The 6 Keys of Customer Service

According to Virtual Receptionists

1. Put a smile in your voice

Physically put a smile on your face – not just metaphorically. • Smiling helps you keep in touch with positive feelings

while conveying a friendly, jovial tone to anyone you speak to, even on the phone.

• Studies show that smiling while feeling down can actually ‘trick’ your brain into making you feel happier. Happy people deliver the best customer service!

It really does make all the difference. Don’t skip the smile!

2. Keep a customer service notebook

Keep a customer service notebook next to your desk to jot down little reminders and notes about people you’ll speak to again.

For example, you might write down:• Customer preferences • Sample call scripts• Notes about a call • Common solutions to customer

problems

3. Go beyond calm and collectedIt’s not enough to stay calm and collected during customer interactions. You have to go beyond to deliver great customer service. Why?• Being too calm without showing friendliness can come across as detached. • You have to stay positive and upbeat - no matter what happens on the

phone. Personal problems, crazy callers, bad days, and all.• If a customer is upset, appearing too calm alienates you from the

customer. Show them that you understand and want to help find solutions.

4. Learn to handle the 10 types of callers

There are 10 general types of callers in customer service. • For descriptions and techniques for

managing each, check out The 10 Types of Callers and How to Handle Them: Part 1 and Part 2.

• Develop strategies ahead of time for handling each type of caller. This ensures you’re always acting according to your plan instead of emotions.

5. Never gossip about a client

Never badmouth clients on the job - no matter how much they may (or may not) have deserved it.

• The risk of being overheard by that client or another is too high to warrant this harmful kind of ‘venting.’

• Would you continue to use a business after you heard their receptionist talking about you?

6. Hold the silence – music is best

Play a little music when you put someone on hold. • Our internal studies found that most callers 

prefer music to silence or listening to on-hold promotions.

• Music keeps the caller entertained and helps them accurately judge how much time has passed while they’ve been on hold.

• Silence or listening to the same promotions on a loop make the caller feel like they’ve been on hold longer than they have.

Thanks to our team of receptionists for sharing the 6 keys of customer service!

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• Handle call answering• Manage appointments• Take and deliver messages• Provide basic customer

service• Are professional and

experienced

Our virtual receptionists: