I had an interesting phone call this morning. I called a contractor to get 10 yards of gravel delivered. He answered the phone, “Hello.” I said, “Is Bob Able there?” He answered, “This is.” The phone was then silent.
Gang, if I knew anyone else who could have delivered that gravel, I would have hung up on the spot. I probably should have anyway.
Your telephone is how you come into contact with over 80% of your new clients (quote from Nancy Friedman at The Telephone Doctor) and, in construction, I think it’s over 90%. You don’t get a second chance to make a good impression, so please consider how you answer your telephone.
Do you sound like a schmuck with no manners, or do you present yourself as a professional? Think about it when your phone rings, my friend, unless, of course, you have more business than you need.
I couldn’t agree more with your advice on telephone manners. I called a past client the other day and the phone was answered by his adult daughter … and I commended her on how professional she sounded and how professional her father’s business appeared to me … and I know the exact size of his business.
Even when many businesses have staff answering the phone the customers get something like a client of mine just yesterday got … when he was dealing with a flat tire on his way to my seminar in the year-long program in which he has already invested (point being, not coming was not a viable option):
Jim, an electrical contractor coming from some 5 hours away from where he has the flat, called one tire company and the young woman was in the middle of a yawn when she answered the phone.
Jim quickly (he was a bit stressed) asked how long it would take and would she take his credit card by phone … “No you have to pay in person, here at our shop, to use your credit card. (Is that where their customers normally have flats?) I don’t know how long it’ll take. Hold on a minute.” HOW UNPROFESSIONAL IN EVERY SENTENCE!!!
Jim watches his watch … 2mins 40secs later … “We could be there in 45 minutes or an hour … LIKELY.” Jim has a service department in his company. He knows emergencies.
Jim called the second place in the phone book. A man, older than the woman at the other place, answers. Jim quickly says:
I have a problem and I want you to solve it. I’ll give you money.
The man’s response was “Yes, Sir. Whatever it is, if it’s tire related, we’re your solution.”
Immediately Jim had confidence. The man said “I’m sure it’ll work to take your credit card info. Just give it to me and if we run into a problem we’ll call you. Where’s your car?”
Jim also asked him to send a taxi to get him and his wife to my seminar and the man assured him that he’d send him the best taxi company and he would make it to the seminar but a bit late (because this man knows the area and Jim and Jan don’t). While in retrospect Jim questioned the word “best” taxi company because their driver didn’t have much experience or confidence, but he had a radio and was constantly connected with Dispatch.
The big thing is: Jim had confidence that the 2nd tire company was solving his tire problem as his arrival-on-time problem. Jim questioned in the work we do exactly how his staff sound on the phone. You can bet that’ll come up in a staffing meeting soon.
Jim and Jan arrived a bit frazzled but fewer than 15 minutes late!
The first company obviously doesn’t want money. They must have far too many clients, even with their archaic payment system for an emergency service provider.