Chapter 3:Winning Telephone SkillsA Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk ProfessionalThird Edition

ObjectivesIn this chapter you will learn:The power of the telephoneHow to handle calls professionallyHow to avoid the most common telephone mistakesHow to place callers on hold and transfer calls in a positive, professional wayHow to continuously improve your telephone skillsHow to consistently convey a positive, caring attitudeA Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk Professional, 3e*

Winning Telephone SkillsThe telephone is the primary way that customers contact most service desksThe telephone will always play a role in customer serviceProfessional telephone skills help to ensure that the service desk handles customer requests in a prompt, courteous, and consistent manner Consistency builds trust and teaches customers what they can expect during calls

A Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk Professional, 3e*

Creating a Positive Telephone ImageResponsiveness and a caring attitude are fundamental to a positive telephone imageA customers perception is influenced by:How long it takes to answer the telephoneThe energy and enthusiasm analysts convey Conducting business over the telephone can be frustrating and impersonal When handled properly, the telephone can be an efficient, effective way to deliver supportA Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk Professional, 3e*

Understanding the Power of the TelephoneThe telephone is one of the most common ways that businesses and customers communicateAt a service desk, analysts may handle:Incoming callsOutgoing callsTelephone technology automates many of these activitiesA Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk Professional, 3e*

Understanding the Power of the Telephone (continued)Telephone technologies include:Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)Voice mailFaxAutomatic call distributorVoice response unitA Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk Professional, 3e*

Understanding the Power of the Telephone (continued)Factors that influence the telephone technologies a service desk selects include:The service desks sizeThe companys goalsThe nature of the companys businessCustomer expectations The technology a service desk uses affects how customer contacts are directed to analysts and how analysts performance is measured A Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk Professional, 3e*

Understanding the Power of the Telephone (continued)VoIP systems Translate voice communications into data Transmit data across Internet connection or networkEnable: Organizations to reduce costsIntegration with existing data systemsAnalyst mobilityRequire significant data network upgrades to:Support VoIP traffic Guarantee call quality and network reliabilityA Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk Professional, 3e*

Understanding the Power of the Telephone (continued)Voicemail - An automated form of taking messages 49% use after hoursMust be diligently managedReturn calls promptly, even if only to let customers know:The call was receivedIt has been logged in the companys incident management systemProvide a ticket numberIt is being handledA Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk Professional, 3e*

Understanding the Power of the Telephone (continued)Fax An electronic device that sends or receives printed matter or computer imagesFaxed requests are typically logged in the service desks incident management systemCustomers may fax forms, letters, or information such as a report that has an error messageA Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk Professional, 3e*

Understanding the Power of the Telephone (continued)Automatic call distributor (ACD) - A technology that answers a call and routes, or distributes, it to the next available analystIf all analysts are busy, the ACD places the call in a queue and plays a recorded message ACD software determines what calls an analyst receives and how quickly the analyst receives those callsA Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk Professional, 3e*

Understanding the Power of the Telephone (continued)Analysts use an ACD console to perform ACD functions Available state - Analyst is ready to take callsWrap-up mode Prevents ACD from routing a new inbound call to an analysts extension ACDs provide statistical information used to measure individual and team performanceA Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk Professional, 3e*

Understanding the Power of the Telephone (continued)ACDs can integrate with and use other technologies to deliver informationAnnouncement system - Greets callers when all service desk analysts are busy and can provide answers to routine questions or promotional informationAutomated attendant - Routes calls based on input provided by the caller through a touch-tone telephoneSkills-based routing (SBR) - Matches the requirements of an incoming call to the skill sets of available analysts or analyst groups A Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk Professional, 3e*

Understanding the Power of the Telephone (continued)Voice response unit (VRU) - A technology that integrates with another technology, such as a database or network management system, to obtain information or to perform a functionsAlso called interactive voice response unit (IVRU) A VRU obtains information by:Having callers use the keys on their touch-tone telephoneSpeak their input into the telephoneA VRU can collect a unique identifier, such as a customers employee ID or product numberA Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk Professional, 3e*

Understanding the Power of the Telephone (continued)Poorly implemented or improperly used telephone technology can lead to customer frustration and be perceived negativelyWhen customers mistrust or dislike technology, it affects how they interact with service desk analysts and how analysts receive their work Companies can minimize these negative effects by:Listening to customers and service desk analystsImplementing the technology in a way that both perceive is useful and beneficialA Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk Professional, 3e*

