1. Telephone Handling

2. Objective
Use the best words for getting the message across
Identify and speak to the customer's style of communication
Use questions to get more information about a problem
Handle conflict and angry customers

3. Content
• Quality telephone process etiquette
• Elements of a good voice greeting
• Factors that create conflict
• Temperament of the caller
• Tips of active listening
• The meaning of empathy
• Probing and Query handling
• Challenging Situations

4. What makes a successful Tele-
agent
 Always show a willingness and interest in servicing callers.
 Make a good first impression on the phone.
 Has subject matter expertise.
 Possess ability to gather accurate information from a caller.
 Know how to ask the proper questions in the right order.
 Speak in a clear and conversational style.
 Always use courteous words and phrases.
Avoid keeping callers on hold for too long.
Knows how to maintain a good Call Handling Time.
Know what not to say when a caller complains.
Can effectively deal with irate callers.
Follow through on problem phone calls.

5. A call is a combination of…
Task Skills Interpersonal Skills
Seeking Information Setting the tone
Checking Understanding
Giving Information Exhibiting a desire to serve
Offering Recommendation Acknowledging feeling and emotions
Eliciting Accepting responsibility
Recommendation for solving the issue
Building consensus

6. The Quality Call Cycle

7. Elements of a Good Opening
W arm and Friendly
W illingness to help
W elcoming

8. Dress well and look good in a call

9. The first 20 seconds
The verbal handshake
welcome
greeting
Hello
Mrs.
Smith! personalize the call
tune in
How may I
set the tone help you
today?

10. Your Tone of Voice
creates an impression

11. Qualities of a good voice
Tone warmth, enthusiasm, positive, friendly,
confident, sincere
Clarity speak clearly and slowly
Volume speak up, emphasize points with
appropriate inflection

12. for emphasis, give caller
time to absorb
It makes you feel better and the
caller will hear the difference

13. The Quality Call Cycle

14. Let your customer not ask this…

15. Tips of Active Listening
Give verbal indications you are listening
Ask questions
Be patient
Never interrupt the caller
Carry a positive temperament
Consider the caller’s frame of mind

16. Empathy
Is saying…. “I understand”
Recognizing the caller’s feelings
Making sincere statements
and matching efforts

17. Customer Service Phrases
Sentences to demonstrate friendly greeting
How are you doing today?
I’m very well thank you. And how are you?
I’m very well. Thank You.
How may I help you today?
Hello!
Getting more information
Could you tell me some more about….?
Could you also tell me……

18. Customer Service Phrases
Sentences to demonstrate helpfulness
“How may I help you today?”
“Please call us if you have any questions.”
“What I would suggest is…Would you like me to do that?”
“We’ll be glad to help you….I’d be glad to do that for you.”
“Is there anything else I could help you with?”
“If you could let me see how I can help you.”
“I will be glad to help you.”
“Certainly, definitely… ” (Very commonly used)
“I’ll be happy to help you with that”
"I could do that for you"
You may accept or reject offers made to you by using ‘yes please’, ‘if
you could’, ‘if you wouldn’t mind’, ‘thank you, that would be great’ or
‘I can take care of that for…’, ‘don’t worry I’ll do it” etc. respectively

19. Customer Service Phrases
Phrases to acknowledge understanding/ listening
“Alright”
“Really”?
“Yes”
“Right”
“So based on what you’ve told me..”
“Sounds as though “x” would/will be useful for you”
“I understand”
How to give instructions
“What I’d like you to do is…”
“I would appreciate it if you would…”

20. Customer Service Phrases
Sentences to use while seeking clarifications
“If I understand you correctly…”
“I’m sorry I didn’t get that. Could you repeat that for me?”
“Let me check if I’ve got this right.”
Sentences to use while seeking permission
“May I please have your account number?”
“May I have your name please?”
“May I have your address please?”
“May I place you on hold for a minute?”
“Would it be ok if…”

21. Customer Service Phrases
Sentences to use when making suggestions
“You could try..”
“I would suggest…”
“I would recommend…”
“You could always…”
“Perhaps we could…”
“Why don’t I..”
“What I’m going to do is…”
“Could I check this again”
After you’ve suggested an action
“Would that be alright?”
“Would that help you?”
(If customer response is positive, use words like good, great, perfect.)
(If no response from customer, continue with “now…”)

