Top Service Tips for Plumbing Receptionist
25 Aug, 2020 / Comments: Comments Off on Top Service Tips for Plumbing Receptionist / By Stuart McHenry
A receptionist or virtual receptionist is your business’ first point of contact for many customers and even suppliers. They have the power to provide them with their first impression of the company and, therefore, directly impact how people will deal with your company in the future.
This article will provide you with tips on how to provide your receptionists with the appropriate training and guidance, to reduce the risk of losing out on customers and sales by making common mistakes.
How to Greet Customers
When there is an incoming call, the call handler must take a moment before answering to ensure they can focus on the call and give the customer their undivided attention. Receptionists can be incredibly busy with piles of emails to answer, scheduling appointments, messages to be sent across the building, and so much more. Receptionists can often find themselves overwhelmed, so it is essential to set all other duties aside for those few moments.
To provide excellent customer service, it is important to greet your customer with a friendly and inviting tone. Use polite greetings such as, “Good morning; my name is Sarah. How can I help you today?” Carry on using a friendly approach throughout the call, ensuring that the customer is referred to by their name.
How to Provide Excellent Phone Service
It may sound silly, but it may be beneficial to answer calls with a smile. You can hear a smile as it enhances your tone. When someone is smiling, you can truly hear it in their voice. If your receptionists are happy, your customers are more likely to be, too.
A trained receptionist will be brilliant at maintaining good phone etiquette that makes a lasting impression. Using the caller’s name in conversation, making attempts at small talk whilst sourcing information, and giving an overall friendly approach shows engagement and that they are valued. A good receptionist will never treat a customer like a number, instead treat them as a friend.
Exchanging pleasantries such as, “It has been lovely speaking with you today. Enjoy the rest of your evening, and thank you for calling” enhances the customers’ experience.
Always end the call by asking, “Is there anything else that I can help you with today?” to show that you want to solve all their questions and fulfill their expectations.
Tip: While we are on the topic of phrases to use, a trained receptionist should refrain from saying things like, “I don’t know” as it shows a lack of willingness to help. Instead, swap it for, “I will have a look into that for you, would you mind if I place you on hold for a moment?” and place the caller on hold while you source the answer to your question. When placing a customer on hold, you have allowed yourself to ask for assistance in the office. Never put a customer on hold without asking them first and making sure that they have enough time to wait around while you find the details.
Confirm all Details of the Query
A great receptionist will always double-check that they have understood the customers’ needs correctly and that they will not leave dissatisfied. The perfect way for a receptionist to clarify this is to go back over everything that has been discussed. The customer will then hear everything that has been said, but from the receptionist’s point of view and if anything has been lost in translation, mistakes can be fixed straight away without further confusion.
Additionally, it will also confirm to the customer the next steps moving forward. While your plumbers are busy providing quotes for potential customers, purchasing equipment, and out on calls, you need to be confident in your receptionist staff’s abilities to overlook the office duties. These tips for your plumbing receptionists should help you provide effective training on how to run the office tasks successfully.
- Most Important Aspects of Home Services Website - November 25, 2020
- Expert Tips for Carpet Cleaning SEO - October 11, 2020
- How to Stop Unwanted Phone Calls to My Business - September 25, 2020