Understand how to receive and transfer telephone calls

               

 Describe how to identify callers and their needs active listening don’t interrupt, “How can I help you?” “What would you like to know from us?”

                Explain the purpose of giving accurate and up to date information to callers, giving in accurate information to callers means when someone calls a company, they have done so with the anticipation of getting their question/query promptly and professionally. Having up to date information available in a clear and concise manner will confirm in the callers mind they made a good buying decision.

 Explain the purpose of confidentiality and security when dealing with callers, from a callers point of view they want their personal details kept secure and confidential by showing this when dealing with a caller you are showing them that you can be trusted with their personal information.

For your point of view, you need to keep callers personal information private and respect their privacy, or you could be liable for prosecution under the data protection act. If any confidential or information to do with security is given out, then it is causing a threat to others. Types of information that could affect confidentiality and security are peoples personal details, PIN numbers, National Insurance Numbers and account numbers. These can all be kept confidential by not telling anyone them. The Data Protection Act was setup to prevent confidential and security information from being given out and it is breaking the law if you do. All these sorts of information should be handled by a maximum of 2 people and seen by no one else. This way no information will be revealed.

After answering the call following company procedure, ask the caller if they know the name of the person they wish to speak to, if they don’t ask regarding which department. Again if the caller doesn't know find out briefly what the call is in reference to (briefly due to the topic the caller may wish to discuss can be of a private matter). Using this information can make it easier to select the right person/department.

After answering the phone following company procedure (taking callers name, company they are from, what the call is regarding)

To caller: Explain that they will be put on hold while you try and locate (if person unknown) or contact the person they are after or another member of staff who is more appropriate to deal with their request.

To new recipient of the call: Who is on the line, where they are from (company), why you are transferring the call to them and what details have already been given to the caller. This saves time and prevents the caller being given the same information again.

On return to the caller: Who they are being transferred to and why they will be more useful and helpful to deal with their request.

When leaving a message for someone out of office or via a phone message: Who the caller was, full name, where they are calling from i.e. company. What time they rang, the details of the call and any specific details or requests the caller wanted the intended receiver to know.

Explain the purpose of summarising the outcomes of a telephone conversation before ending the call

Explain the purpose of summarising the outcomes of a telephone conversation before ending the call

Summarising is important so both parties involved are sure of the information that has been exchanged, it also ensures all questions are answered fully. Also if the conversation was long some finer details may have been missed simply due to the large amount of information discussed. It is a good idea to have a policy where a courtesy email is sent to the caller in which all the information from the call has been summarised and additional information can be added. 

When a call comes into the office always take a name (full if possible and preferably) and the company they are calling from, try and obtain from the caller either what the problem is exactly or from which department the problem arisen from and if they know who within the department they spoke to. Pass message along to department or relevant staff and see what information can be found to resolve the problem. If this is not possible try and locate a member of staff who can help from the information obtained from the caller.

Pyramid- staff have a role, shared decision making, specialisation is possible (traditional view of organisation). Decisions pass down formal channels from managers to staff; Information flows up formal channels from staff to managers

Always introduce yourself including name and company you are calling from, if prior known, request to talk to the member of staff/department you are calling for. If not explain why you are calling and request help on locating staff that can help. When connected have questions ready or know exactly what information is required. At end summarise call and recap information to check accuracy as you draft your email. 

Being as exact as possible will help the fault be resolved as fast as possible.

When did the problem start?

How frequent is it happening?

What conditions are occurring?

Can you restart or reset the equipment? Inform the business manager or a member of staff of the fault and try contacting service provider for assistance.

The need to communicate effectively with others in Business

How to use the Telephone and how to make Calls 

 I will try to explain the basics to understanding how to make business telephone calls:

There are many different features of telephone systems and how to use them the product explanation is usually packaged as an instruction manual in the box by any means this is not to be thrown away if it is lost, the reference product code of the telephone appliance can be used to search for the instructions on the internet.  Here are just a few of the features found on most modern phones. Call holding- places a caller on hold so you can perform another task. This could be to locate paperwork, find client/customer details, retrieve information from another member of staff or contact another colleague to divert the call along to.

Call waiting- lets you know when there is a caller waiting on another line and wishes to speak to you. This is shown by a flashing light, beeping tone or both.

Re-directing- are available on telephone systems were you may be required to forward a call to another colleague. Usually the features for re-directing state ‘redirect’ or ‘transfer’.

Answer phone- records messages of callers when no one is available to take the call. Telephone systems have many different features this allows us to handle and manage calls in a professional manner.

Teleconferencing- enables more than the ‘caller’ and ‘receiver’ to be involved in a single phone call. There are now often enhanced with the use of a camera and computer.

Firstly give reasons for identifying the purpose of a call in favour of the business, it is important to be disciplined and not make private calls whilst doing business where your livelihood depends.

Knowing the purpose of a call before making the call is important; as the call will sound professional, be concise and you will obtain all the information you require, it may also be useful to have questions you need answering written down and to have any relevant information prepared.  By doing this it means the call obtained all the information needed so there shouldn’t be any need for another call to re-ask questions you should have asked in the original phone call.

There are different ways of obtaining the names and numbers of people that need to be contacted. If a company name is known try searching for number on their website, try calling the company directly to see if anyone can help with your search. If name is known search online phone book or type straight into a search engine such as Google. Inquire within the company to see if anyone has dealt with the person before or if they may know of someone who can help. Social networks such as Facebook, Twitter or Myspace as most people have an account personally or of their business to advertise them.

Inside call- if you know the internal extension number for the person you are trying to contact simply pick up the phone and dial number, if not try calling the department where the person is situated and your call will be transferred. On the possibility you have only been given a name to contact try calling a main reception desk or human resources and see if they can help you locate the person. Outside call- most company phones are set up internally so you have to begin with the phone call with a connection number.

This call may very well be the first contact your company is making with the other company/customer and because it is over the phone there is no face to face meeting and so the person can’t judge you on your image or facial expressions so relaying a positive attitude is essential. It makes the call pleasant and productive, and will leave a good impression of both yourself (as the representative) and of the company you’re calling from. Being rude, abusive, or speaking in slang is un-helpful or just generally sound un-interested it creates a negative image against yourself and the company. Whenever you make a call you are you and your company’s representative so it is always important to be as polite and as helpful as possible as this may in turn create more custom for your business.

summarize the outcomes of a telephone conversation before ending the call ssummarizing is important so both parties involved are sure of the information that has been exchanged, it also ensures all questions are answered fully. Also if the conversation was long some finer details may have been missed simply due to the large amount of information discussed. Some companies have a policy were a courtesy email is sent to the caller in which all the information from the call has been summarised and additional information can be added.