MODULE 4

Winning Telephone Techniques

Training Notes

What you need to say/do

1.  In *Module 3: Communication Skills*, we talked about good
    communication skills and how to work with barriers to effective
    communication in person. Now, we will explore the most effective
    ways to communicate by phone.

2.  Tell participants that we will explore how each of us has the
    ability to make positive---or negative---impressions on the people
    we talk to on the telephone. In most cases, the impression you give
    callers influences how they feel about your agency as a whole. To
    anyone who contacts your agency---in person or by phone---**you are
    the agency**. (Write this on a flipchart.)

3.  Remind participants that every person they communicate with is a
    customer and every communication makes an impression. What kind of
    impression will you make today and every day?

-   Remind participants that if you create a good first impression, the
    relationship grows from there. Create a bad first impression and
    your relationship with that customer can be an uphill battle.

4.  Many customers will call before ever visiting the Child Support
    Enforcement agency, and what they encounter over the phone is
    critical to creating a positive image.

5.  Display **PowerPoint Slide 4-1: Winning Telephone Techniques**.

What you need to know

1.  This module will take approximately 30 minutes to complete.

Equipment/Supplies

+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| -   Flipchart stand with two pads | -   Attendance roster             |
|     of paper and/or whiteboard    |                                   |
|                                   | -   Trainer Guide                 |
| -   Markers (permanent,           |                                   |
|     dry-erase, and wet-erase)     | -   Participant Guides (including |
|                                   |     Appendix with handouts)       |
| -   Masking tape                  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   LCD projector                 |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
|                                   |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Handouts                          | PowerPoint Slides                 |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   4-1 Exercise -- Tone of Voice | -   4--1 Winning Telephone        |
|                                   |     Techniques                    |
| -   4-2 Five Criteria for         |                                   |
|     Paraphrasing                  | -   4--2 Learning Objectives      |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   4-3 Telephone Hints           | -   4--3 Phone Contacts           |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   4-4 Exercise -- Telephone     | -   4--4 Basic Phone Skills       |
|     Techniques                    |                                   |
|                                   | -   4--5 Inflection               |
|                                   |                                   |
|                                   | -   4--6 Tips to Improve          |
|                                   |     Inflection                    |
|                                   |                                   |
|                                   | -   4--7 Group Activity           |
|                                   |                                   |
|                                   | -   4--8 Summary & Conclusions    |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+

#  winning telephone techniques

Time: 30 minutes

> ![](media/image7.wmf)

Training Notes

What you need to say/do

1.  Display **PowerPoint Slide 4-2: Learning Objectives**.

2.  Review the learning objectives for this module.

What you need to know

1.  Throughout this module, or at the end, the trainer should go to the
    flipchart and check off any sticky notes that have been addressed.

## Learning Objectives

> ![](media/image7.wmf)

The learning objectives for this module are:

-   Given a participative lecture and large group discussion,
    participants will describe the unique challenges associated with
    providing effective customer service to phone callers.

-   Through an individual activity, participants will identify the
    strengths and weaknesses of their telephone styles and techniques.

Training Notes

What you need to say/do

1.  Display **PowerPoint Slide 4-3: Phone Contacts**.

2.  Discuss the bullets listed on the facing page with participants.

3.  Talk about how telephone contacts are different from face-to-face
    contacts.

4.  Tell participants to remember that when customers call your agency
    they create a mental picture of your competence and attitude---and,
    by extension, the agency's---based on the response they get from
    you.

5.  After you have covered each bullet, solicit any additional
    information from the participants. This discussion can be a large or
    small group exercise, depending on the dynamics of the group, the
    energy level at this stage of the training, etc. If this is done in
    small groups, have each group then report back to the larger group.

6.  Flipchart responses and title the flipchart: *Telephone Contacts vs.
    Face-to-Face*.

7.  Tell participants that they say you can't judge a book by its cover,
    but how many of us make judgments about people just based on their
    telephone speaking voice? People form opinions in the first 60
    seconds. People can "hear" our personality and mannerisms through
    the tone of our voice.

What you need to know

## How Telephone Contacts are Different from Face-to-Face Contacts

> ![](media/image8.wmf)

Communicating effectively on the telephone is a unique skill. Unlike
body language, which can vary from culture to culture and person to
person, telephone etiquette has a universally agreed upon set of rules
that paves the way for smoother, faster telephone calls with customers.

