Guests might call your establishment with a variety of questions, remarks or whatever they might want to get off their chests. A few standard rules should apply when the phone rings, your company might also already have a policy in place and of course we have etiquette‘s.
However there are a few rules which you should keep in mind:
-
Answer the call within three rings.
-
Immediately introduce yourself and your company.
-
Speak clearly with a polite tone of voice.
-
Only use speakerphone when absolutely
-
Actively listen and be ready to take notes.
-
Use proper language.
-
Remain cheerful.
-
Ask or explain before putting someone on hold or transferring a call.
-
Be honest if you do not know the answer, let them know you will dig into it and contact them again. Write down a name and phone number with a time table on when to contact them. Possibly it could be answered by email, make sure you have the correct address. Ask which method the guest prefers.
-
Be mindful of your volume, especially when the phone is located around patrons.
Having a company telephone is a MUST, with it come some things to think about:
-
Only use a voicemail if your company is ready to check and listen to messages daily.
-
Choose a neutral ringtone and have the volume of the ring as low as possible.
-
Place the phone in a logical spot, where employees can easily take notes.
-
Managers on duty might need a mobile phone where the company phone can be transferred to.
Personal note:
For some reason people tend to call during busy hours, and that’s annoying. ‘Normal’ people just think like this: ‘At 12 it’s lunchtime, so the restaurant must be open. So the best time to call is at noon.’ When working in most other professions, you don’t really care when the phone rings, you just drop what you’re doing and focus on the phone for a minute.
What a perfect life it would be… We don’t have this luxury during rush hour, since we already have a million things to do. I believe every business should have a logical phone policy. Transfer the phone line to someone working at the office during busy hours, or have a voicemail answering your phone. Perhaps communicate a special ‘alarm-number’ in your voicemail for very urgent matters which need to be handled right away, such as reservations or staff-related emergencies. Most other bullshit people feel is very important, usually isn’t and can wait till more quiet hours.
Sincerely,
Den The Man