Research shows that the opening seven seconds of a customer’s call to your company will set the tone for the rest of the conversation. Does your telephone answering service always get this right?
Those initial moments are ‘make or break’ and determine whether the customer develops a positive or negative impression of the person they’re talking to and of your organisation.
The clock starts ticking before the phone is even answered; picking it up quickly and ensuring the connection is made cleanly are important, but think about it, how much can you say in those first crucial seven seconds?
“Good morning, Company X, how can I help you today?”
There’s two or three of the seven already used up, but if you’ve fumbled around trying to pick up the phone, answered it breathlessly because you’re busy with other things, or it’s clear something else is going on in the background, you’re already on the road to putting off your customer.
How the caller engages next with the agent is crucial, but they’ll already be forming that first impression based on the first ten or so words they’ve heard.
Voice, not words, forms the customer’s opening reaction to the call handler. Enthusiasm, pitch, warmth and answering with a smile will go a long way to making this a great start to a positive call experience.
The next few seconds will usually involve the caller outlining the reason for their call, and it’s absolutely crucial that the person they’re speaking to reassures them that they’re listening, and listening in a positive, proactive fashion.
Imagine relaying what could be a distressing or complex issue, only for the company you’ve called to interrupt you, be distracted by something else or failing to understand even the basics of why you’ve telephoned. “Sorry, can you repeat all that?” is unacceptable.
Often people will call your company already distressed, angry or ready for a ‘fight’. They may be confused or in crisis, so the skill of the person first responding to them is the single most important aspect of any call. Do you always get this right?