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When Your Customers Come Calling The Art of Exceptional Telephone Manners

Part 1 of 5: Why Telephone Manners are Important

There's no doubt that more business has been lost because of poor service and poor treatment than because of poor product. Yet, it doesn't take any extra time or money to treat people with grace and courtesy, and in many industries, especially insurance, quality of service is one of the few variables that can distinguish a business from its competition. This first of five articles explains why good manners make good business.

According to IIABA Future One research, price is not the only reason your customers might decide to take their business to another agency. For example, of the surveyed personal lines customers who switched:

37% wanted an agent who was more interested in their needs;
27% wanted a friendlier agent or agency staff;
20% wanted quicker service and problem solving.

That adds up to an overwhelming 84% who switched agencies over customer service issues and only 16% who switched for other reasons such as price and coverage.

There's no doubt that more business has been lost because of poor service and poor treatment than because of poor product. Yet, it doesn't take any extra time-or money-to treat people with grace and courtesy and in many industries, especially insurance, quality of service is one of the few variables that can distinguish a business from its competition.

So what does this have to do with how your agency uses the telephone? Plenty. According to a survey by Communication Briefings, a business communications research and publishing company in Alexandria, Virginia, a startling 82% of businesspeople say the way a phone is answered influences their opinion of the company "a lot."

Think about how many telephone calls your agency receives. It's not out of the question for an average-size agency to answer the telephone 15,000 times a year. An agency with 30 to 40 people on staff could conceivably get 50,000 calls. And every one of those calls created some kind of impression. There's no getting around the fact that much of your agency's customer relations is created over the telephone.

Does your phone sometimes ring and ring before it's finally answered? Is your receptionist friendly and does she enjoy her job? Does the rest of the staff let her know when they are out of the office, when they cannot take calls, when they will be coming in late or leaving early? Does your agency use an automated answering system that saves you time but drives your customers crazy?

Most importantly, would you feel comfortable asking some of your friends or business associates to call your agency with a problem or a request and report back to you on the impression they received?

Cultivating a professional telephone manner is not difficult, but it does take a concerted effort. It takes a commitment from both management and staff and requires a set of specific written guidelines. It's more involved than simply telling everyone to "be nice" on the telephone, because as logical as good telephone manners might seem, we're not always aware of our customers' sensibilities. The telephone, when used incorrectly, can actually create remoteness and detachment without us realizing it. And rare is the businessperson who doesn't have at least one bad telephone habit they need to break.

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This article was provided by Judi Newman of Phaze II Consulting, Inc. publisher of the Master Agency Manager (MAM). The Master Agency Manager is a one of a kind resource for virtually all aspects of managing an independent insurance agency. It is intended to serve as a guide to basic managerial techniques essential to any organization, and contains information on a wide range of general management issues. In addition, it also serves as a source of information on specialized topics directly related to the operation of an independent agency. Emphasis throughout MAM is on the "how" of management practices, as opposed to the "why."

Make MAM a habit by making MAM the first place you look when confronting an agency problem or beginning a new project.

For more information on the Master Agency Manager, contact Judi Newman at 1-800-222-8716 or via email at judinewman@aol.com to learn about this valuable management resource.