Some distinct differences between telephone contacts and face-to-face
contacts are:

-   Element of surprise. In most cases, you do not have time to review a
    file or computer record before taking a phone call. (If you initiate
    the call, you have more control.)

-   As the worker, you are invisible to the caller, making it easier for
    the caller to become abusive or hostile. It also makes it more
    difficult for you to diffuse the caller's anger.

-   It is [more]{.underline} important for you to pay attention when
    working with a caller. It is easier to be distracted when you are on
    the phone by other cases on your desk, activities in cubicles around
    you, etc., when the customer is not sitting in front of you.

Training Notes

What you need to say/do

1.  Continue to display **PowerPoint Slide 4-3: Phone Contacts**.

What you need to know

> ![](media/image8.wmf)

-   It is more important for you to develop and provide verbal feedback
    to assure the listener that you are attentive and that you
    understand his or her issues, concerns, etc.

-   It is also more important for you to engage in active listening, as
    you do not have any nonverbal cues to assist you in interpreting the
    speaker's message.

-   It may be more difficult to communicate effectively with
    limited-English speakers. It is also more difficult to discuss
    documents. You will need to take extra time to ensure that you are
    "on the same page" throughout the conversation.

-   There are increased security and confidentiality issues. It is more
    difficult to verify the identity of the person to whom you are
    speaking.

Training Notes

What you need to say/do

1.  Display **PowerPoint Slide 4-4: Basic Phone Skills**.

2.  Tell participants that a customer will begin to measure the quality
    of the Child Support Enforcement Program mentally even before
    hearing a voice just by the number of rings it takes to answer the
    phone.

3.  Remind participants to keep in mind that speaking on the telephone
    requires better articulation than is necessary in a face-to-face
    conversation. A strong, clear voice is a tremendous asset. It
    conveys confidence and high credibility.

4.  Talk about first impressions---telephone greetings are critical.
    Many agencies convolute the telephone greeting to the point that
    employees hate saying it and customers dread listening to it. There
    is power in simplicity. Incorporate pleasantness, brevity, and
    sincerity in the initial greeting.

-   Tell participants that they may want to avoid using scripted
    greetings. They can sound insincere, irritating, and discourage
    employees.

5.  Tell participants to imagine calling a business other than Child
    Support Enforcement. The person on the other end of the phone sounds
    irritated. What is your response to a greeting like that? The
    response tends to be irritation. You may start thinking, "Well, you
    think you're irritated now? Wait until you get finished with this
    call, then you will know what irritation is." And you may not even
    have been irritated when you called. You simply caught their
    irritation.

-   The opposite could happen too. You are irritated, highly irritated.
    You want to let someone have it. You call the company and the person
    who answers is so nice and professional you can't bring yourself to
    yell at them. This time you have caught their professionalism.

-   We will explore this aspect more in *Module 5: Strategies for
    Handling Difficult Customers & Situations*.

6.  Tell participants to answer the phone with a greeting (such as
    "Hello" or "Good Morning") before identifying yourself or your
    agency---doing so starts the conversation on the right foot.

What you need to know

1.  This section will seem basic to some participants, but a
    review/reminder of the basics is useful.

2.  Encourage participants to amplify the main points with examples.

3.  Basic telephone skills are continued on the next page.

## Telephone Skills

> ![](media/image8.wmf)

Telephone etiquette can make or break the caller's perception of your
service. Knowing proper telephone etiquette for how to answer the phone,
put callers on hold, and transfer calls puts you ahead of the game.

### Answering the Telephone

-   Answer the phone promptly---by the third ring, if possible.

-   Make sure your greeting is professional. Announce your agency's
    name---distinctly---and your name. Give the caller time to ensure
    that he or she has called the right place. Incorporate pleasantness,
    brevity, and sincerity in your greeting.

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-   A pleasant greeting is essential to a successful call because it
    sets the stage emotionally. In general, listeners tend to mirror or
    "catch" the emotional state of the speaker. In other words, people
    tend to respond in kind. If we answer the phone gruffly, the
    customer may become gruff. If we answer pleasantly, chances are the
    customer will be pleasant.