Understanding the Power of the Telephone (continued)Implemented correctly, telephone technology is a powerful communication tool that can enhance the services a service desk offers and benefit service desk analystsACDs can broadcast messages (e.g., inform customers about a virus )ACDs and VRUs can use caller ID data or automatic number identification (ANI) data to provide a callers nameA Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk Professional, 3e*

Understanding the Power of the Telephone (continued)Computer telephony integration (CTI) An interface that links computing technology with telephone technology to exchange information and increase productivityScreen pop A CTI function that enables information about a caller to appear, or pop up, on an analysts monitor based on caller information captured by the telephone system and passed to a computer systemA history of the callers previous incidents and requests can also pop on the screenA Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk Professional, 3e*

Understanding the Power of the Telephone (continued)A Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk Professional, 3e*

Handling Calls Professionally from Start to FinishEach and every service encounter is critical to the success of the companyThe following interactions contribute considerably to how customers perceive an analyst and the entire company Answering the telephoneHandling calls about unsupported products or servicesTaking a messageClosing a callA Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk Professional, 3e*

Handling Calls Professionally from Start to Finish (continued)Using a script is a common service desk practiceScript - A standard set of text and behaviorsScripts enable analysts to Focus their energy on solving incidents and handling unique situationsFind a positive way to say something they do not feel comfortable saying, such as No to a customer Scripts enable customers to perceive that the service desk delivers services consistentlyA Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk Professional, 3e*

Handling Calls Professionally from Start to Finish (continued)Answering the telephone:How you answer the telephone sets the tone for the entire conversation Pick up the telephone promptly, but with composurePut a smile on your faceTake a deep breathUse your companys standard script to ensure that customers are greeted in a consistent way Announce the name of your company or departmentGive the caller your nameAsk the first questionA Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk Professional, 3e*

Handling Calls Professionally from Start to Finish (continued)Service Desk, this is Carmen. How may I help you?Service Desk, this is Sue. May I have your name please?Hello, Options Unlimited, this is Leon. May I have your Customer ID?A Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk Professional, 3e*

Handling Calls Professionally from Start to Finish (continued)Answering the telephone (continued):Listen actively to the customers requestAsk for the same information in the same order every timeIf you speak with a customer regularly, verify the information rather than skipping over the stepSkipping steps is a disservice to your customers and your coworkersThe service desk is a team setting; by being consistent you:Communicate your companys policiesConvey to customers that anyone can assist them A Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk Professional, 3e*

Handling Calls Professionally from Start to Finish (continued)Handling Calls About Unsupported Products or Services:Few companies can be all things to all peopleThe cost would be too highMany companies define a list of supported products and servicesInternal service desks support products most used by employees and that contribute to company goalsExternal service desks support products and services that are developed or sold by the company (unless they are being compensated to do so)A Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk Professional, 3e*

Handling Calls Professionally from Start to Finish (continued)Analysts often have a hard time referring customers to another group or companyParticularly analysts who may be familiar with the product the customer is calling aboutThe number of analysts assigned to a service desk is determined by its projected workload Analysts who assist customers with unsupported products undermine the ability of the team to handle the work within its scope of responsibilityA Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk Professional, 3e*

Handling Calls Professionally from Start to Finish (continued)There is always something you can doWhat I can do is provide you with the Web site of the company that supports that product. They will be able to help you.What I can do is transfer you to the group that supports that product. They will be able to help. If you do not know who supports a product, let the customer know you will look into it and get back to themBest-effort A policy that means you do your best to assist the customer within a predefined set of boundaries, such as a time limitLet the customer know in advance that you are under a time constraint, or that you may have to refer them to another group or vendorA Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk Professional, 3e*

Handling Calls Professionally from Start to Finish (continued)Taking a message:If a particular analyst is unavailable, let the customer know that and ask who is callingExplain the analysts absence in a positive wayAsk the customer if there is anything you can do to helpOffer to transfer the customer to the analysts voice mailbox or take a messageWhen taking a message, write down all important informationThe callers name, preferred contact method (telephone number, e-mail address), the required time frame for a response, the messageA Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk Professional, 3e*

Handling Calls Professionally from Start to Finish (continued)Joyce has stepped away from her desk. May I ask who is calling?" (Get callers name.) "Mr. Brown, Joyce should be back in ten minutes. In the meantime, is there anything that I can help you with?" (If not) "I can take a message for you, or I can transfer you to Joyces voice mailbox. Which would you prefer?" (If a message is preferred, record all important information. Read it back to the customer.) "Okay, Mr. Brown, I have written that you would like Joyce to call you at 555-1234 before the end of the day about your printer incident. Is there anything else that I can help you with today?" (If not) "Thank you for calling, Mr. Brown. Feel free to call anytime.A Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk Professional, 3e*

