Lesson 6: Lesson 6:
Lesson 6: Telephone Systems and TechniquesTelephone Systems and TechniquesTelephone Systems and TechniquesTelephone Systems and Techniques
Objectives:
1. Enumerate and describe some of the features of today’s telephone equipment.
2. Enumerate some pointers for receiving telephone calls. 3. Enumerate some pointers for placing telephone calls.
4. Enumerate some pointers on placing local long distance calls.
5. Enumerate some pointers on placing international long distance calls. 6. Differentiate between station-to-station and person-to-person calls. 7. Define conference call.
8. Enumerate pointers for telephone listening techniques. 9. Enumerate pointers for managing difficult callers 10. Give reasons why personal calls are not efficient.
Telephone Technology
You should be acquainted with the variety of desk phone equipment available so that you may use it effectively and/or choose which best accomplishes your office needs. 1. Dial telephone – the conventional type called the “rotary” telephone is a 10-hole
dial telephone which is now being replaced by the touch-tone telephone being installed for all new telephone subscribers by the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company.
2. Touch-tone phone is a 12-button keyboard arrangement. It includes 10 number buttons plus some special buttons that activate automatic electronic feature, making it possible to place a call in half the time it takes to dial a rotary-type phone.
Cellular Telephone
The cellular telephone is getting more popular not only businessmen but also among many families. You can place a call form one part of the country to another, depending on the cellular’s capacity and franchise. You can carry it with you or leave the unit in your car, and by dialing a code number and the 7-digit number you can reach any number at anytime.
Keyphone Phone System
Similar to the touch-dial telephone for the house but having many more features is the Keyphone System for business use. It has a speaker or hands-free feature, background music, call back, call pick-up, call transfer, call forwarding, conference call, and headset compatibility.
Receiving a Call.
1. Be prepared to answer. Make sure pencils, pens, message pads, and calendar are on hand before picking up the telephone. Be mentally prepared to handle the call and block out all distractions in your environment so that you can concentrate on your call.
2. Answer promptly. Answer on the second ring. When a customer is calling, quick service helps build a reputation of efficiency for you and your company. Answer with a smile.
3. Identify yourself. If you are the switchboard operator: “Good morning (or afternoon), ABC company, may I direct your call.” If you are answering for Mr. Santos: “Good morning, Mr. Santos’ office, may I help you?” If you have your own line: “ Good morning, Mari Cruz Speaking, may I help you?”
4. Get the person’s name at the other end of the line, write it down and use it in conversation. Example: “Mr. Reyes, Mr. Santos will be with you in a moment.” This shows courtesy and respect for your customer or caller. It communicates a businesslike manner. Us first name, only if given permission.
5. If you have “hold” button, use it properly. This is done, when you have to make the caller wait for just a moment. Do not cove the mouthpiece with your hand and shout. The earpiece picks up the sound. Use the “hold” button and lay the handset down gently on a soft surface. Before leaving the line, ask the caller’s permission by saying. “could you hold a moment please?” Be sure you wait for a reply, he or she may say “no”. Every 30 seconds give a progress report by saying, “Mr. Reyes, I am still checking for you. Would you care to hold or can we call you back?” When you return on the line, say “Mr. Reyes, thank you for holding.”
6. Manage call interruptions when you have simultaneous calls. Excuse yourself from the first call. Provide an explanation. “Will you please excuse me for a moment? I have another call coming in.” Put the customer on hold and answer the second call the same way you answered the first call. Say, “I’m on another call. Would you be willing to hold or may I call you back?” Return to your original call and say, Thank
7. Transfer calls only when necessary, such as when you are unable to help the caller. Explain why the transfer is necessary and to whom he or she is being transferred. “Mr. Reyes, Mrs. Roxas handles our insurance claims. May I transfer you or can I ask her to call you? May I have your name and number please?”
8. Complete calls courteously. Say, “Thank you for calling, Mr. Reyes. Goodbye.” This leaves the caller with a favorable impression of your company.
9. Make the customer feel important. It is up to you to prove your interest in the caller’s concerns and needs. You must give each caller the impression that they are your most important call.
Placing a call.
1. Plan your call in advance. Know whom you want to call, what you want to accomplish and what you want to say. Rather than relying on your memory, develop the habit of preparing a call agenda that summarizes your message and the questions you need answered. Keep a journal notebook, or binder close at hand to help you organize your calls before placing them and to make notes during the conversation. Jot down the pertinent information discussed on the call, questions that need answering before the call is completed and any commitments that were made. This will eliminate misunderstandings and wasted time later and will enhance your professional image.
