I carry many hats working for a law firm. I am a legal assistant, billing clerk and also the receptionist. A couple of weeks ago I attended a seminar called “How to Be an Outstanding Receptionist.” Not that I wasn’t any good at my job, but in recognition of the fact that no one is perfect and we all need improvement.

Most of the seminar was a refresher course, if you will, but there were some interesting topics and point that I thought useful for any business owner, not just the girl up front. One topic in particular was dealing with clientele over the phone.

Regardless of your position in a business, there are some things everyone should know:

Screening Calls
One key element for screening incoming calls is to avoid asking questions that can have a simple yes or no answer. For example, instead of asking, “May I tell him your name please?” which can result in “no” as response from the hostile client who feels her calls aren’t getting returned, simply say “What is your name?” or “Your name please.” You still may have hostile clients, but their options are much more limited. As long as you remain assertive and in control, you shouldn’t have many problems.

Fast Talkers
They’re out there… those people who can’t seem to talk slowly enough for you to understand them, let alone take down and name and number. One way to try and get them to slow down is to subtly slow your own speech. Many people will subconsciously catch on. Another option is to simply state that what they have to say is important to you and you want to be sure and catch everything so you would appreciate if they could talk a bit more slowly.

Chatters
Every grandma wants to talk about her beautiful grandchildren, it’s just that some of them want to tell you when three other phone lines are ringing. Try talking fast so that they get the impression that you’re in a hurry. Don’t asked open ended questions such as “What happened next?” Instead ask “What can I help you with today?” or “What is the issue at hand?”

An interesting statistic that the seminar leader threw at us is that 93% of communication is tone and body language and only 7% is that actual words. So always remain positive and talk with a smile (clients can tell) and the majority of your calls will have a positive outcome.

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7 Responses to “Telephone Etiquette Tips - Handling Client Calls”

1. Patty says:
   

   THANK YOU for your input. I am a Receptionist and this is good info. We should also mention when calling out ALWAYS announce who you are in the very beginning of the call for those that may be screening calls!! Saves a lot of time when transferring calls!!

   Posted July 27th, 2007 @ 9:18 am
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2. Lillian says:
   

   Good information, however, I find that the caller needs phone etiquette more than our receptionist! Some callers (even callers from our own six divisons) resent being asked for their name, company, and what their call is about. Callers think we are being snoopy obviously missing the whole concept of receptionists screening calls. Since we have over 650 employees, simply identifying oneself as “Dolores” doesn’t help the caller being connected to the correct person.
   Telephone etiquette works both way, incoming callers and receptionists answering the calls. By the way, our receptionist is exceptional!!

   Posted September 10th, 2007 @ 6:02 pm
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3. Julie says:
   

   I found when asking the caller for their name, to ask “Who shall I say is calling?”. There is only one response the party’s name.

   Posted November 6th, 2007 @ 5:26 pm
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4. Jacy says:
   

   I am a part time student and my assignement is important of good telephone handling technique..
   this page provide some good information, however i do want to share these tips which i found.

   Posted March 24th, 2008 @ 10:26 am
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5. Anonymous says:
   

   We have an elderly female receptionist. She is so set in her ways, you cannot get her to change how she answers the phone, regardless of how tactful your attempts. She tells callers the person they want to speak to is “in the little boy’s room.” She insists upon knowing the basis for the call, even when it’s a wife calling for her husband. She insists upon knowing where everyone is when they are out of the office and what time they will return. She then gives this information to the callers, despite being requested not to do so. She is frequently gone for doctor appointments for a variety of ailments that she is convinced she has. Of course, her absence requires someone being pulled from their desk to cover the phones. She is rigid when it comes to taking her lunch and potty breaks, must be at the exact same time of every day she is here. Any suggestions how to handle her without worry of being subjected to an age discrimination suit?

   Posted August 18th, 2008 @ 10:18 am
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6. Chris Brunner says:
   

   To the previous poster: I would fire her based on the grounds that she is not doing her job the way she has been asked. Unless you specifically tell her that she is incompetent due to her age, I don’t think you will have to worry much about age discrimination suit. Seek legal advice if you are concerned about any suit that she may file.

   Posted August 18th, 2008 @ 10:38 am
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7. Michelle Cramer (original poster) says:
   

   I was a legal assistant for over 4 years and, to reiterate what Chris said, you can definitely let her go based upon her performance. As long as you have asked her to change the way she does things and she has failed to comply. Her age has nothing to do with it, she’s not meeting your expectations. If you’re truly concerned about a lawsuit, document every date/time that you or someone else has asked her to change her ways and the details of the encounter. Then, if she does file a suit out of spite, you have documentation to protect yourself.

   Posted August 18th, 2008 @ 11:21 am
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