provocative or demanding questions. They invite sarcasm or anger from the caller. “Will he know what this is in reference to?” (Only if he reads minds.) “What company are you with?” (The IRS.) “Where are you calling from?” (Kentucky.)

”What is this about?” (His wife’s gambling debt.)

When you transfer a call, say why and where it’s going. It’s frustrating to be shuttled from one person to another without knowing who anyone is. Tell the caller the number she should call if the transfer fails.

When you set a phone aside, you’re setting aside your customers. The caller knows that the ringing sound is a signal to someone to answer. If the phone rings too long, he becomes frustrated and irritated.

Never let your phone ring unanswered, even for a short time. If you’re away from your desk, set your phone to roll over to a secretary or receptionist, or to a colleague who has agreed to cover for you.

Tell your cover where you are going, when you will be back and where you can be reached. Your cover person should write down messages and forward them to you promptly. And always return messages promptly.

Messages should include the caller’s name, number and company, and who the call was for. Be sure you understand the message. Say, “Spell that please,” and “May I repeat that to make sure I have it right?” These pleasantries don’t take much time, and they reassure the caller that you are listening. It’s polite and saves wasted time.

Holding any call without the caller’s consent is rude, and it tells him he’s being made to wait. If he must hold, let him know why and for how long. Then ask if he is willing to hold. Wait for his response before you set the phone down. When you come back, say “Thank you for holding,” and use his name.

More than two minutes on hold, and you should call him back no matter what he says. If the caller doesn’t want to wait, take a number and call back at a time you name, then keep that promise.

A Good Speaking Voice

You can project depression or anger or irritation over the phone, and it’s a mistake. Anger, confusion, and boredom are easy to detect. They come across as disrespect. If you’re irritated, your tone of voice shows it, and it annoys everyone who listens to you.

How you feel doesn’t matter to the customer. When you say “Good morning,” she expects you to sound like it. Any caller will understand “May I call you back?” Just name the time. Even fake cheer and attention are better than no cheer or attention at all.

When people come to your door, you try to welcome them, answer their questions and make them feel comfortable. It’s just as rude to make a caller feel unwelcome on the phone. Business contacts succeed or fail on the way you make people feel about you and your company.

Careless, abrasive voices give your business a callous image. If you mumble, shout, slur or yell, you sound as if you don’t care who you talk to. A good speaking voice is clear and welcoming, not overly loud, and easy to understand.

These tips may seem basic. Hold the receiver to your ear, with the mouthpiece near your lips. Speak clearly. Use your normal tone. If you tend to talk fast, slow down.

You don’t need to be abrupt, but you should be polite and to the point. A little conversation can often reveal information and establish a bond, even if it’s only “How are you today?”

When you place a call, know why you are calling, and get to the point. Don’t be vague. Have a clear sense of how you want the call to go. It will give you something to ask for, and something to work toward. Write your main points on paper and check them off as you cover them.

Offer to get back with a solution or an answer. This takes the mystery out of what could seem an evasive answer.

Thank the caller and sum up what you agreed. Reassure the caller that the business is finished or will be completed. Use the caller’s name, and say “good-bye” when you end the call. As you say goodbye, let the caller hang up first. Then put the receiver down gently, however the call went.

A few simple steps can put you ahead of your competition. If you give a little more courtesy to every person who calls, you can improve your service without spending extra money. You may find your customers and prospects notice something different about your company.

You’ll leave your callers with a good impression of you and your company, and people like doing business with people they like.