This telephone etiquette training course teaches students the importance of telephone etiquette and the role it plays in creating a favorable impression on customers. Students learn the most basic, but most important time tested techniques in handling phone calls.  Students also learn how to manage a call from beginning to end, including how to professionally greet the customer, how to build rapport, express empathy when needed and how to show appreciation and professionally end the call.  Taking messages and using voicemail is also explored.

Students will also gain some important soft skills required in business such as active listening, communication skills and how to deal with difficult and angry customers.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

This course is geared towards the Customer Service Representative and includes 6 weekly lessons that focuses on the most important and fundamental telephone and customer service skills for every customer service representative. Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to:

1. Master Basic Telephone Skills including how to answer the telephone professionally and enthusiastically, how to transfer calls effectively without annoying customers and how to appropriately use the customer’s name during the call. Students will also learn the best way to place a customer on hold, transfer the caller to another person, deal with multiple callers and how to end the call in a positive manner.
2. Manage the call from beginning to end including professionally greeting the caller, building rapport during the call, expressing empathy when needed, showing appreciation to the customer for calling and ending the call in a professional manner.
3. Take messages professionally and accurately use Voice Mail – In this lesson you’ll learn how to professionally take a customer message and the 8 elements of how to record a professional voice greeting.  Tips on both leaving and returning voice messages are covered.
4. Gain effective listening skills – Listening is one of the most important skills you can have as a Customer Service Representative.  How well you listen will have a major impact on your job effectiveness and ability to satisfy your customers.  If you develop good listening skills, you will be able to solve problems more effectively. In this lesson you’ll become aware of the barriers to good listening and techniques on how to actively listen.
5. Gain communication skills – Regardless of the industry you work in or the position you hold, it’s essential to communicate effectively with those around you. More than ever in our digital age, it’s important to know how to effectively convey and receive messages in person (verbally) as well as via phone, email, chat, and social media.  In this lesson you’ll learn how to overcome some of the barriers to good communication and ways to improve your communication skills.
6. Manage Angry Customers –  If you routinely have to deal with angry customers, you know how quickly things can get out of control, and that you need a strategy for resolving those situations. How you handle an upset customer can make the difference between retaining or losing a customer.   In this lesson you’ll Learn techniques on how to deal with angry or difficult customers.

This course is hosted in the Office Skills Collaborative Online Classroom. Concepts are reinforced through-out the module and worksheets are available for students to practice their skills. Students learn at their own pace and when it is convenient for them with our Anytime, Anywhere policy. Students have up to six months to complete the course.

For questions about the Telephone Etiquette and Customer Service Training course contact dbieser@officeskills.org