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-   Give the caller "adjustment" time, especially if you know he or she
    has been on hold. It takes 10 -- 30 seconds to adjust to a voice on
    the phone. Announcing the agency's name, your name, and saying "Good
    morning" or "Good afternoon" gives the caller time to adjust to your
    tone of voice and cadence, so he or she is in a better position to
    communicate effectively.

Training Notes

What you need to say/do

1.  Continue to display **PowerPoint Slide 4-4: Basic Phone Skills**.

2.  Tell participants that it is important to be professional when using
    someone's name. Never use a first name, unless specifically advised
    to do so. However, using someone's name in conversation *can* be a
    great sign of respect.

3.  Discuss telephone etiquette for putting customers on hold.

4.  Ask participants if they have any other recommendations that may
    ease a customer when you need to put him or her on hold.

What you need to know

### Be Prepared to Answer the Phone

It is important to be prepared before you answer the phone.

-   Have a pad of paper and pencil ready when you answer.

-   Be prepared to be an active listener and take notes.

-   Write down the caller's name so you can use it during the call.
    Remember, people love to hear their names.

-   Let the person know you are taking notes, this will signal him/her
    not to speak too fast.

-   Don't answer the phone, and try to speak, with food in your mouth.

### Placing Customers on Hold

Follow these recommendations when you need to place customers on hold:

-   Ask customers if you may put them on hold.

-   Always use the hold button when you ask the caller to wait. This
    prevents the caller from overhearing other conversations in the
    immediate area.

-   Minimize "hold" time. If you can't find the person or the
    information the caller needs, check back with the caller every
    minute or so to tell him you are still looking, trying to connect
    him, etc. Or ask to take a message and call back when you have the
    needed information.

-   Wait for a response. When a customer agrees, say "thank you" and
    place him or her on hold. If the customer disagrees, ask if he or
    she would like a return call, would like to leave a message, or
    would like to call back.

-   Tell customers why they are being put on hold. Most people find it
    easier and more comfortable to wait on hold if they have a mental
    picture of what the service provider is doing while on hold.

-   Give customers a time frame for how long they may be on hold.

-   When you return to the line, thank customers for holding.

Training Notes

What you need to say/do

1.  Display **PowerPoint Slide 4-5: Inflection**.

2.  Emphasize the importance of cultivating a professional telephone
    demeanor by sharing the information below with the participants.

3.  Ask participants: *Do you know that 86 percent of the message the
    customer absorbs over the phone is from your tone of voice?* Only 14
    percent is grasped through the actual words you say. By using
    inflection, pacing, and volume, you can achieve a great telephone
    voice.

4.  Tell participants that some people you speak to only have to say
    "hello" before you find yourself thinking, "I don't want to deal
    with this person." So, maybe you hang up and call again, hoping
    someone with a more compassionate tone picks up the phone. In Child
    Support Enforcement Program offices, it is doubtful that someone
    would risk hanging up once he or she gets through. Tone of voice
    still sets the tone for the conversation.

5.  Have participant volunteers read from handout 4-1 back to the
    audience and exaggerate their tones according to directions on the
    handout.

What you need to know

> 4.4 Inflection
>
> ![](media/image8.wmf)

Almost the entire message you project to a customer over the telephone
is communicated through your tone of voice. It doesn't take long for the
customer to sense your attitude. In fact, your customers know the tone
of the conversation within ten seconds of the call.

-   Use proper inflection to develop an effective telephone style.

-   Hold the mouthpiece in front of your mouth and speak clearly; this
    helps with clear enunciation and projects a clearer tone of voice.

-   Be on stage. Keep your personal feelings and moods separate from
    your professional demeanor. Know the role you should play: customer
    service provider, problem solver, public relations representative,
    etc. (Reflect back on [why]{.underline} people come to your agency
    and what services they want/need.)

-   Use a role model for proper inflection. Find someone who speaks
    effectively and listen carefully to all aspects of how he or she
    handles a telephone conversation, from start to finish. Study that
    person's style and techniques. Ask him or her to listen in on a
    couple of your calls and help you to critique your skills.

