Notes
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Answering the phone is still essential in the business scene.
In particular, telephone intermediaries often receive calls for unexpected calls, which can be frustrating.
If you are negligent when answering the phone, you will lose the impression of your customers and miss business opportunities.
In this article, we will introduce what you should not do when answering the phone and how to respond correctly. We will also introduce the best services for telephone brokerage, so please use it to improve your telephone brokerage business.
3 things you shouldn’t do when answering the phone
There are three things you should not do when answering the phone:
- don’t listen to other people
- Skip when you can’t hear
- poorly worded
I will explain each.
NG when answering the phone ①Do not ask about the business
It is essential to know what kind of business the other party is calling when you call.
If you can know the purpose, you can grasp the gist of what the other party is looking for. This will make it easier for the person in charge to call you back.
When answering the phone, be sure to make a note of the purpose of the call so that you can deliver an accurate message.
NG when answering the phone ②Let it go through when you can’t hear
When answering the phone, we often hear unfamiliar words such as company names and names.
If you are unable to hear, use phrases such as “Excuse me, may I ask for your company name/name?” By using , you can reconfirm without being rude to the other party.
Also, when you catch it, it is important to repeat, “It’s (Mr. XX) from XX company.”
Also, be sure to write down the company name and the name of the person in charge.
NG when answering the phone ③ Bad wording
Please be aware that the language you use when answering and answering the phone will affect the image of the company.
The following three are mistakes and corrections of wording assumed in telephone intermediation.
- “Hello” is not
appropriate in business situations. The correct answer is “Thank you for calling. 〇〇 (company name)”. - May I have your name, please?In a business setting, “May I ask your name?” is appropriate. To receive means to “receive”, but names and phone numbers are not for receiving, but for “asking”.
- Your voice is too small to hear.When answering the phone in a business setting, the correct answer would be “It seems that your call is a little far away.” “I can’t hear your voice too low” is rude because it makes you feel like you’re blaming the other person for “it’s hard to hear the other person’s voice.”
If you say, “It seems that the phone is a little far away,” you can show your willingness to listen to the other person’s story smoothly.
Procedures and points for responding to calls when the person in charge is absent
The person in charge may not be present when answering the phone.
Let’s take a look at the procedures and points of telephone intermediation in such cases. The procedure for making a call is as follows.
- Apology for absence of person in charge, reason for absence
- Confirm with the other party how to respond after that
I will explain each.
Call handling procedure when the person in charge is absent (1) Apology for the absence of the person in charge, reason for absence
The first priority is to put the call on hold to see if the person handling the call is currently available.
After that, if the person in charge is absent, I will respond by saying, “I’m sorry. (The person in charge) is unfortunately out of the office.”
There is no need to mention the details of the person in charge’s outings when answering the phone, as this is an internal matter.
Call handling procedure when the person in charge is absent (2) Confirm with the other party how to respond
Tell the person in charge that you cannot answer the phone, and confirm with the other party how to respond in the future. If the person in charge is not available, let them know what state the person in charge is in and when they will be available. Tell your partner the following:
- 〇〇 is out and absent.
- “I’ll be back by ○ o’clock, so I’ll ask you to call me back.”
- 「～If you don’t mind, I will take your message.」
Information on how long the person in charge will be absent or away from the caller, as well as suggestions on what to do in the future, such as whether they will call you back or leave a message. You are expected to do what you can.
If the other party wishes to have the call returned, ask for the telephone number to which the call will be returned, the name of the other party’s company, the name of the person in charge, and the contents of the message.
The point of telephone intermediation is to take a concise “message note”
A message memo is required for answering phone calls.
A message memo is used to leave a message from the other party, and it is simply written in bullet points. Here‘s what you should keep in your notes:
- partner company name
- Department name
- opponent’s name
- phone number to call back
- Message content
- your name on the call
Leave the above contents as a message memo so that it can be conveyed to the person in charge immediately after the call. It is important to write the main points in a bullet point that is easy to read and understand.
Observe manners when returning calls and respond without rudeness
Here, we will introduce the flow and etiquette of returning phone calls. Pay attention to the following points and respond accordingly.
- turn back as soon as possible
- Check the contents of the message or message before calling back
- Call back at a polite time
I will explain each.
turn back as soon as possible
If you contact us by phone, there is a high possibility that the matter is urgent. Basic etiquette is to return the call as quickly as possible.
However, if the other party has a request for a return time, try to respond in a way that meets that request.
Check the contents of the message or message before calling back
In addition to a message memo by the person who answered the call, the other party may directly leave the contents of the call in e-mail, other message tools, answering machines on other lines, etc.
Also, in order to respond smoothly when calling back, it is necessary to understand the content of the call before returning it. Please check the contents of the message or message as above before calling back.
Call back at a polite time
For example, you may cause trouble to the other party by returning the call outside of the other party’s business hours, working hours, or outside the time zone that the other party has requested.
By checking the business hours of the other party’s company and the message memo, try to return at a time that is not rude.
No folding required! What is Canario, which can transfer and answer calls at the same time?
“Canario” is a call forwarding service provided by NEC Networks & System Integration.
AI automatically handles call handling and forwarding, so the person in charge can answer the call directly to you even if you are not in the office.
- No need for someone unrelated to the content of the call to respond
- Call handling and automatic transfer are performed at the same time, so the other party does not have to wait.
- Using the chat function, AI accurately communicates requirements and contact information
- No need to worry about forgetting or making mistakes when replying
With Canario, even if the person in charge is unable to answer the phone, the AI will accurately communicate the requirements and contact information using the chat function.
Even when returning a call, it is possible to respond with a firm grasp of the other party’s business.
Even if you are not in the office or at work, you will be able to respond to incoming calls on the landline phone at work, as well as pick up the phone when you cannot take your hands off work or are busy. No more spills.
[Summary] Let’s handle and return phone calls without rudeness to the other party
In this article, we introduced the prohibited actions and the correct way to respond when answering and returning calls.
Understanding these will lead to a rude response, and the communication between the person in charge and the other party will proceed smoothly.
It is also recommended to introduce “Canario”, which streamlines telephone intermediation.
NEC Networks & System Integration provides support for the introduction of Canario, as well as consultations on plans and support during use. Please feel free to contact us if you would like to improve your call handling, response, and return operations.