Telephone Customer Service Excellence

Proven Techniques for an Awesome Over-the-Phone Image

Class Summary

The first impression of your organization often comes over the telephone. It is critical that these make-or-break interactions be positive and professional. In this practical (and fun) half-day session, you’ll learn the important basics of great telephone customer service.

CSV105 3.5 Combinable 0.27
One 4-hour session

Any employee will benefit from this training, but it will be especially useful to those who have "front-line" telephone responsibility.

  • A credible, professional image for yourself, your work unit, and your organization.
  • A reputation for outstanding customer relations.
  • Reduced stress--especially when dealing with difficult telephone situations.

By the end of this program, you will be able to:

  • Describe the critical difference between face-to-face and over-the-phone communication.
  • List personal and organizational benefits of effective telephone communication.
  • Explain what is meant by image why it is important to you and your organization.
  • List at least 5 factors that affect image.
  • Explain what is meant by the "A.S.K. Theory."
  • Define attitude and how it relates to good telephone customer service.
  • Discuss the 10 key skills needed in delivering telephone customer service excellence.
  • Use active listening in managing telephone interactions.
  • List the key information to collect when documenting a telephone call.
  • Describe customer-friendly methods for putting someone on hold.
  • Describe the proper way to transfer a call to ensure a positive outcome.
  • Demonstrate how to deal effectively with the top 5 difficult caller situations.
  • List important telephone time management techniques.
  • Explain what is meant by the 7 C's of Excellent Customer Service.
  • Laying the foundation
    • Telephone versus face-to-to face communication
    • Benefits of good telephone customer service
    • Image–it makes all the difference
    • The “A.S.K. Theory”
  • Attitude is everything
  • Key telephone skills
    • Put a smile in your voice–they can hear it!
    • Building rapport with the caller
    • The power of positive words and phrases
    • Effective listening (it’s magic!)
    • Taking notes and documenting calls
    • Know your equipment
    • Putting the caller on hold–a customer service “moment of truth”
    • Transferring a call and avoiding “dead ends”
    • Managing difficult telephone situations
      • Hard-to-understand callers
      • Complaints
      • Angry callers
      • Aggressive/passive-aggressive callers
      • Talkative callers
    • Flawless follow-up
  • Telephone time management–how to increase productivity, reduce stress and still provide great customer service
  • Summary
    • The 7 C’s of excellent customer service
    • The golden rule
    • Action planning