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Few devices in your office have the potential to make or break your business depending on how they are used. The telephone can have as big an impact on your image and business as any other high-tech equipment investment. Simple things, like how long it takes to answer the phone, create lasting impressions.

The phone is the customer’s first contact with you. "The person that answers your phone is the one that sets the tone for your business. New clients get their first impression of you in the first few seconds," said Stan Lake, Greenleaf Organic Pest Management, Sun Valley, Calif. "If you figure out how much you spend on advertising just to get that phone to ring, it could be well over a hundred dollars per call. I’m glad when it rings and I hope that comes across in my voice when I answer it."

ESTABLISH PROTOCOLS. Establishing standardized phone procedures ensures that regardless of who answers the phone, he or she handles calls in a consistent manner. These protocols can be modified and improved as needed. Without established protocols, you have no way to keep track of what works and what doesn’t because nothing is done the same way twice. It also takes the guesswork out of what to say and when to say it. Your protocols should, at least, include the following:

Number of rings. The generally accepted standard is to answer the phone within three rings. Beyond three rings, the caller’s tolerance starts to waver and he or she interprets an unanswered call to mean things like, "The company doesn’t have a grasp of how to handle the phone, so how will they do pest control?" "They must be understaffed," or "They must have gone out of business." Although you are trying to catch all calls within three rings, avoid "XYZ Pest Control, please hold," which gives callers no opportunity to explain their needs. Configure the phone system to roll over to someone else if the primary person is on the phone.

A script. Write a script of exactly what to say when answering the phone. Jeff Ledford, Schendel Pest Control, Wichita, Kan., says, "The telephone is very important to the operation of our business. Our greeting shows that we appreciate the opportunity for business and includes a ‘Thank you for calling.’"

Transferring a call or putting a caller on hold. Establish the script to be used when it is necessary to put the person on hold or transfer a call. The caller should hear to whom the caller is being transferred and how long he or she can expect to wait.

Handling messages. Some systems can be set up to automatically forward messages to the appropriate person’s pager or cell phone, enabling prompt return calls.

Answers to frequently asked questions. Provide a list of frequently asked questions and answers for the people who answer your phone. This will project a professional image since the person answering the phone can actually answer the caller’s question without transferring the call.

AUTO ATTENDANT? The auto attendant is defined as a digital voice that provides choices that the caller must make by pressing the touch-tone numbers on their phone. Asking callers to "Press 1 for Joe," "Press 2 for Mary," etc., can be irritating. Ours is a service business, one in which callers expect to talk with a live human being. If you must use an auto attendant, give callers the immediate option to press "0" to speak to the operator and bypass the rest of the message.

WHAT HAPPENS ON HOLD? Ideally, your company should be able to handle calls in such an efficient manner that people are never put on hold. However, in the real world, this doesn’t always happen. A hold message that briefly explains your other services may help acquaint callers with your scope of products. It’s a good idea to update your message with seasonal pest information. However, a commercial with jingle and music played repeatedly can be more annoying than helpful to a caller. Some companies play local radio stations on hold, however, doing this runs the risk of the caller hearing a commercial from one of your competitors while on hold.

If you enlist the services of a professional on-hold messaging company, request a list of clients to talk with about their experience with the company. Call those companies and ask to be placed on hold and listen. Do you like what you hear? Is the program warm and friendly? Is it clear? Does it present a positive mental picture of the company? Do you like the voices? How about the music?

SMALL OFFICE SOLUTIONS. If your office has no full-time staff, have your calls forwarded to a live 24/7 answering service that can send calls out to your alpha pager. Greg Amann, Advance Tech Pest Management Services, Clermont, Fla., says, "Our answering service sends messages out to my alpha pager and I return the call within a half hour. Our customers constantly thank us for the prompt response time."

Mike Powers, Powers Pest Management, Eliza-bethtown, Pa., says, "As a one-man business, I can’t afford a secretary and...voice mail isn’t available in my area so I use an answering machine. Local folks usually aren’t hesitant to leave a message. The important thing is to check your messages frequently, just as you would with voice mail."

CONCLUSION. Being "telephone friendly" is one of least expensive ways to immediately upgrade your service and your image. After you establish your protocols and educate your staff, constantly monitor and change protocols to meet the evolving standards of your customers. To check on the state of your phone procedures, either you or a friend should call the office and report on the phone experience. Remember, the phones are your closest link to your customer!

The author is owner of Compelling Communications Inc., St. Louis, and can be reached via e-mail at jvanklaveren@pctonline.com.