Looking for a new way to create great experiences for your customers and coworkers, and maybe even give them something they don’t know they want? Look no further than these three letters: F Y I.
When your caller doesn’t provide enough information for a message, you can still be helpful by passing along what you do know, even if all you know is that you don’t know much! We call these FYI messages, and they’re great for keeping the lines of communication open.
Here are a few instances when an FYI can save the day:
“Thanks but no thanks. I’ll call back.”
Any time you offer to take a message and the caller would rather call back, why not send one anyway? An FYI message may be all your coworker needs to move forward with helping that person. If you have a name, great! If you have the number or caller ID, double great! Now all your FYI needs is a helpful note. She declined to leave a message and said she’ll try again later. Just think, if this were a potential new client, your coworker could return the call and save that sale before the caller finds another company to do business with.
“I’ll leave it on the voicemail.”
People don’t usually have the bandwidth to constantly check their voicemail, so if you know your teammate has one waiting, give them a heads up. Forward whatever info the caller gave you just in case they don’t leave it on the machine. Mary said she would like to speak with you before tomorrow’s meeting. I transferred her to your voicemail. A voicemail combined with a written notification is the 1-2 punch of messages!
“Maybe you can help me.”
Say Jane calls to speak with John. She has questions, and when John is unavailable you find that you’re able to answer them for her. Leave John a note saying so! Jane asked about pricing, which I provided. She’s all set! No need to return her call. He will certainly appreciate hearing that his caller was taken care of. His customer has the info she was looking for, John is in the loop, and you’ve been attentive and helpful to everyone involved.
FYIs are exactly that – For Your Information – and when it comes to messages there’s no such thing as too much of it!
