TABLE OF CONTENTS
How to professionally greet customers ............................................ 3
How to answer the phone ...................................................................... 4
How to put a customer on hold and return to the call ................... 4
How to transfer a phone call ............................................................... 5
How to schedule an appointment ......................................................... 5
How to confirm an appointment .......................................................... 5
How to take phone messages ............................................................... 6
How to leave a professional phone message ..................................... 6
How to end a call professionally-after scheduling appointment . 6
Tips on handling customer complaints ............................................... 7
Tips on giving outstanding customer service ................................... 8
2

How to professionally greet customers
 Always smile
 Be polite
 Say “good morning”, “good afternoon”, or “good evening”
 Ask how may you help them
3

How to answer the phone
 “Hi, thank you for calling name of the business this is your name, how may I help you today?
 Have a pleasant tone
 Smile
How to put a customer on hold and return to the call
 Ask the caller to hold
 Only put on hold for a maximum of 30 seconds
 If needing to be on hold longer, return to the customer and thank them for being patient, and ask to hold again
 When returning to call, thank them for holding, then begin the conversation
4

How to transfer a call
 After finding the extension, return to the customer and give them the number
 Let them know you will be transferring them to the extension
 Ask is there anything you may help with before the transfer
 Transfer the call accordingly
How to schedule an appointment
 Ask what the customer needs exactly
 Offer first available
 If that is not good ask them what time and day works for them
 Find a day within their time frame or close to it
 Once found, offer it
 Schedule the appointment
 Be sure to get name and contact number
 Repeat contact information before ending the call
How to confirm an appointment
 Call the last business day before the appointment
 Tell them the time and date of their appointment
 Find out if they will be there or if they need to cancel or might want to reschedule
5

How to take a phone message
 Answer the phone promptly (3 rings)
 Ask to take message if person needed is unavailable
 Always get:
1.
Name
2.
Phone number
3.
Time
4.
Date
5.
Who the message is for
6.
Company name (if applicable)
7.
A brief message telling what is needed
8.
Find out if a call back is needed or if the customer will call back at a later time
 Thank the customer for calling and assure you will deliver the message
 Always sign the message
How to leave a professional phone message
 State your name in the greeting
 Tell company you are calling for
 Give phone number and best time to be reached
 Leave a brief description of what you needed
 Restate you name and number
 Thank them for their cooperation
How to end a call professionally—after scheduling an appointment
 Restate date and time
 Make sure it is for the right client/customer
 Be sure you have a good contact number
 End with a nice and polite salutation. Ex. “Thank you for calling Mrs. Smith see you next week”.
6

Tips on handling customer complaints
 Listen and sympathize with customer
 Apologize
 Deal with the problem quickly
 Explain to the customer how you are going to resolve the issue
 If you cannot resolve the issue at hand call manager or supervisor
 Always explain to the customer what steps you are taking
7

Tips on giving outstanding customer service
 Help customer understand the system
 Identify and anticipate the needs of the customer
 Make the customer feel important and appreciated
 Do more than required
1.
Good-will
2.
Giving them attention
3.
Phone calls just to check up on them and see how they are doing
 Have a great attitude no matter what
8