You’re on the phone so much, you know the best ways to handle it. Unfortunately, all that phone time also leaves you more opportunities to commit the worst phone blunders.
Here are the most common blunders cited by business expert Joy Fisher-Sykes – and the best ways to avoid them:
- Failing to call back. You might not make a call back because you don’t have the info customers need. But an update of, “I’m waiting on …” is better than no call.
- Untimely voice mail. Avoid letting your voice mail box fill to capacity so it won’t accept messages. Also, update the outgoing message (so the message that you’re on vacation isn’t there weeks after you’re back at work.)
- Hanging up before customers. Listen for them to hang up so you don’t miss any last second requests.
- Abusing the speaker phone. Use it sparingly. If you need both hands free, invest in a headset. When you do use the speaker, let others on the other end know when they’re on it. Also, avoid using it when others around you can hear.
