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Ask before putting someone on hold or transferring a call.

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Ask before putting someone on hold or transferring a call.

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There's often nothing more infuriating than being put on hold. After waiting on hold for ten or fifteen minutes to speak with a real-life human being, you finally get to explain your problem. Then, you're immediately put back on hold and then transferred to someone else to whom you must re-explain the whole problem. Talk about exhausting. However, if you must put a customer on hold or transfer their call, always ask for their permission first. Explain why it's necessary to do so, and reassure them that you — or another employee — are going to get their problem solved swiftly. By keeping your customer in the loop, they'll be less inclined to complain about a long wait time.

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Customer Service Expert on Managing Hold Times

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Essentials To Excellent Customer Service

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Professional Phone Etiquette : Phone Etiquette for Putting People on Hold

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Putting a customer on hold is a tricky art to master for professionals on the phone a lot. Learn how to put someone on hold from a communications specialist in this free phone etiquette video. Expert: Tracy Goodwin Bio: Tracy Goodwin has a masters in corporate communication and 10 years experience in professional speaking.

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Speaking of paying attention to your customers, it's essential that you're actively listening to them throughout the conversation. Actively listening means hearing everything they have to say and basing your response off of their comments, rather than using a prescribed script. This proves to your customers that you're present and are empathetic to their inconveniences. It's helpful to take notes during support calls. You'll want to file a record post-conversation, and notes will be immensely helpful. It also ensures that, during long-winded explanations from customers, you can jot down the main points and jump into problem-solving without requiring them to repeat.

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You never know when a customer is having a bad day. When someone is rude to you on the phone, your immediate reaction may be to put them in your place. First, though, take a moment to step into their shoes and recognize why they're so upset. The point is to always remain positive and friendly, especially in the face of negativity. Your optimistic outlook may be enough to turn a failing phone call right around. Remind yourself that the last thing your customer probably wanted was to spend their afternoon on the phone with customer support. So, make that call the best it can be, and it may create a loyal, lifetime customer.

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Phone Training - Inbound Tips - Sounding Happy On The Phone

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Give your customers your full attention, and avoid speakerphone. This will make it easier for both parties to be heard, and it will ensure that you're actually paying attention to them. You may need to use speakerphone at rare occasions, such as when it's a conference call or when you're trying to troubleshoot on the phone. While speakerphone may be appropriate at these times, it's always better to use a headset to remain hands-free.

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How to Practice Good Phone and E-mail Etiquette at Work

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You always want to speak as clearly as possible. Project your voice without shouting. You want to be heard and avoid having to repeat yourself. A strong, confident voice can make a customer trust you and your support more. In case of bad cell service or any inability to hear or be heard, immediately ask to hang up and call back. Don't forget to smile while you are on the phone because you can hear it in your voice if you don't smile

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Effective Telephone Tips from Successfully Speaking

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If your position entails always being available to callers, you should actually be available. That means staying focused and answering calls immediately. The last thing you want to do is keep a customer waiting after a string of endless ringing or send them to voicemail when you should've been able and ready to reply.

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Phone Training - Inbound Tips - Answering The Phone Within 3 Rings.

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Upon picking up the phone, you should confirm with the person whom they have called. In personal calls, it's sufficient to begin with a "Hello?" and let the caller introduce themselves first. However, you want to allow the caller to know if they've hit a wrong number, as well as whom they are speaking with.