Whoever answers the telephone — whether the receptionist, switchboard operator, customer service staff or call centre staff— can be seen as the organisation's “gatekeeper” and they set the tone for the entire conversation during the first three to five seconds of the call.

It takes these valuable seconds for a customer to decide what type of person they are talking to and their opinion of you and your company will be based on whether your greeting is rude, monotone, rushed and abrupt or confident, positive, friendly and professional.

During this comprehensive one-day course you will learn to:
•Create a favourable “First Impression” that will last in the callers mind
•Analyse your own current telephone style to identify and eliminate any habits that may irritate or annoy callers
•Apply methods for turning a negative situation or response into an extremely positive experience for the caller
•Understand how to deliver customer service over the telephone that will set your company apart from the rest
•Why voice tone is a critical factor in successful communication with body language being removed from the process
•Handle multiple calls and deal with impatient people without you becoming stressed and short with callers
•Understand your common “Telephone Tyrants” and other difficult callers to enable you to deal with them quickly and professionally
•Apply “Phone Positive” vocabulary techniques that builds rapport, keep calls on track and gather necessary information
•Terminate your conversation with courtesy and with professionalism, even if it's a chatty caller who doesn't want to hang up

This Tele-Service Training course will give secretaries, call centre staff, customer service staff, receptionists and others the skills they need to keep even “hard-to-please” callers happy.
This intensive one-day course is presented by a highly qualified course leader and includes practical exercises, the opportunity for delegate interaction and reviews to ensure that the information discussed is fully understood.

Your intensive one-day agenda.

“Telephone Dynamics” - Understanding the Process
•Discover the importance of telephonic communication and how it relates to customer service
•Review your companies telephone policy - if you have one
•Assess the benefits and limitations of dealing with customers telephonically
•Learn to add value by imparting empathy and taking positive action to assist with customer queries and/or complaints

“Everyone learns by doing!” - Practical Session 1
Participate in a fun, interactive exercise that develops a definition of service excellence from the caller's point of view.

“Your Attitude Counts” - Starting Positively
•How to greet every caller in way that makes a positive first impression
•Review your current greeting habits
•Examine the three goals of the greeting
•Learn a formula that sets a new standard for welcoming callers
•Discover how you can develop your own telephone style by
oResponding positively to all callers
oListening to what the caller is saying
oShowing interest in the client's complaint/query

“Always Remain Polite” - Practical Telephone Etiquette
•Understand why transferring calls, screening calls, and placing calls on hold are three seemingly simple tasks but could be the cause of great frustration for the caller
•Discover ways to deal with irritating callers without giving them the impression that they are being "pushed” from pillar to post
•Ways to deal with multiple callers or a switchboard that is going “crazy”
•Learn how to handle a range of delicate situations in a way that makes the interaction as pleasant as possible for the caller
•Examine your own subtle and not-so-subtle habits that can damage relationships with callers
•Stay focused by learning how to minimise disruptions (incl. private calls) when dealing with customers on the telephone

“It's What You Say” - Choose your Words and Phrases carefully
•Discover why the words you use can take on added importance in telephone conversations with the body language removed from the communication process
•Discover the skill of choosing the right word or phrase to send the best message
•Learn how to say "no" in a positive manner by subtracting “not words” and irritating phrases from the communication
•Learn “phone positive” vocabulary techniques that build rapport, keep calls on track, and gather necessary information

“Everyone learns by doing!” - Practical Session 2
Practice using Motivating Phrases, Affirming Phrases, Responding Phrases, Visual Words

“Its How You Say It” - Effective Voice Communication
•Learn why voice tone is a critical factor in successful telephone communication
•Examine and overcome common barriers to communication
oLanguage Problems
oJargon Problems
oInformation Overload
oCross Cultural Communication Barriers
•Discover how using Active Listening Techniques will prevent misunderstandings
•Discover how your attitude (positive and negative) toward a caller can affect your tone
•Receive practical tips and recommendations for keeping the frustration from your voice when dealing with and extremely difficult caller

“Everyone learns by doing!” - Practical Session 3
Practice using the power of your voice tone to create images, carve out impressions and deliver a carefully crafted communication to the caller

“Telephone Tyrants” - Dealing with Difficult Customers
•Learn to recognise different types of telephone tyrants and gain an understanding of how to deal with each type
•Learn how applying assertive behaviour can result in the alleviation of a negative situation
•Learn to identify the “Deadly Telephone Sins” and how to avoid using them as coping methods:
o Not being informed
o Being Unfriendly
o Being rude
o Not answering the telephone
•Practice methods that can turn a stressful encounter into a positive interaction
•Discover what abusive techniques callers can use to “emotionally” blackmail you and how you can turn these calls around
•Tips on how to remain calm and control anger and stress - remember the anger is not directed at you!
•Practical tips on leaving working feeling positive - make sure your stressful day stays at the office!

“Going the extra Mile” - Problem Solving Techniques and Time Management
•Discover how to “Problem Solve” on the Spot by
oRapidly analysing the problem
oQuickly brainstorming possible solutions
oSwiftly finding the right solution
•Learn to minimise the time spent on pleasantries and to be efficient to callers without appearing rude
•Learn proven ways of either terminating a chatty conversation or rapidly getting to the crux of the call
•Discover how closing with an upbeat manner will leave the caller with a sense of well-being and remember your company as a result

Venue

Date: 07 October 2008
Location: Johannesburg
Cost: R2580.00 excl VAT

Contact: Samantha Marks
Company name: CBM Training
Telephone number: +27 11 454 5505
Email address sambiz@cbm-training.co.za