HARDISON’S TIPS – JUNE 10, 2021 – RECEPTIONIST TIPS
Phone Etiquette Tips for the Receptionist or Secretary
Presenting a professional image, both in person and on the telephone, is very important in the Office Skills profession. Taking care of your customers over the telephone and making them feel well informed and appreciated is essential. The customer who contacts your company is going to base his perception of your company on the attention he gets from speaking with you. Therefore, answering phone calls and greeting customers professionally is very important. Whether you are the front office receptionist or an executive secretary, the following phone etiquette tips from our Professional Telephone Etiquette E-learning Course will help you along the way.
Establish a Good First Impression
Exhibiting excellent phone etiquette is extremely important in establishing a good first impression of your company. It all starts with some basic knowledge:
- Know your company phone system. (Don’t practice on the caller.)
- Answer the call promptly and enthusiastically, preferably within 3 rings. Don’t forget to smile before you answer the phone as this will be reflected in your tone of voice and will be great for maintaining a positive attitude, not only during the call, but through-out the whole day.
- Speak clearly. A picture paints a thousand words but the caller on the other end of the phone can only hear you. They cannot see your face or body language. Therefore, taking the time to speak clearly, slowly and in a cheerful, professional voice is very important.
- Use your normal tone of voice when answering a call. If you have a tendency to speak loud or shout, avoid doing so on the telephone.
- Do not eat or drink while you are on telephone duty. Only eat or drink during your coffee break or lunch break.
- Do not use slang words or poor language. Respond clearly with “yes” or “no” when speaking. Never use swear words.
Answering the Company Telephone – Your Company Greeting
Many experts agree that the following initial greeting will make your customers feel welcome and appreciated.
- Greet the caller in a friendly and enthusiastic manner such as “good morning” or” good afternoon.”
- State your company name. For example, “ABC Cloud Computing“.
- Introduce yourself to the caller. For example, “This is Molly“
- Offer your help. For example, “How may I help you?”.
If answering the call as quickly as possible is the goal, then a three part greeting may suffice. You could say “Good morning, ABC Cloud Computing. This is Molly.” Be sure to say your name in a clear, upbeat and enthusiastic way as this will help to get the call off to a great start.
