[Customer Service] 'Your call is important to us.’

“Hello and thank you for calling. Your call is important to us. Please press one to schedule an appointment...Press two for more information about our new services...Press three for accounts payable…Press four for customer service…”

Today’s consumers often find themselves in what seems like a black hole when calling service providers. While some consumers may try other ways to make personal contact, others may simply give up and choose to do business elsewhere. After all, if their calls were really that important to a company, why wouldn’t the company insist that its personnel answer them?
People calling Orlando,Fla.-based Massey Services will never find themselves entangled in its phone system. Its customer service staff answers each and every call that comes into the corporate office and its more than 60 service centers, and has been trained extensively on proper phone etiquette, said Lynne Frederick, VP of marketing.

Massey Services invests in ongoing telephone training because proper phone etiquette plays a critical role in making a good first impression and, ultimately, in building long-term relationships with customers.

 THE FIRST IMPRESSION. You never get a second chance to make a good first impression; experts agree that it takes less than one minute for people to form opinions based on first impressions. It’s the Massey Services’ philosophy that the manner in which its team members answer the telephone and how they handle calls has a real impact on the company’s success.
“It’s the ‘human factor’ in all communications that makes the difference. Customers need to feel taken care of, well informed and valued,” said Karen Kirkland, director of administrative training at Massey Services, who works with the company’s more than 60 service centers. “When we answer the phone, it’s that ‘human moment’ when customers can actually experience what it would be like working with our team.”

Training is especially important in the service center environment, Kirkland said, where not just the receptionist, but anyone on the team, including the sales staff and general manager, might answer the telephone at any time.
“We want everyone to answer the phone, address questions and schedule service in very specific ways,” she said. In fact, telephone etiquette training is so important to Massey Services that the entire staff has participated, Frederick says.

“Everyone goes through telephone training, not just the receptionist or administrative staff, because the telephone is where exceptional customer service begins,” Frederick said. “In fact, we pride ourselves on not letting any phone ring more than twice.”

TELEPHONE TECHNIQUES. Providing exceptional customer service also requires study and practice. So when developing the program, Kirkland made sure the instructor covered the main learning points, offered helpful hints and concrete examples, and then ended with an activity to help participants internalize the information.

In the first section, instructors teach ways for participants to clear their minds so they can focus on and effectively respond to the caller. They are also coached about using a “phone voice,” answering promptly, treating callers with respect and smiling when answering each call. While callers can’t see through the phone lines, Kirkland said it’s easy to tell if someone is smiling at the other end.

In addition, participants learn specific phone techniques regarding placing callers on hold, transferring calls and taking messages. When placing callers on hold, Massey team members are trained to ask callers for permission first and then check back every 10 to 15 seconds with an update and to thank them each time for holding. For example, “May I please put you on hold for a moment?” and “Thanks for holding, Mr. Brown. I can transfer you to…”

When a caller needs to be transferred, training participants are taught to ask the caller for his or her phone number in case the call is disconnected and provide specific information about where the call is being transferred. For example, “Mary Smith is our accounts receivable manager and she will be able to help you. Would you mind holding for a moment while I connect you?”

Whoever answers the call is instructed to stay on the line until the call is connected, and in the event the person is not available, take a detailed message. Messages are to include the correct spelling of the caller’s name, the date and time of the call, the telephone number and a brief explanation for the call.

Team members are also encouraged to congratulate each other when calls go well, as well as provide some constructive criticism to enhance communication skills.

 “Coaching each other in a positive way helps us learn something from each other every day, and it helps hold us accountable to ensure we are always enhancing the process,” Kirkland added.

SOLVING PROBLEMS. Unlike local service centers, where team members live in the community and may have developed ongoing relationships with customers, customer care center personnel at the main office need to be even more prepared when talking on the phone, according to Paul Michelotti, manager of customer care.

“When we answer calls in the customer care center, we don’t know where they are coming from or what type of call it might be,” Michelotti said. “So we need to be prepared to deal with many different situations, including problem solving.”

Massey Services also teaches problem solving techniques to help handle problem callers so its staff is prepared even before a problem call arises. They are trained to listen, empathize, apologize and resolve the problem.

MAKING IT WORK. One of the main reasons Massey Services has been so successful is because the company invests a great deal of resources in the hiring process to ensure it hires the right type of person. Michelotti says it’s important to find people who are comfortable with and fit into the culture of the organization.

“We hire for attitude. We train for aptitude. It’s important to select the right people and, once hired, help each person realize that he or she is an important part of the entire relationship-building process. To the consumer, they are the company,” Michelotti said. “The investment we make in training differentiates us from other companies. If other companies would make that investment they might have similar success.”

Whether a person is calling due to swarming termites, ants trailing through the living room or with questions about his or her current service, the telephone is a critical point of contact. Frederick said that in order for a telephone etiquette program to be successful, it needs to be supported and reinforced from the top down as well as from the bottom up.

“As an organization, we believe that customer service is not just a word, it’s a part of who we are, and proper telephone etiquette is an important part of that,” she said. “We are constantly looking for ways to improve and are open to suggestions from team members because this is a very crucial element in providing exceptional customer service.”

In addition, Frederick said the company’s emphasis on proper telephone etiquette naturally falls in line with its commitment to providing service excellence. “Above all, we are dedicated to total customer satisfaction,” she said, “and want to continue to be recognized as the best service company in the industry.”

The author is a frequent contributor to PCT magazine. E-mail her at cbrazell@giemedia.com.