Training Notes

What you need to say/do

1.  Continue to display **PowerPoint Slide 4-5: Inflection**.

2.  Advise participants that no matter what words they use, their tone
    of voice will reveal what they are thinking and feeling.

3.  Remind participants that we covered tone of voice in Module 3. We
    talked about how your tone can project warmth, enthusiasm,
    confidence and sincerity. The tone of your voice can assure the
    customer of a positive outcome.

What you need to know

1.  It is important as the trainer to watch your own voice level. You
    may want to demonstrate one or more of the types of inflection
    listed on the facing page: monotone, slow speed, high-pitch, or
    abrupt speed.

###  Tone of Voice

![](media/image8.wmf)

-   Monitor your tone of voice. It is a true indicator of the mood you
    are in. The easiest way to improve your tone of voice is to smile
    when you talk. The listener can't [see]{.underline} it, but can
    [hear]{.underline} it. Also, make sure to match your voice quality
    to the situation and words. It is inappropriate to be light and
    giddy when talking to a complaining customer. It is appropriate to
    use a professional tone that conveys concern and efficiency.

-   Remember to speak conversationally. Never rush a call.

-   Make your voice pleasant and eager, and make each caller believe
    that he or she is the sole focus of your attention. Be friendly even
    before you know who it is.

-   To be effective, the caller [should]{.underline} be the sole focus
    of your attention.

-   A monotone and flat voice says to the customer, "I'm bored and have
    absolutely no interest in what you're talking about."

-   Slow speed and low pitch communicate the message, "I'm depressed and
    want to be left alone."

-   A high pitched and emphatic voice says, "I'm enthusiastic about this
    subject."

-   An abrupt speed and very loud tone says, "I'm angry and not open to
    input!"

-   High pitch combined with drawn out speed conveys, *"I don't believe
    what I'm hearing."*

Training Notes

What you need to say/do

1.  Display **PowerPoint Slide 4-6: Tips to Improve Inflection**.

2.  Ask participants to think about a conversation they had with a
    customer yesterday (or the most recent work day). Then ask them to
    evaluate their telephone voices in those conversations. Ask the
    following questions:

-   Did you speak with an inflection to show interest and concern?

-   Did you use a level of volume that gained the customer's attention?

-   Did you pace the customer by adjusting your rate of speech to match
    his or hers?

-   Did you pace the customer by adjusting your intensity to match his
    or hers?

3.  Tell Customer Service Managers that it would be beneficial for them
    to listen in on staff members' conversations with customers from
    time to time so that they can coach their staff afterwards. They
    should look at this as a positive opportunity to improve staff
    members' skills, not as a way to catch them doing something wrong.

4.  Remind participants of our earlier discussions on smiling and its
    benefits.

-   Ask participants if they are aware that the radio personalities who
    sound so cheerful at all hours of the day actually smile into the
    microphone to keep their voices upbeat and alive. Tell them that
    they may even want to keep a mirror nearby to remind themselves of
    what message their smiles or lack thereof are projecting.

-   Tell participants that one of the oldest telephone tricks is to have
    a mirror near the telephone so you can monitor your facial
    expressions to be sure you are smiling.

5.  Introduce the technique of paraphrasing. Paraphrasing demonstrates
    understanding by requiring verbal interaction with the customer. The
    purpose of interaction is either to get additional information you
    are missing or to verify with the person what you think they said.
    If you paraphrase the information accurately, the person can confirm
    that you have demonstrated understanding. If you paraphrase
    inaccurately or miss important details, the person can add the
    information you need to understand.

6.  In a large group setting, review the Five Criteria for Paraphrasing.
    (Use handout 4-2 or write them on a flip chart.)

7.  Do paraphrase exercise (handout 4-3) with volunteers from the group.

What you need to know

###  Tips To Improve Your Inflection

> ![](media/image8.wmf)

-   Smile when talking on the phone.

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-   Smiling is good physiologically. When you smile, the soft palate at
    the back of your mouth raises and makes the sound waves more fluid.
    Smiling helps your voice sound friendly, warm, and receptive.

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-   Practice stressing words.

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-   Be aware of how stressing certain words changes the feeling of what
    you are saying.

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-   Breathe (deep, long, and slow).

