Situations can arise when a caller has to be put on hold and then things can really frustrating because nobody really likes to be put on hold. This is a common occurrence at offices that receive heavy traffic during the peak business hours. Callers have to be randomly put on hold as all the representatives are busy taking other calls. The calls are automatically put in queue and are forwarded to the representatives as and when they are free from the other calls. Since, you do now wish to irritate or frustrate the waiting callers, so you can play some music or company related information while keeping the caller on hold. This will take away some frustration as the soothing music might have a calming effect on the callers. Here is a list of few do’s and don’ts when it comes to professionally putting a caller on hold.
Call Hold Do’s
It is imperative that the caller is greeted with a polite greeting or you can even use the standard greeting of your company. This way the caller feels welcome to your company.
You need to wait for the pause in conversation to inform the caller that you are putting their call on hold. Never interrupt the customer during the call.
You should also explain clearly as to why you are putting the call on hold. The customer should understand the reason for being placed on hold as well as expected time frame for pickup if it will be an extended hold time.
You also have to inform them in a polite manner that you will be returning back to them within a minute
You also need to apologize to the caller for the inconvenience and also thank them for bearing with the delay. This makes the caller feel comfortable and expect professional service.
It is important that you take the personal number of the caller so that you can call them back in case of a longer delay or if you need to again put them on hold
If you could address the caller by his/her name them it will add a personal touch to the call. The customer will feel as though they are important.
Call Hold Don’ts
It is not at all proper to interrupt a call in between so that you can put it on hold
Leaving the caller on hold for more than a minute can frustrate the customers. Be sure to keep track of hold times and get back with the caller if the wait time is going to be considerable. Let the caller know that you remember they are on hold and are trying to locate the person of interest.
It is also not advisable to put a call on hold multiple times during a conversation. This can be frustrating to the caller and make them feel unimportant. Be sure to find the information needed quickly so the caller does not become frustrated or angered.
You always need to be the first one to call back the customer than the other way round
Your customer can be rude but you cannot afford to do so. If a customer does become rude or disgruntled, handle it calmly. You want the customer to know that you understand their frustrations and are only here to help. Never yell back or upset the customer. Keep your cool so they can calm down and get back to normal.
Following the above do’s and don’ts for putting a caller on hold can help you ease your customer’s nerves and at the same time present a professional service to them.
Leave A Comment