Professional Telephone Techniques

1 Day Course

OVERALL AIM:

This fun and interactive course is designed to highlight effective and efficient techniques in answering and using the telephone, and illustrates how to avoid common pitfalls thereby promoting a professional image to the outside world.

WHO SHOULD PARTICIPATE:

All staff who have telephone contact within the business world, in particular those who have had no formal training in professional telephone techniques.

COURSE CONTENT:

• Introduction/objectives: Course objectives are handed out. Delegates are asked for their objectives
• Benefits of professional technique:  Delegate group work: “List the benefits of utilising professional telephone techniques - to our customers, to our Company and to ourselves”
• Telephone limitations:  Tutor led discussion
• Practice session (ice breaker):  Demonstrating the limitations of the telephone
• Personal qualities/skills:  Delegate group work: “List the personal qualities and skills of one who is professional on the telephone”
• Professional customer service:  Answering incoming calls (How many rings? How do we answer?); incoming/outgoing calls (voice speed, jargon, accents, favourite words, familiarity, repeating back numbers); bad telephone technique; internal customers.  Tutor led discussions.  Pre-recorded scenarios set up on cassette played to the delegates
• Taking messages professionally:  What to record.  Delegates are given an opportunity to practise taking a message
• Handling irate customers professionally:  Routine for handling.  Delegates are given an opportunity to practise handling a difficult call
• Self-improvement plan:  Tutor invites delegates to write out actions they will now take in the workplace to improve their performance.

COURSE OBJECTIVES:

At the end of this course, participants will be able to

• Have an appreciation of the benefits of professional telephone technique
• Recognise the importance of the telephone in caring for our customers and presenting the correct Company image
• Recognise the limitations of the telephone
• Appreciate the personal qualities of one skilled in providing excellent customer service on the telephone
• Answer the telephone/transfer calls/take messages effectively
• Handle complaints/difficult customers objectively and professionally and will have practised handling them
• Develop an action plan to improve performance.