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-   The inflection of your voice can be greatly improved by learning to
    take long, slow, deep breaths. By being aware of your breathing, you
    can slow it down, thereby relaxing your vocal cords, bringing down
    your pitch, and creating a calmer tone of voice.

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-   Exaggerate your tone.

Training Notes

What you need to say/do

1\. Display **PowerPoint Slide 4-7: Group Activity.**

2.  Remind participants to think about effective telephone techniques
    and refer

them to Telephone Hints, **Handout 4-3.**

3.  Discuss the purpose of the role play with participants.

4\. Instruct participants on the Role Playing Activity. They will break
into groups

> of three. **Make sure they are sitting back-to-back (not facing each
> other) since they are talking on the phone**. They may take turns
> being customer, worker and observer. Ask them [not]{.underline} to
> share their roles with the other participants. Use **Handouts 4-4,**
> Telephone Techniques Practice, Observer Critique and Worker and
> Customer Scenarios. In each group, two participants will be the role
> players and the others will be observers. (Allow 5 minutes.)

5.  Tell participants to be prepared to report back to the large group.
    Process all groups. Start with the observer first to provide
    feedback on the role play. Questions may include:

-   Did the caseworker identify the agency, him/herself?

-   What greeting does he/she use?

-   Did the worker address the customer by name?

-   What active listening skills did the worker use?

-   Did the worker speak clearly and at a good pace?

-   What was accomplished during the call?

6.  Then follow up with the customer, asking how the worker made him
    feel and if he/she answered his questions; lastly, follow up with
    the worker to see what she felt went well (or not) during the call.

7.  Thank the role-play participants for their involvement.

***­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­What you need to know***

-   Role playing can cause participants stress if they think they "have"
    to participate. Make sure you explain this is voluntary and
    encourage them to get involved. However, allow folks who are very
    uncomfortable to be observers.

##  Face-to-face or on the Phone?

> ![](media/image10.wmf)

### Small Group Activity

Read the Telephone techniques practice Scenarios (handout 4-4).

You will have five minutes to read over the scenarios. You will then
break into small groups to role play/evaluate how well you did in using
your telephone skills.

Training Notes

What you need to say/do

1.  Display **PowerPoint Slide 4-8: Summary & Conclusions**.

2.  Summarize the material covered in this module. Solicit feedback from
    participants for each bullet on the following page.

3.  Ask participants if there are any further questions about this
    module.

4.  After answering participants' questions, transition to *Module 5:
    Strategies for Handling Difficult Customers and Situations.*

What you need to know

1.  The learning objectives for this module were:

-   Given a participative lecture and large group discussion,
    participants will describe the unique challenges associated with
    providing effective customer service to phone callers.

-   Through an individual activity, participants will identify the
    strengths and weaknesses of their telephone styles and techniques.

##  Summary and Conclusions

> ![](media/image11.wmf){width="3.432638888888889in"
> height="2.567361111111111in"}

In this module we have covered:

-   The unique challenges associated with providing effective customer
    service to phone callers.

-   A self-assessment tool aimed at helping you identify the strengths
    and weaknesses of your telephone styles and techniques.

-   General telephone techniques for handling difficult customers.

### Module 4 Wrap-Up -- Group Activity

Call-avoidance strategies, such as determining which customers call most
frequently and why, play a major role in capacity-planning and the
handling of peak loads.

1.  Break into small groups.

2.  Come up with one call-avoidance strategy for your office.

training notes

What you need to say/do

1.  Preview some of the topics to be covered in *Module 5:* *Strategies
    for Handling Difficult Customers and Situations.*

2.  Ask if there are any questions.

3.  Allow a few minutes for participants to look at **Handout 1-1, the
    Customer Service Training Evaluation Form** and evaluate **Module
    4** at this time (or remind them to do so at the end of the course).

What you need to know

1.  Throughout this module, or at the end, the trainer should go to the
    flipchart and check off any sticky notes that have been addressed.

##   {#section .unnumbered}

## 4.7 Preview of Module 5

In *Module 5: Strategies for Handling Difficult Customers and
Situations,* we will:

-   Identify methods for diffusing anger and/or hostility.

-   Develop strategies for handling difficult situations.

-   Identify verbal and nonverbal messages that can exacerbate and/or
    diffuse a difficult situation.