COURSE OVERVIEW:

Good telephone skills always impress, and will always be highly valued.

It may come to a surprise to you but, even in the age of Internet and social media, businesses are still primarily being reached by phone. Therefore, working on your phone skills is a sensible investment of your time.

There are not many jobs that do not involve any phone calls so it is worth thinking about what you should do to improve your phone communication skills.

Person-to-person telephone calls do not command the primary communication role they once had back before the information age blossomed. Telephone communication may be slower than its new-media counterparts, but it still has benefits in an increasingly impersonal world. The telephone call, which connects a caller with a human voice, creates a connection that other media may lack and is still an important business component.

Anyone can answer a phone. It’s how you answer it that determines whether the caller will continue to engage or call elsewhere. Because of this, the person answering your business phone is often the first interaction that customers will have with your company. It's important to make it count!

Good telephone skills are critical for the success of your business. In fact, 90% of consumers will not do business with a company after experiencing poor customer service on a phone call. Additionally, it takes 12 positive customer experiences to make up for a single, unresolved negative telephone experience.

With this in mind, effective telephone skills are critical in improving customer service. This is especially true during after-hours when your regular staff isn’t available to answer the phone, and your calls are handled by a live operator answering service.

The telephone offers a more personal touch, allowing businesses the opportunity to integrate real-time two-way communication with customers.

This course will help you communicate effectively on the telephone including how to make and receive calls, to take messages on behalf of others and to use the main features of a telephone correctly.

The first part of this course explains how to respond to incoming telephone calls. It starts by discussing how to answer calls promptly and in an appropriate manner and how to offer assistance and establish the purpose of the call. Also, discusses how to repeat call details to the caller to confirm understanding and how to answer caller enquiries or transfer caller. Then explains how to record caller requests and how to relay messages. Then discusses how to report threatening or suspicious phone calls. Finally, discusses how to use language, tone and volume appropriate to phone calls.

The second part explains how to make telephone calls. It starts by discussing how to obtain correct telephone numbers. Then explains how to establish the purpose of the call prior to calling. Also, explains how to use telephone equipment correctly in order to establish contact. Finally, discusses how to communicate clearly your name, company and reason for calling and how to be polite and courteous at all times.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

By the end of this course, you will be able to understand:

• The importance of having good telephone communication skills
• How to respond to incoming phone calls?
• How to answer calls promptly and in an appropriate manner?
• The importance of the telephone to a business
• The contexts of phone calls
• The importance of answering calls promptly
• The appropriate telephone manner
• How to apply business standards on telephone communication?
• What to do if it’s not your phone that’s ringing?
• How to place the call on hold?
• Why get back to all calls on hold?
• How to offer friendly assistance to callers?
• How to establish the purpose of the call?
• How to repeat call details to the caller to confirm understanding?
• How to focus on the call?
• How to respond effectively to caller enquiries?
• The standard procedures for transferring calls
• How to deal with situations where the nominated person is unavailable?
• What to do if you can’t answer the query?
• How to record caller requests?
• How to relay messages to the appropriate department/person for follow-up?
• How to record a telephone message?
• How to report threatening or suspicious phone calls?
• How to use language, tone and volume appropriate to phone calls?
• How to match your voice to the call?
• How to deal effectively with rude and/or aggressive callers?
• How to make telephone calls?
• How to obtain correct telephone numbers?
• Why might staff need to make an outgoing call?
• How to establish the purpose of the call prior to calling?
• How to use ‘Outward Calls’ registers?
• How to use telephone equipment correctly?
• The basics of the workplace telephone system
• How to communicate your name, company and reason for calling?
• How to be polite and courteous at all times on the phone?

COURSE DURATION:

The typical duration of this course is approximately 2-3 hours to complete. Your enrolment is Valid for 12 Months. Start anytime and study at your own pace.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

You must have access to a computer or any mobile device with Adobe Acrobat Reader (free PDF Viewer) installed, to complete this course.

COURSE DELIVERY:

Purchase and download course content.

ASSESSMENT:

A simple 10-question true or false quiz with Unlimited Submission Attempts.

CERTIFICATION:

Upon course completion, you will receive a customised digital “Certificate of Completion”.