Handling Calls Professionally from Start to Finish (continued)Closing the call:Resist the temptation to rushMake sure the customer is comfortable with the steps you have taken before you hang up the telephoneA little extra time builds trust and confidence Ending the call on a positive note leaves the customer with a lasting, good impression A Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk Professional, 3e*

Handling Calls Professionally from Start to Finish (continued)Step 1: Recap the call.Step 2: Repeat action steps you are going to take.Step 3: Be specific about when the customer can expect a resolution or a status update.Step 4: Share any information that enables the customer to be more self-sufficient.Step 5: Ask the customer if there is anything else that you can do.Step 6: Thank the customer for calling.Step 7: Let the customer hang up first.A Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk Professional, 3e*

Handling Calls Professionally from Start to Finish (continued)Target resolution time Timeframe within which the support organization is expected to resolve an incidentPriority Category that defines the relative importance of an incident based on its impact and urgencyImpact Effect an incident is having on the businessUrgency Measure of how long it will be until an incident has a significant impact on the businessA Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk Professional, 3e*

Handling Calls Professionally from Start to Finish (continued)Liz, I have logged your request and your ticket number is 40304. I am going to assign this ticket to the database administration group. You can expect this incident to be resolved within two hours. Is there anything else that I can help you with today? (If not) Thank you for calling the service desk. If you need further help, please call us again.A Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk Professional, 3e*

Avoiding the Most Common Telephone Mistakes (continued)Putting a customer on hold:When necessary, putting customers on hold in a professional manner instills confidenceLet customers decide if they would prefer to have you call back rather than being put on holdIf you are taking longer than expected, return to the caller and provide an update on your progress and the option of either continuing to hold or receiving a call backCompany policies will provide guidance (e.g., dont ask a customer to hold more than three minutes, or check back with customers every 60 seconds)A Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk Professional, 3e*

Avoiding the Most Common Telephone Mistakes (continued)1. Ask the customer if you can put him or her on hold.2. Tell the customer why he or she is being put on hold.3. Tell the customer approximately how long he or she can expect to be on hold.4. Wait for the customer to respond.5. Use the Hold button on your telephone to place a customer on hold.6. When you return, thank the customer for holding.A Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk Professional, 3e*

Avoiding the Most Common Telephone Mistakes (continued)Tim, may I put you on hold for approximately two minutes while I obtain more information? (Wait for an answer.) Okay, I will be back with you in a minute or two. (...forty-five seconds pass.) Thank you for holding. What I have learned is that the next release of that product will be available in two months. A Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk Professional, 3e*

Avoiding the Most Common Telephone Mistakes (continued)Knowing when and how to transfer calls:There are a number of reasons why you may need to transfer a callerThere are a number of different ways to transfer a caller:Hot transfer (conference call)Warm transferCold transferA primary consideration of which technique to use is the amount of information you have received or given until the point when you determine a transfer is needed A Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk Professional, 3e*

Avoiding the Most Common Telephone Mistakes (continued)Hot transfer (conference call):Stay on the line with the customer and the service providerAppropriate when:You can continue to contribute to the resolution of the customers requestYou can benefit from hearing how the incident is resolved Time allows A Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk Professional, 3e*

Avoiding the Most Common Telephone Mistakes (continued)Before establishing a conference call:Ask if its okay and if not, ask what the customer would preferWhen establishing a conference call:Explain the incident to the service provider along with how you feel he or she can contribute to the resolutionAsk the service provider if its okay Use common sense!When permission is granted:Bring the customer on the line and introduce the customer to the service providerExplain the reason for the call and provide any information the customer has given you thus farStay on the line until the call is complete and close the call A Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk Professional, 3e*

Avoiding the Most Common Telephone Mistakes (continued)Warm transfer:Occurs when you introduce the customer and the service provider to whom you are going to transfer the call but you do not stay on the lineAppropriate when:There is no perceived value to be gained or given by staying on the lineTime does not allow you to stay on the lineA Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk Professional, 3e*

Avoiding the Most Common Telephone Mistakes (continued)Before you warm transfer a call:Ask if its okay and if not, ask what the customer would preferWhen warm transferring a call:Your companys policy will determine whether you place the customer on hold first, or simply transfer the callAsk the service provider if its okay to bring the customer on the lineWhen permission is granted:Bring the customer [or service provider] on the line and introduce the customer to the service providerExplain the reason for the call and provide any information the customer has given you thus farGive the customer and the service provider the ticket numberAsk them to let you know if you can help and then hang upA Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk Professional, 3e*

