Using the telephone as a customer relations tool

Drug Store News, Sept 27, 1993 by Ted Gladson

The telephone is an indispensable business tool. For many people, it is the first (and sometimes only) contact with the drug store.

The seemingly constant ringing of the telephone may be an irritation to the drug store staff because it is an interruption in their work. Unfortunately, this attitude is often communicated to the unsuspecting caller and opportunities for sales are missed.

To maximize the potential of the telephone for drug store business, it is essential that all staff have the proper attitude and use appropriate telephone skills. All drug store staff should be trained to use the telephone according to established policy.

Attitude: Everyone answering the telephone must see opportunity rather than irritation in every call. This is simply an attitude that should become part of store policy and training. Large companies that do much of their business by telephone regularly monitor employee telephone performance to insure standards are being met. A less invasive but still-watchful approach will work well in community drug stores.

We have all experienced inappropriate, rancorous telephone conversations that would never have occurred if we were speaking face-to-face. Drug store policies can be specified to prevent this from occurring.

Skills: Don't expect that everyone will instinctively know how to use the telephone in a business environment. The following skills can be developed through staff training:

A. Voice: Remember the caller cannot see you. There are no nonverbal clues to help him interpret your side of the conversation (e.g., gestures and facial expressions). Your voice will communicate meaning just as much as the words you speak. A good telephone voice should have the following qualities:

1. Alertness: Give the caller your full attention. Alertness is communicated in the voice, but background noises can detract from this quality.

2. Pleasantness: Good business practice demands this trait. It will be difficult to be pleasant if the caller is angry or rude, but the policy should be to maintain a pleasant disposition regardless of the caller's demeanor.

3. Naturalness: Use good conversational speech. Avoid an affected voice and cliches. Especially avoid objectionable phases such as "ya know," "I mean," "like," "yeah" and "really." These are popular constructions in some contemporary conversations but they have no place in business; particularly with customers on the telephone. Being natural means being comfortable with your vocabulary, not being overly familiar with callers.

B. Enunciate: Speak clearly and speak into the mouthpiece. In face-to-face conversations with friends, we tend to become lazy in our pronunciation.

C. Voice quality: Use moderate volume and avoid extremes in volume. It is good to show expression in your voice and modulation helps the listener grasp your meaning. You can be expressive without extremes in volume. A good way to maintain your poise, especially with difficult callers, is to lower the pitch of your voice and speak more slowly.

Answering the telephone: The drug store must have a standard greeting for callers and everyone must use it. The greeting should be carefully enunciated at a pace that any caller, regardless of hearing ability, can understand. This opening statement will set the tone for the caller and may determine his attitude for the remainder of the conversation. Many problems are avoided if this initial contact is done correctly.

The greeting should give the drug store name and the name of the person answering the telephone. For example, "This is Goodwill Drug Store, Tom speaking." A few businesses add other phrases to the greeting, such as "Good morning" or "May I help you?" These seem harmless enough, but they can be annoying if the remarks are too long. My personal experience is that long greetings tend to be delivered mechanically, which makes them unnatural and insincere. Simple is best.

Answer the phone promptly. Some businesses require that all calls be answered by the third ring, for example. Allowing the telephone to ring excessively creates an image of inefficiency. Trouble sometimes arises because it is unclear which staff person should be answering the telephone. Assignments should be clear to avoid staff disputes.

Managing calls: Once a call is received, it may be necessary to transfer it or place the caller on hold. The latter should be avoided if at all possible. It is best to ask a caller if she minds waiting before putting her on hold.

Placing the receiver on the counter without using the hold button should be avoided. The noise is an irritation to the caller, and conversation in the drug store may not be appropriate for the caller to hear. If the caller is placed on hold, you should return to her as soon as possible. If it appears the wait will be lengthy, you should inform the caller and ask if they wish to continue holding.

Transferring a call within the drug store can pose technical and procedural problems. All staff should understand how to transfer calls and the appropriate follow-up procedure.