22. Customer Service Phrases
Sentences to request repeating information
I apologise, I would need to take down your name again?
Would you please spell your last name for me?
Would you mind giving me your name again?
I’m sorry, I didn’t get all of your………………... Would you please say that
for me again?
I’m sorry, would you mind repeating it, I didn’t understand all of that.
Could I ask you to repeat that?
Could I ask you to spell out your name for me?
Buying Time
Well let me see………
Well now…………….
Let me check your account……...
I’m not sure on that. I’ll check that for you…………..
That’s a good question…….I’ll check that for you…

23. Customer Service Phrases
Sentences that offer reassurance
“Not a problem” (Very commonly used)
“I apologise for the inconvenience caused. I do understand that this is upsetting for
you Mr/s _, let me go ahead and take care of that for you…”
Sentences that acknowledge customer dissatisfaction, demonstrate
empathy
“I completely understand, and I’m sorry about this situation. Let me see how I can
help you…”
“I understand that you’re upset about this, I would feel the same.” (Respond to
specific situations.)
“I can appreciate that you feel annoyed about this. I would feel the same.”
“I’m very sorry about this. Please tell me what you would like me to do?”
“ I am sorry you felt that way. Let me tell you what I can do/ how I can help.”
“ I apologise for this situation. I’ll get it straightened out right away”
“ I am sorry that you are upset about this.”
“Please accept my apologies for the misunderstanding.”
“I am sorry to hear that……Let me see how I can help you..”

24. Customer Service Phrases
Sentences to demonstrate confidence
I’ll walk you through the steps.
I’ll take care of it right away.
I could do that for you
When being asked to do something you CAN do OR somebody
thanks you for what you’ve done.
Your welcome
It was my pleasure assisting you today!
Sure!
Definitely. – “I’ll be happy to do that for you.
Certainly.
Absolutely.
Sentences to use when other people don’t understand
“Let me rephrase that…”
“Let me put this another way…”

25. Customer Service Phrases
Sentences to use when making generalisations
“I agree with you..”
“Generally speaking…”
“In most cases…”
“In some cases…”
“Often”, “sometimes”
How to say a polite “no”
Introduction:
No one likes having to say no, or I can’t, or we don’t or
It’s just not possible, but often there is no choice.
Providing great service when you have to give a
negative response is one of the toughest challenges
you will face taking calls.
What are the phrases/ responses that drive people crazy?
Sorry, I cannot help you, I have no idea, It’s not my fault, It’s not my job, No, I’m
not allowed to, It’s not in our policy
“What do you think the intent of these sentences are?”
The intent is ‘not to help’ that makes the customer really angry and upset.

26. Customer Service Phrases
Show empathy – Begin with a positive attitude
“I understand why you need it urgently”
“I’m sorry Mr. Jones…”
“I wish I could help you.”
“I understand your request but I’m sorry we are unable to…”
“I appreciate/ I do understand how important this is…..”
After you’ve shown empathy for their situation, it is a good idea to follow it up with
something that tells the customer you’re going to go out of your way to help them.
Understand the reasons why you can’t say ‘yes’
State the reason with an honest logical explanation
Be honest and state the situation as is.
Use the word However. “However” say to the customer that you are about to give
them new information or a possible alternative.
Give alternate solution
“What I’ll do is…”
Remember, the difference between a hard ‘no’ and a ‘service no’ is that a service
no is attached with a ‘yes’. Don’t say what you can’t do. Say what you can.

27. Customer Service Phrases
Giving Step by step instructions
When giving instructions link the steps together using phrases like………
First of all you need to……….
The first thing you need to do is………
What we’re going to do first is……….
After you’ve done that you’ll need to……….
The next thing you need to do is……………
Now what we’re going to do is…………..
It is important to check understanding at every stage while giving
instructions.
Use the following phrases
That’s right, now………….
Fine, now………….
Great, now……………
Hesitating
Hesitating is a natural part of using a language. Silence is not a good way to
hesitate. It causes embarrassment and confusion.
Well let’s see now………..