2. Time your call carefully. Place your call when the party is most likely to be available. If you do not know when is the best time to reach someone, either ask the person when a call would be convenient or ask someone in their organization who might know when the person is available for telephone calls. Ask, “Would it be more convenient for me to call you back today between 3 and 4?” Keep in mint time differences when placing long distance calls.
3. Be sure of the telephone number. Save yourself some time and avoid wrong numbers by using a personal telephone list for those frequently called numbers (a rolodex is a must). Wrong numbers annoy the party called and cause needless delays and cost money.
4. Do not expect others to recognize you by your voice. Identify yourself and your company. “This is Aida Cruz. I am calling for Mr. Santos of ABC Company. Is Mr. Reyes available?
5. Leave complete messages. You can save yourself and the person you are calling, time and irritation, by leaving complete messages. Provide your name, the name of your company and your telephone number. When you give your telephone number, pause after each group of numbers so that the person taking the messages has time to write it down accurately. “My telephone number is 833 (pause) 4904”
Give the reason you want the person to call you back. If you let people know the purpose of your call, they will be prepared to assist you when they do call you back. “Please ask Mr. Reyes to confirm his meeting with Mr. Santos in Davao on June 15. The best time to call us back is between 9 and 10 in the morning or 3 and 5 in the afternoon. Thank you.”
If you are placing a call for Mr. Santos and Mr. Reyes is available, say, “Mr. Reyes, Mr. Santos of ABC Company would like to speak with you. “Confirming of appointments are usually handled by the executive assistants/secretaries and you do not need the executives to talk you. You can leave the message with the secretary.
Placing Domestic calls.
Using DDD budget calls for domestic calls, the following steps are needed: (1) dial the access code: 0 (for all cities), (2) dial the area code: example (32 for Cebu) , (3) dial the telephone number you wish to call.
If you need to go through an operator, for domestic calls, dial 109. When the operator answers, say you would like to call station-to-station if you wish to talk to anyone who answers or person-to-person if you talk to a particular person or extension. Rates are higher for person-to-person than station-to-station.
You can call “collect” if the person or firm your are calling agrees to pay the charge. Please inform the operator at once if it is collect call. Timing starts when the conversation begins.
For making call overseas, through an operator, dial 108. Tell the operator you wish to make an international call and give the number of the country you are calling and the telephone number. Rates are also lower for station-to-station calls.
Conference Call
You can talk with several persons in different places at the same time. Tell the “operator” you wish to make a “Conference” call. This call saves travel cost among executives needing to talk to each other in different parts of the city, country, or world. Placing Long Distance Calls
If you wish to call the United States, using the DDD budget calls, (1) dial the International access code: 00; (2) dial the country code: 1; (3) dial the area or city code (213-Los Angeles); (4) dial the telephone number you wish to call: Example: 828-3227.
Learning to Listen
One of the most important telephone skills is how to listen. Most of us listen with half an ear. Our attention span is short. Our mind wanders. We are so preoccupied with our own thoughts and what we want to say that we often interrupt the other person in mid-sentence.
1. When the customer starts talking, you stop. Even if the caller has interrupted you, concentrate on what he or she is saying.
2. Never interrupt the caller. Even if what the caller is saying may seem wrong or irrelevant, her him out. Practice keeping your personal feelings, worries and problems from interfering with listening to the customer. Caller concerns and needs are important. Keep the caller’s point of view. 3. Take notes. Jot down the idea of what the caller is saying, not the actual
words. This will help you remember the things he or she has said.
4. Listen for overtones. Read between the lines. If you are really paying attention, you can learn a great deal about the customer from the way he or she says things, and the way he or she reacts to the things you say. 5. Limit your own talking. Remember, you cannot talk and listen at the
same time. The more comfortable you are with the subject, the greater the temptation to talk. Ask questions if there are points you missed. How to Manage a Difficult Caller
People who are not happy with the way you answered the telephone will tell others how poorly your business is run. Negative word-of-mouth advertising can destroy a business quickly. The customer’s emotions are directed at your company, not to you. Remember this at all times and remain calm. Keep your voice at the same tone and level you always use with every caller.
Follow the following steps:
1. Do not let yourself be angry or defensive. When you lose control, you lose…period!
2. Listen carefully to the caller’s message. Never interrupt.
3. Let the customer exhaust his/her emotions. Most customers will not continue for more than thirty seconds.
4. Wait for pause.
5. Apologize and do not blame anyone. Give the assurance that you will help. “Mrs. Sison, I’m sorry you’re inconvenienced. My name is Maria Cuneta, I’m glad you called about this. Let me help you.”
