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The Voice of E-Business By Robyn Greenspan January 2, 2002 If your Web site projects the face of your company, then your call center represents the voice. And if that voice isn't pleasant and service-oriented, you're likely to have unhappy customers. When customers call your support phone number, it is probably because that they are experiencing problems. Procedural guidelines for call centers help ensure quality phone service, customer satisfaction and problem resolution. If an in-house call center is part of your e-business, here are some suggestions for your customer support agents: Calls should be answered promptly, usually within 2 to 4 rings. Avoid eating, drinking and gum chewing when answering calls. Smile and extend a friendly greeting to the caller. Identify both the company and yourself in a clear, articulate manner. Ask for the caller's name and for permission to use it. The customer should never be exposed on their end to what is happening on your end. A bad mood, heavy traffic, a reprimand from the boss, etc. should be left behind when answering the phone. Listen carefully and give the caller complete attention. Take notes so that you can fully understand the situation. Speak in the affirmative and make every attempt to satisfy the customer. However, don't promise anything that can't be delivered. Rather than have a customer suffer through an interminably long hold time, take the customer's number and call back when you have the problem solved. If you must place the caller on hold, explain why. Check back frequently with progress reports, and ask if they can continue to hold. If you must transfer the call, apprise the other department of the situation so the customer doesn't have to reiterate the reason for the call. Be friendly and helpful. Remember that the customer is the reason you have a job. At the end of the conversation, summarize the situation to the caller to ensure that you have understood the information correctly, and review the actions that you will take on your end. Make all pertinent notations in the customer's record so future calls are more expedient. Accessibility is another component of good telephone support. A toll-free number that is staffed around the clock is ideal for a Web-based business because it is able to service any customer in any time zone.