Dealing with eHomemakers’
Customers/Members on the Phone
Dealing with customers over the phone, unlike talking to them face-to-face, presents its own set of challenges, especially in the first few seconds. As you are unable to identify the customer’s emotional state prior to the call, you won’t know how the person will react till you call. A customer who has a negative or unhappy experience with someone else will likely “let off steam” on the next person that she engages with. However, you will not know if you are the “next person” until you answer the call.
Also, you are unsure of the “time-threshold” that the customer has. Imagine how frustrated you are if you call a particular office number many times because you either got disconnected or were transferred to an incorrect person. Chances are, when you finally get through, you will want to get the issue resolved in the shortest possible time.
When you are on the phone, it is almost impossible to identify the non-verbal cues of the customer. The primary giveaway is the speed of speech, tone of voice and volume. Even for experienced marketing professionals, it is a challenge to identify the customer’s emotional state by simply listening to the voice.
Therefore, the key is to transform an angry, frustrated, disappointed or concerned customer or supporter into a “customer advocate” within a short time.
Here is how:
Keep cool
Cover all bases
Go the extra mile
Follow up
The first 10 seconds in dealing with people will make an impact on the outcome of the call. Keeping cool means that both you (who represent eHomemakers) and the customer will need to remain calm and explore solutions together. A people-focused organization equips its team with the relevant technical and service quality skills so that they can fulfill their tasks well. Please learn what eHomemakers’ projects are all about before you pick up the phone.
Identifying the
type of people that you are dealing with as well as salient issues that she
faces, will enable you to deal with her more effectively. For example, when an
NGO staff expresses disappointment at the speed of ECHO’s message sending, she
has just two concerns: The time it takes her to use ECHO, the hassles she has
to go through because she forgets how to use ECHO.
However,
in the process of revealing these issues, she may also disclose the
difficulties she faces in her NGO, for instance, broadband which hangs all the
time, her inability to understand ECHO icons, and IT knowledge of her boss.
A people-focused
organization will not only address the key issues, but also measure, track and
follow up on all other factors that affect the customer or members’ perception
of the non-profit.
The customer wants a solution in the
shortest possible time with minimal possible inconvenience. Clichéd as it may
sound, the trick is found out what else you can do for the customer that will
have him saying, “Wow! This is extraordinary service!”
This
is especially important for interns working on the marketing of eco-baskets and
IT interns dealing with NGO customers for ECHO.
Often,
the follow-up action taken by most organizations amounts to nothing more than a
courtesy call. Besides the standard ritual of calling customers, organizations
need to monitor their purchasing patterns and touch base with them on a regular
basis to determine if enough is being done for customers to say, “All things
being equal, I will purchase your product again.”
A
customer-focused organization establishes customer intimacy as a long-term
strategy and does what it takes to attract and keep customers.
Excellent service
professionals know the outcome of any transaction is heavily dependent on what
happens before, during and after the transaction. Therefore, at the conclusion
of your next interaction with a customer, ask yourself, “Have I made him
happy?” -
For More Information:
10 top tips on answering
telephone calls professionally.
How to answer the
phone properly at the office
.
How to answer a
phone calls video.
