Telephone Etiquette Course

The course is also appropriate for receptionists and call centre staff. The receptionist's telephone skills is the first impression customers have of your business. Ensure your receptionist or call centre agent creates a professional impression of your company.

• Stress the importance of acknowledging callers and keeping them informed of reasons for delays
• Describe standard telephone etiquette on answering calls, transferring calls and making calls
• Prepare all necessary documentation and equipment prior to making outgoing calls
• Decide whether to transfer a call to another person or help the person themselves
• Ask probing questions to find out the purpose of the call, and transfer to another person who might be more able to assist
• Taking messages for others
• Decide whether to take a detailed message, or to have the customer called back by an appropriate person
• Deal with incoming and outgoing calls in a polite manner
• Deal with calls quickly and politely, keeping other calls holding as little as possible
• What is my role as front desk operator / receptionist / telephonist?
• Why should I be nice / civil to anybody?
• The importance of ATTITUDE in my role
• Developing daily BEHAVIOURS to be the best I can be
• Grooming myself for success
• Inviting Customers into the business with your superior TELEPHONE SKILLS
• Developing an understanding of Customer Requirements by LISTENING

• Attitude and aptitude
• Using the telephone
• Understanding different personalities
• Telephone etiquette
• Answering / accepting the call/ the number of rings
• The greeting
• Effective communication skills
• Professional speech / choice of words
• Language
• Articulation
• Voice control
• Transferring calls
• Using a switchboard
• Taking messages
• Distribution of messages
• Ending calls
• Listening skills
• Dealing with abusive callers
• Confidential information
• Telephone answering simulation
• Self-assessment