6. Confirm your understanding. Repeat the problem. Use the caller’s name if possible. “Let me make sure I understand what happened, Mrs. Sison…” 7. Think of how you would feel in the same situation. “So that I can help you
quickly, may I ask you a few question?”
delivered first thing tomorrow morning. The table can be delivered the next day. Is that all right with you?”
9. If you cannot solve the problem on the phone, let the customer know what you are going to do and give a timeframe for you callback. Obtain customer
agreement. “I will look into the matter and call back within the hour. Is this okay with you?”
10. Thank the customer for calling and allowing you to resolve the problem. “Thank you for calling and allowing me to help you. Again, let me offer my apologies for the convenience.”
11. Make a follow-up telephone call. “Mrs. Sison, I am calling about the delivery of the furniture. Is everything to your satisfaction?”
Answering Calls for others who are away from their telephones.
Sometimes the telephone rings for the executive or a co-worker who is in a meeting or away from his or her desk.
The following steps are recommended:
1. Explain executive’s or co-worker’s absence. It is up to you to create a good image of the person for whom you are taking the call. Be discreet. “Mr. Santos is at meeting at the moment. May I take your name and number or can someone else assist you?
2. Screen calls tactfully – This means be aware of how you say something. “Yes, Mr. Santos is not in at the moment” or I am sorry Mr. Santos stepped away for awhile. May I have your name and number, or can someone else help you?” Say that the executive/co-worker is not in before you ask for the identity of the caller.
3. Take accurate messages. Accurate and complete messages save time. Use telephone message forms and ask for the caller’s full name, firm name and telephone number; repeat and verify the telephone number. Ask the caller to spell jie or her name if it is unusual or you did not hear it clearly. “I want to be sure your name is correct. Would you please spell it for me?” Ask for the specific message to save time on callback. “Is there a message you would like to leave? When is the best time Mr. Santos can call you?” Thank you fro calling, Mr. Reyes. I will give Mr. Santos your message.” And example of a message pad is found below.
What your voice says about you.
In face to face conversation, more than 50% of our communication is done through body language: eye contact, hand gestures, body movements and facila expressions. On the telephone, all these are lost. You have to work twice as hard to communicate. The only instrument you have is your voice. Keep the following in mind:
1. Put a smile in your voice. How you say it is what puts it across. Begin by putting a smile on your own face –literally! It makes a world of difference in coming across as lively, enthusiastic, aware and alive. Practice saying one of the phrases in the previous page without smiling. Say it again with a smile. Do you feel a difference?
2. Reduce your rate of speech. Speak slower than your natural rate of speech. It makes it easier for people to concentrate and understand what is it your saying.
3. Speak directly into the telephone. Your lips should be about half an inch from the mouthpiece.
4. Enunciate your words. Be careful with your t and d, and p, b, and f. Say S in Sam, P as in Peter, etc. Do not speak with food, gum, or pencil in your mouth.
MEMO OF CALL
To Steve Franklin__________________ ___________ 19 ________ Ms Gail Talbot______________ Called from Coleman Perry
Telephone No.: _____(212) 565-7921_______________________ I told the person The reply was You were:
____ out _____ No message
____ not in today _____ see message below
____ not in your office _____ will call again ____ talking on telephone _____ answering your call
____ in conference _____ please call back
____ out of town _____ it is urgent
Additional Remarks Contract has been received: there are couple of questions about utilities. Please call ASAP________________________________________
Message taken by
__________________ Time _______________________
5. Sound natural. Guard against a bored tone of voice. Memorize and practice the different phrases as given in the previous pages. Practice them with your classmates. 6. Listen to your own voice. Does it convey warmth, sincerity, confidence, interest?
Record your voice. Listen to some of the newscasters on TV and radio. If you have an accent, listen to your voice on tape and improve or take speech improvement classes.
Use of telephone directories
There are two types of telephone directories: the white pages and the yellow pages. The white pages is an alphabetic listing of all subscribers and the yellow pages is a subject listing of
businesses, agencies, and organizations that pay for the listing of their name and perhaps for an advertisement. Do not overlook the vast store of reference material in the telephone directory. Beside telephone numbers, the front pages highlight emergency numbers, dialing instructions, banks authorized to accept payments, long distance rates, how to apply for telephone service, how to understand your telephone bill, etc. Study the telephone
directories when you have spare time in your office so that you’ll know where to look for the information you need when you see it.
Student Activities
Get a partner and act out different telephone conversations, using the phrases suggested in this chapter. Make out different situations that would use all phrases. Ex. Making appointments, the executive is in and not in, placing a call, receiving a call, answering for someone else, answering a customer who is angry, etc.