“Please” and “ Thank you” Service Etiquette

Telephone etiquette The telephone connects you to people. When answering the phone for your organization, you are the organization.

Remember: Indentify yourself Identify your organization clearly Speak clearly Use your natural voice Listen! Be warm and friendly Don’t talk to the phone, talk to the person on the other end Use their name if possible

The five major phrases: 1.Please 2.Thank you 3.You are welcome 4.I’m sorry 5.The person’s name

Take notes: Have a pencil and pad ready Reach for it automatically as you answer the phone Repeat back to the caller so they feel you have listened and have the message correctly

The 7 Sins of Service Apathy: An impression conveyed in which you are not interested in the person. Brush-off: trying to get rid of someone by using a standard procedure which doesn’t solve the problem but let’s you off the hook for doing nothing special.

Coldness: conveying a kind of chilly hostility, curtness, unfriendliness, lack of consideration, or impatience with someone that says “ you’re a nuisance, please go away.” Condescension: treating someone with a patronizing attitude

Robotism: putting every person through the same program without a trace of warmth, e.g. “thank you have a nice day, next.” Rule book: putting organizational policies above satisfaction, with no desire to use discretion to make exceptions or use common sense.

Run around: “Sorry, you’ll have to call so-and-so. We don’t handle that here.”

25 reasons to become a better listener To learn something To understand a situation To get information To be courteous To be responsible To be a team player To ask intelligent questions

To find out people’s needs To be valued and trusted to be more efficient To make accurate evaluations To understand and be understood To analyze the speaker’s purpose To solve problems

To show you care To make intelligent decisions To avoid embarrassment To save time To give an appropriate response To create “win-win” situations To control distractions

To increase concentration To build rapport To settle disagreements To maintain a flexible attitude

You have to look through the clouds in order to see the silver lining.