Avoiding the Most Common Telephone Mistakes (continued)Cold transfer:Occurs when you stay on the line only long enough to ensure that the call has been transferred successfullyAppropriate when:The customer asked to be transferredYou quickly realize that the caller has dialed the wrong number or should be transferred to another person or departmentA cold transfer is not appropriate when the customer has provided detailed information about the nature of their requestA Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk Professional, 3e*

Avoiding the Most Common Telephone Mistakes (continued)Before you cold transfer a call:Let the customer know you are going to transfer him or her to the correct departmentIf the customer does not want to be transferred, ask what he or she would preferIf a call back is preferred, set a time that is convenient for the customerClearly communicate to the other service provider when the customer wants to be contacted When appropriate, provide the customer with the telephone number of the person or group to whom you are transferring the callA Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk Professional, 3e*

Fine-Tuning Your Telephone SkillsTelephone skills, like any other skills, need to be honedPeriodically attend a refresher courseLearn new best practicesDont forget the basics!Be responsiveDemonstrate a caring attitudeAcknowledge that customers are living, breathing human beings who have called because they need your helpA Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk Professional, 3e*

Fine-Tuning Your Telephone Skills (continued)Using a speaker phone:If possible, use the speakerphone behind closed doorsAsk all callers for permissionIntroduce each person that is presentBriefly explain why each person is presentParticipants who are speaking for the first time or who are unfamiliar to other callers may want to identify themselves before they speakA Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk Professional, 3e*

Fine-Tuning Your Telephone Skills (continued) A Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk Professional, 3e*

Fine-Tuning Your Telephone Skills (continued)Self-Study:Books, CDs, and podcasts are availableTake advantage of any training programs offeredMake your supervisor aware of training possibilities that you think will helpA Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk Professional, 3e*

Fine-Tuning Your Telephone Skills (continued)Monitoring:May involve listening to live or recorded calls, observing data entry and keystroke, or sitting by an analyst An excellent training technique when used properlyAnalysts receive specific feedback on how they can improve their call handlingPromotes the consistent handling of contacts and provides employees and supervisors specific guidelines used in measuring performanceSome companies use as both a training tool and as a way of measuring performanceA Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk Professional, 3e*

Fine-Tuning Your Telephone Skills (continued)Monitoring programs must be implemented carefully and analysts must perceive they are being given the opportunity to be successfulMost companies:Involve the service desk staff when designing a programDefine guidelinesProvide analysts a checklist or scorecard Used properly, monitoring enables you to put yourself in your customers shoes and objectively assess the quality of your service!A Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk Professional, 3e*

Fine-Tuning Your Telephone Skills (continued)Customer satisfaction surveys:Event-driven surveys - Ask customers for feedback on a single, recent service eventOverall satisfaction surveys - Ask customers for feedback about all contacts with the service desk during a certain time periodService desk managers use survey responses to:Measure the performance of the teamIdentify improvement opportunitiesMeasure individual performance (event-driven surveys)Identify training needsA Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk Professional, 3e*

Fine-Tuning Your Telephone Skills (continued)Customer satisfaction surveys (continued):Use feedback to identify your weaknesses and determine ways you can improveRemember that your recollection of an event and anothers perception of an event may represent different perspectives!A Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk Professional, 3e*

Letting Your Caring Attitude Shine ThroughProviding superior customer support is a habit a state-of-mind that requires enthusiasm and passionUsing scripts is an excellent habit-building techniqueService desks that respond to calls in a consistent manner are perceived as more professionalUnderstand your companys policies and resist the temptation to deviate from those policiesIf you believe a policy needs to be changed, explain why and provide reasonable alternativesRemember there is always something you can doA Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk Professional, 3e*

Chapter SummaryThe telephone is the most common way that businesses and customers communicate todayTelephone technologies used by service desks include: VoIP, voice mail, fax, ACDs and VRUsAnalysts must view every interaction with customers as critical to the success of the organizationTwo things that frustrate customers most are being placed on hold for an extended period of time and being repeatedly transferred A Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk Professional, 3e*

Chapter Summary (continued)You can minimize customer frustration by listening to your customers preferences and carefully managing their expectationsTelephone skills, like any other skills, need to be honedTechniques you can use include self-study, monitoring, and customer satisfaction surveysSuperior customer support is hard workYou have to work at it every day and you need to develop good habitsTake care of yourself, stay relaxed, and let your caring, can do attitude shine throughA Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk Professional, 3e*

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