How many questions are your customers asked when they call your company? Does your receptionist have a checklist of queries for each caller? The first few moments of a phone call can create an impression for a first-time callers, and make a longtime client feel appreciated…or slighted. Your receptionist’s call screening style is an important customer touchpoint. Here are a few things to consider about different screening options:
Ask several questions of every caller.
Although it can be tempting to have your receptionist collect specific information from every caller before offering calls to you, this screening style is likely to backfire. Your receptionist might not recognize all of your frequent callers by name, but those callers know you well, and if theyโre asked the same three questions each time they try to reach you, the forecast calls for annoyance: โIโve given you my email address seven times; why do you need it again? Can’t I just talk to Kevin?โ
Ask specific questions for specific types of callers.
With this option, your receptionistย may, for example,ย gather certain information from current clients and other information from potential new customers. But when a call is ultimately going to be transferred to an expert โ salespeople, teach team members for support concerns, etc. โ it might be worth it to have the pros ask the bulk of the questions rather than your receptionist. Consider this: Do you needย all of theย information up front in order to best serve your callers? If not, ask your receptionist to skip screening questions. Getting callers to the right place pronto lets them know how important they are to your company:
Caller: Hello! I’m fighting a traffic ticket andย am looking forย representation.
Receptionist:ย I would be happy to see if the attorney is available to speak with you about your ticket. May I have your name?
Caller: My name is Tim Calhoun.
Receptionist: Thank you, Tim! One moment, please.
If the other party isn’t available, you can always have your receptionist ask additional screening questions in the message. That way, your potential client will stillย feel invested in your business.
Keep it simple.
The beautyย of usingย one simple screening question like โMay I ask who is calling?โ is that callers will typically give your receptionist all the information youโll need. First-time callers or folks who donโt call often will generally volunteer a bit more info (โThis isย Jane with XYZ Company. I met him last week at the seminar.โ), while frequent callers or family members might identify themselves succinctly to your receptionist, knowing youโll recognize them (โThis is his brother,โ โThis is Kelly,โ etc.). If you find the info a caller volunteers isn’t sufficient, your receptionist can always bounce back and gather a bit more information before connecting a call to you: โThank you for your patience, Kelly! May I ask what this is regarding?โ
Bottom line: less is usuallyย more when it comes to screening questions. When possible, keep your screening style simple and familiar,ย and this touchpoint is sure to be a pleasant one for your callers!
