ShuBee Customer Care

 2007-09-19    

Turn callers into customers

by Maurice Maio

 

Avoid Call Roulette

You have trained your technicians and purchased customer-grabbing yellow page ads. Calls are pouring in. When your call takers answer, is the result like spinning a wheel: sometimes you get a customer, other times just a price shopper, or someone whose business you don't want? Without trained customer service representatives (CSRs) and professional call taking techniques, you may not be winning enough paying customers.

 

Your Cost per Call

The importance of proper call taking is quickly put into perspective when you calculate your cost per call. Simply divide the cost of your advertising by the number of calls you receive. For example, if you spend $50,000 and receive a thousand calls each call you get costs about $50 (a realistic figure). For every caller you don't turn into a customer, you are throwing away $50. The difference between "I'm just shopping for price" and a scheduled service call is slight, so your call takers must shift the odds in your favor.

 

Maio Call Taking System

Following the Maio Call Taking System can give your CSRs what they need to efficiently schedule service calls. The four steps in the system are: greeting the customer, handling objections, gathering information and closing the sale. Let's review some important points in each step.

 

Greeting

Your success in scheduling service appointments begins when the CSR answers. Tell them not to pick the phone up right away. To the customer, that indicates you are sitting around, waiting for calls. Answer after one to two rings. After three rings, the customer may think no one is there. During the greeting process, the person answering the phone should be calm, speak directly into the mouthpiece, use a sincere voice, and smile. People tend to smile when they look in the mirror, so our CSRs use mirrors to see what they look like when taking calls.

 

Do not make your greeting so long that the customer can't follow it. Limit it to the company name and CSR name. For example, "Hello, this is Kathy at XYZ Services, may I help you?"

 

Sometimes, several calls come in at once.

If the telephone rings, and more lines are ringing than the CSR can answer, they must have a reason to put the customer on hold and get to the next line. Then, they should put that call on hold and get back to the first one. Have a list of reasons a CSR can use to put the customer on hold-we have more than a dozen-such as "let me check with dispatch." You never know when that ringing phone is a good customer.

 

CSRs should be trained to speak directly into the mouthpiece, use correct grammar, be brief and listen.

They must follow a script-exactly, but not so it sounds like the CSR is reading it. Be sure a proven one is posted for your CSRs. Radios should never be blaring in the background, nor should customers be subjected to a CSR chewing gum, eating, laughing, or chatting with co-workers. A proper greeting sets the tone for calls, it demonstrates to the customer they are dealing with a professional, reputable company.

 

Handling Objections

Callers want to know quickly the answer to "when?" and "how much?" If your call takers cannot deal with these questions, the caller will give their business to your competition.

 

Respond to "when?" by asking the customer when they would like service.

Don't offer to rush to their home when they don't need service or won't be available at home until tomorrow. Scheduling service when the customer wants it means successfully booking service calls and happy customers.

 

If a caller wants service in 20 or 30 minutes, don't refuse the service call.

CSRs should be trained to schedule the call, then check with dispatch to see what can be arranged. If you have to, call the customer back and tell them there will be a delay. Most customers won't object; they don't realistically expect instant service.

 

Never quote prices over the phone.

You cannot know exactly how much a repair will cost since you cannot see the problem. Don't put your service technician in a position where he confronts the customer with a different price than they were quoted. The service technician is the only person who can determine the price, after analyzing the job.

 

The best way to address a customer's price concern is to have the CSR ask, "What area do you live in?"

This response sidesteps their price question. Customers always answer that question. With the answer, the CSR is back in charge of the call.

 

Next, have the CSR ask the customer what type of problem they have.

Get involved with their problem by asking questions like "How long has it been broken?" Assure them you can get a technician to look at their problem and tell them the cost before any work in started.

 

Ask the next question with the tone that you are certain the customer is the home owner. "And you're the owner?" When speaking with a tenant, ask them if they will pay the bill and then deduct the charges from their rent. We will not bill the landlord without speaking directly with them.

 

A successful call taking system is the only way to turn callers into customers. For more information on professional call taking techniques and to learn about our "Winning with the Telephone" video training program for managers and CSRs, call me at 1.800.344.MAIO.