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How to Effectively Answer a Business Call

Office & Culture

In today’s business world, the professionalism of your business is often judged by the way in which your company handles its telephone calls.

Whether the first point of contact is your reception staff, a member of your customer service department or a call centre operative, it pays to train your team to answer a business call in a professional and polite manner. It’s important to give everyone a positive experience every time they call.

There are many ways to ensure that every call taken by your business is handled in an efficient and
professional manner. From having a ‘set greeting’ to ensuring that the call reaches the intended recipient quickly, here’s our top tips to make sure that your business answers business calls right every time.

Answer calls promptly

It’s said that a call should be answered within three rings. While this is not always possible, it’s vital that you answer each call promptly. It’s not only unprofessional to leave your caller waiting, but it’s possible that they’ll hang up and try a competitor. If you’re struggling to answer calls quickly, you may want to try an automated service or an external call forwarding or virtual office service to take messages and handle callers.

Answer with a smile and a positive upbeat attitude

A warm and enthusiastic greeting will give the caller a positive impression of your business. Don’t forget to greet them politely and thank them for calling. Allow your caller to speak; don’t talk over them.

Include your company name

Everyone likes to know that they’re through to the right person or business, so don’t forget to include your name or your company name in your greeting. It’s an essential way to set the tone for a professional conversation, which leads us onto…

Adopt a professional attitude

Speaking clearly is a must when you’re answering a call; you don’t want to have to keep repeating yourself. Take care to speak in a professional and business-like manner, and keep calm no matter how agitated the caller may get.

Remain positive

It can be hard to remain positive if a caller is angry or you don’t know the answer to their question. Rather than admit that you don’t know something, take their number and offer to find out the answer and get back to them. Then ensure that you do actually return their call!

Give them an idea of when he/she can expect a return call

If you’re unable to answer their query initially, give them a realistic expectation of when you’re going to call them back. This also applies if you’re handling a call on behalf of a colleague. Check when they will be available before you give out this information.

Have a procedure for out-of-hours calls

All businesses should have some method of answering out-of-hours calls. Whether you use an answering machine or a professional answering service, having the ability to handle out-of-hours calls will show that you care about your callers.

You should see each call as the opportunity to present your business in a good light. Remember, you only get one chance to make an impression when answering a business call, so ensure that the impression you make is a good one.

At Glandore we can help you create the perfect professional image for your company. If you’d like to get in touch, contact us today.

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