From the moment you pick up the phone, down to collecting the final payment - you are providing customer service. Customers will note and detail everything you do (or don't do) and use this information in the future; when deciding if they want to use your company again, or who to recommend to their friends and family. Customer service isn't something specific to the wood restoration industry: this can be applied to any job where you deal with customers/clients/guests/patrons etc.
When a customer calls, the best way to greet them, state your name, and the company name. This way they know they have the right number, they have a point of reference who they contacted, and overall paints the company in a good light. This will be the customer's first impression of your company, so make sure it's a positive one. Avoid answering unprofessionally i.e - "Yo what you need?" or "Yeah? What?"
If you need to step away from the phone for a period of time, whether it's to locate information or grab another coworker or manager, it's best to put the customer on hold, and let them know it might be a few minutes. If you're not able to resolve the issue in a few minutes, let them know you're still working on it and apologize for the delay. Customers that are left on hold for a while, may hang up and move on, so it's best to make sure they know you're working diligently to get them an answer and didn't forget about them.
When the conversation is finished, thank them for their call, and tell them they can call back if they have any questions. Since you've already built a rapport with the customer, you can offer (when applicable) to call your direct extension. This is a great customer service technique that helps the customer feel valued.
As always, there are customers who will call and complain, rant, and are generally abusive on the phone. The best thing to do in this situation is to explain the policies of the company and offer an apology while remaining as cordial as possible. From personal experience it's hard to bite your tongue and sit through a verbal onslaught like that - just let them rant and rave, and then move on. If the customer is being unnecessarily hostile or threatening, politely end the conversation.
Like previously stated - phone calls are typically the first impression businesses make on customers. Making sure you follow proper phone etiquette will help you earn, and keep, customers.
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