28. Customer Service Phrases
Asking for permission
Is it all right if I………….
Do you mind if I………..
Would it be OK if I………….
Giving reason for what you are doing
In order for me to (update your account, check your balance, issue a new card)
I will need to………
You will need to……….
I will need you to………..
The reason is…………….
Agreeing/ Disagreeing with somebody
AGREEMENT…
Yes (Be sure you absolutely agree)
Exactly
I couldn’t agree more.
That’s a good point.
Absolutely
DISAGREEMENT
You need to be very polite when disagreeing with someone.
I can understand… how that may look/why you would think that.. , but let me
explain…

29. Customer Service Phrases
Things to say for objection handling
I do appreciate how frustrating this delay is…..
Responses to buying signals
- with that in mind, you might want to consider…
- that’s why this card offers…
- that’s exactly the reason that…
- If you travel frequently you might find….
- I appreciate how frustrating/upsetting that was…
Wrapping up a line of questioning especially while verifying
That’s all the information I need.
With that information I can….
That’s all I need to know!
- and the next thing I’d like to do is…
- now, what I’ll do is…
I think that about does it
- Next, why don’t we
- And now, I’m just going to…

30. Customer Service Phrases
Making transition statements…moving from one part of the call to
another
- Okay, so…
- And also…
- In addition…
- As well…
Recap Phrases
- So to summarise
- Just to confirm what we’ve discussed/agreed
- Let me summarise
-What I’ve done …
-What will happen next…
Closing a call
- Is there anything else that I can do for you today?
- Thank you for calling American Express…..Goodbye.

31. Understand customer need
+ =

32. The Quality Call Cycle

33. Probing Skills
– OPEN
– CLOSED

34. Summary of
Questioning Skills
 Begin with an open probe
 Analyze the situation
 Continue with closed probes
 Don’t badger the caller with questions

35. The Quality Call Cycle

36. Supplying Information
 Clarity
 Relevance
 Checking understanding
and acceptance
 Jargon

37. Extending Yourself
Take ownership
Identify alternatives
Take all steps to avoid repeat call
Close the loop

38. Show you care
Acknowledging
Appreciating
Affirming
Assuring

39. Your target:
So what is it that you can do to achieve 100% FCR?

40. The Tools of Quality Communication

41. Write your own script
Take a breath
Build pauses into your script
Include conversational elements
Practice
Use short sentences and simple language Practice
Practice
Use customer’s name
Speak the way real people speak
Know your product well

42. Check your courtesy quotient
1. “Please”
2. “Thank you”
3. The customer’s name
4. “I’m very sorry”
5. “Excuse me”
6. Friendly greetings such as “Good morning”, “How are you doing
today?”
7. “You’re welcome”
8. “I’d be happy to do that for you”
9. “May I help you please?”
10. “I’m sorry to keep you waiting” ALWAYS
11. “It was nice talking with you” SOMETIMES
12. “Thank you for calling” NEVER
13. “Its been a pleasure serving you”

43. The art of putting a customer on hold

44. Hold Procedure
 Seek permission
 Give a reason
 Give an expected hold
time
 Get back to the
customer every 30 sec
to update on status
 Thank the customer for
holding

45. Avoid a cold Transfer
 Inform the customer
– Who
– Why
 Brief the person you are
transferring the call to
 “Good Morning Mr.
Smith. I hear from Sally
that you have some
concerns. I’ll be glad to
address them.”

46. The Quality Call Cycle

47. Terminate Warmly

48. ATTITUDE
towards the caller

49. The Rational Mind State
– Think then act
– Solve problems
– Evaluate rationally
– Keep cool under pressure

50. The Emotional Mind State
– Acts on impulse
– Blames the caller for all difficult situations

51. The Domineering Mind State
– Criticizes
– Personalizes
– Feels superior to the caller
– Judges and blames

52. Feeling vs. Facts
:
“You are not going to get a person to listen to you
and engage in solving their problems unless you acknowledge
their anger, upset and fear”

53. Different strokes for different folks!
Insecure Confused Skeptical Emergency
Analytical Direct
Anxious Uncertain Cynical Panic
Be specific Efficient Reassuring Patient Reassuring Match urgency
Confident Give sense Caring Make know- In response
Pleasant Of Clarifying ledgable Be calming
Professional well-being Responses
Professional

54. The customer is your Partner
When in agreement with the
customer, say so and why
Build on the customer's ideas,
when possible
Be non-judgmental toward the
customer
If disagreeing with the customer is
necessary, give the reason first,
before disagreeing
Openly explain what is being done
to solve the customer's problem
Allow the customer to do the steps
necessary to solve the problem,
while explaining the steps to the
customer

55. The impression of
negative words

56. Challenging
Customers

57. Identifying Challenging Situations
Think of a time when a customer was dissatisfied, upset,
irate or hostile.
What emotions or specific behaviors did the customer display?
How did that behavior make you feel?

