
A well-crafted telephone greeting is an easy way to show callers you care. Weโre talking say-a-few-extra-words-and-impress-new-clients easy. A potential customer is likely to make first contact with your business over the phone, and the first words they hear on that initial call can set your company apart from competitors.
Letโs say youโre looking for a plumber. During the first call of your search, youโre met with a gruff, two-word greeting: โBobโs Plumbing.โ You ask a few questions and move on to your next prospective plumber. This time, thereโs no answer โ you reach voicemail, and hang up before the beep. Finally, youโre met with a greeting that gives you a warm, fuzzy feeling: โGood morning! Thank you for calling Jimโs Plumbing. How may I help you today?โ Turns out Jimโs got what you need plumbing-wise, and his friendly greeting has shown he cares about customer service. Your search ends there, and Jim gains a new client in you. Well done, Jim!
If, like Bob’s Plumbing, your company greeting needs a revamp, here are three key elements to include:
- A warm introduction. Begin your companyโs greeting with a welcoming โHello,โ or โThank you for calling.โ If most of your callers are in the same time zone, try adding โGood morning/afternoon.โ Better yet, combine two or three of these friendly options in your greeting. A little courtesy goes a long way!
- Your company name. โHelloโ is a great way to begin a greeting, but falls flat on its own. Usually, a greeting of โHelloโ leads to a first-time caller to say something like โHi! Is this ABC Company?โ Instead of making callers do the work, reassure them by including your company name in your greeting.
- An offer of assistance. Let callers know youโre eager to lend a hand by ending your greeting with a helpful question. โHow may I help you?โ and โHow may I assist you?โ are rock solid. If your receptionist is routing calls rather than answering questions, try โHow may I direct your call?โ If thereโs a question you need to ask of every caller, a greeting is the perfect place to ask it! (โMay I have your account number please?โ) A helpful question is the ideal end to a great greeting. Want to add even more warmth? Encourage your phone answering team to introduce themselves when greeting callers.
When spoken with a smile, these three easy pieces combine to create a stand-out greeting: โGood morning! Thank you for calling Ruby Receptionists. This is Phoebe. How may I help you today?โ Your company will be head and shoulders above the plain โHelloโ crowd when you begin every call with a great greeting!