effective phoning.pdf

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5b Effective phoning

Rosemary Richey

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1 Look at the examples of unhelpful phone language from a customer services training session.

For each stage of the call, rewrite the phrases to produce a flow chart of useful expressions.

1 Introduction

What do you want?

What’s your problem?

I can’t follow what you are saying.

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2 Assisting the customer

Tell me what you wanted again.

I think you ought to/should …

Send me a copy of your receipt.

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3 Showing understanding

It’s your problem, not ours.

I think you are over-reacting.

We hear this same comment from every customer.

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4Promising action

I’ll ring you back some time next week.

I’ll have to ask the manager if I can do anything

about it.

I don’t know how I can help you.

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5Closing the conversation

Anything else?

Is that it?

Hope you won’t call us again with your problems.

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2 Roleplay the following customer complaint situations. Take turns to be the caller

and the customer services adviser. Use the flow chart in 1 to help you.

• a new customer complains about a delayed order

• a client reports a mistake in his/her invoice

• a hotel guest’s room is too noisy

• the helpdesk line is always engaged

• the customer care staff is rude and unfriendly

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In Company Upper intermediate Resource materials