58. Interacting with an Angry Customer
Describe your Own Skill Practice:
1. Think of a situation
2. Write a brief description to share with the group
3. Include the feelings you experienced

59. The Negative Emotions
I’m frustrated
I’m not important
I’m stupid
I’m guilty
I’m incompetent
I’m powerless and a victim
….Others.

60. Two Categories of
Challenging Situations
Initially Challenging
Potentially Challenging

61. EMOTIONAL COLOURS
GREEN CUSTOMER RED
CUSTOMER

62. GREEN CUSTOMERS
•They are generally query seeking customers
•Be Careful- a misinterpreted tone of voice , or being put
on hold for too long etc. can trigger a seemingly non-
emotional person to move up the emotional scale without
notice !!

63. Dealing with Green Customer
Use interpersonal skills to show you care and want to help .
Show your appreciation or making you aware of the issue
e.g. ‘‘Thank you for bringing this to my attention’’

64. RED CUSTOMER
•People with whom to use caution
•Range from mildly irritated to red hot
•If you do not acknowledge their emotional state ,
you may escalate them to raging red
•Treat these customers carefully or you risk losing
them

65. The really angry customer

66. Dealing with Red Customer
Dealing with Red Customer
L isten Service a
complaining
customer
A pologise
S olve
T hank

67. Some
Survival Tips
when you feel like this
Taking the anger personally
Setting the customer straight
Blaming the customer
Avoiding blame
Dominating the customer
Don’t take it personally
Focus on the problem
Give up the desire to arm wrestle
Show interest and concern

68. Case study # 1 – The Broken clock
Roger is a customer service rep with a very annoyed customer on the line. It seems the
customer had purchased a very expensive, imported clock from Roger’s company only to
take it home and find that it didn’t work. Interestingly enough, that was least of the
customer’s problems. Her major complaint was the way she had been treated when she
brought the clock back.
“I’ve bought stuff from you for years,” the lady said, “and never had a problem before. With
the clock, I followed the operating instructions to the letter – which, let me tell you, wasn’t
easy. Have you seen the instruction booklet? ‘Confusing’ doesn’t begin to describe it.
“But even that is not why I am calling . The main reason is that, when I brought the clock into
your store, I got the third degree from your employees. I felt like I was on trial. I was there
for nearly an hour waiting in line, filling out forms, answering questions. And they acted like
I was trying to cheat them or something. Is that your idea of how to treat your customers?”
There were a number of problems here, and Roger knew he’d have to take them one by
one. What did he say to the customer? What did he do for her? And what additional steps
did he take afterward?

69. Factors that create conflict…
 Telling customers they have no right to be
angry with you
 Trying to justify under delivery
 Blaming someone else
 Answering with a ‘smart’ remark
 Transferring callers without verifying
 Putting people on hold without their consent
 Long calls

70. Factors that create conflict contd…
 Showing indifference toward the caller
 By quoting “Organization Policy”, instead refer to it as a last
resort.(could be process specific)
 Indicating that your are too busy
 Calling out to someone to take a call without first putting the
caller on hold

71. Handling objections
Misconception – explain
to the customer
Skeptical – Prove by
showing facts
Bad experience
Apologize and action
plan
Real disadvantage –
Highlight other benefits.

72. Handling babblers
 Use close ended
question to bring
back – on - track
 Use minimum
response

73. Some powerful tools when
you have to say a ‘no’
The art of saying a SERVICE NO .
How to use the Broken Record Technique

74. Giving Bad News:
Common Mistakes
Avoiding
Rushing
Scapegoating
Dominating
Miscommunicating

75. Guidelines for Giving Bad
News
Present the bad news
Listen and observe reaction
Demonstrate empathy
Clarify misunderstanding
Express expectations
Provide assistance
End positively

76. You, Your and Yours
The five most important words
“T H A N K Y O U FOR
CALLING”
The four most important words:
“MAY I HAVE YOUR NAME P L E A S E”
The three most important words:
“KINDLY HOLD ON”
The two most important words:
“THANK YOU ”
The one most important word:
“ WE ”
The least important word:
“I”