Business Telephony 101

Wife Gail and I are living in the midst of total chaos. We decided to move from Huntsville, AL, to Asheville, NC, to be closer to her parents. We figured this would be a leisurely process of some months. The real estate lady said it typically takes about three months to sell a house in Huntsville; we put ours on the market in early November. It sold in five days flat. The buyer gave us until the end of November to vacate the premises. Our leisurely move became a frenetic and total panic. Our mover is an old customer with whom we have dealt for more than fifteen years. They have done a great job for us. The truck is packed and ready to go. No problem. Well, almost no problem. Yesterday our “Moving Coordinator†called. She spoke clearly, distinctly, pleasantly, and in a very businesslike fashion. Then, when she got to the end, she asked me to please call her at %^&*@#!)^*. Her voice dropped, she sped up to an impossible pace, and I couldn’t get the number jotted down fast enough. I had to call back and listen to that message two more times before I got the number and extension right. Then I called he number. Nobody answered and no machine came on to take a message. I hereby offer, free of charge, the following rule for minimum—repeat, minimum—business telephone usage. This should be taught to and required of every person in your company. When you are leaving your number, always slow down, raise your voice, speak distinctly, and repeat the number. Always repeat the number. Here’s another idea. Find someone who does not know your business at all. Ask them to call your phone and report how the phone was answered. Chances are you will be surprised. Often, the caller cannot even determine the name of your business by the initial response. Train your people to answer distinctly, then use mystery callers to keep employees on their toes. There are many more rules, but they are simple, easy to train and monitor, and pay big dividends.