Tips for Telephone Tuesday

The day after Labor Day is Telephone Tuesday. Telephone Tuesday is a busy day at hospitals, offices, schools, and other workplaces. It is a day when the telephone rings every ten minutes non- stop. Some callers are frustrated, angry, and might complain, especially if they are on call waiting. Other callers wait patiently or call back later. 

Although Telephone Tuesday is an unofficial holiday, it is necessary to practice telephone courtesy etiquette. Often customers, patients, and parents leave businesses because of rudeness, lack of courtesy, and angry receptionists. It is recommended to train all employees to answer telephones with kindness. Furthermore, depending on the type of business or organization, receptionists must not laugh too much with their customers. As well as not being too friendly with them. 

Depending on the workplace, one must have boundaries with their customers, patients, and other callers. Do not get too personal if you ask them ordinary questions. Additionally, do not gossip either. Yet, be polite, courteous, and kind. Be aware that the caller might have frustrations and might be angry if nothing has been solved with their medical billing or other payments. 

It is recommended to be careful with your tone of voice. Often customers, patients, and callers can sense work tension through the receptionist's voice. Do not leave a caller waiting for more than two minutes on call waiting. Moreover, if your business has chatbots, an interactive voice response system, and virtual assistants can help lessen high call volume. Make a schedule to have more employees to answer multiple calls during high call volume.

Another tip is to keep track of high-volume calls without skipping lunch. Often receptionists must skip lunch if there are not enough employees to answer the telephone during high call volume. Similarly, receptionists skip restroom breaks which makes it difficult to do their jobs. It is necessary to take care of one's physical and mental health as a receptionist. Ask another receptionist to take over so you can have a restroom or lunch break. 

Telephone Tuesday is a stressful day for receptionists and for any employee answering telephones at work. However, Telephone Tuesday can also apply at home because of so many calls after Labor Day. It is estimated that after a holiday, businesses, organizations, and institutions receive thirty to sixty calls that same day. Be careful when taking messages for your boss, CEO, CPA, and other employees with high rank titles. Make sure telephone numbers and other details of the conversation are correct. 

Practice phone etiquette at home and at work. Understand and get to know your callers without being too friendly. Do not be sarcastic and mean. Another tip is not to make jokes especially if you are working for a serious, respectful, and highly reputable company. Remember that receptionists are the first impressions that patients, customers, students, and other people speak to. 

Therefore, it is necessary that all employees are trained to answer telephones, especially if they are receptionists. If there is not enough training in answering telephones, it will be difficult to help customers, patients, students, and other callers. Also, practice patience and courtesy with callers that need information to be repeated to them. Do not ban callers because of their age, hard of hearing, or disability. Unfortunately, some bosses with authority make receptionists discriminate and ban callers in some businesses. 

Based on my past experiences as a receptionist, it is best to avoid these working environments. Dedicate some time to self-improve yourself as a receptionist. If you do not agree with your workplace policy, guidelines, and rules from your boss; Seek a better job that you can tolerate their policy and without discriminating callers. Furthermore, if your values do not coincide with workplace values; It can be tough working in an uncomfortable workplace. Last, be yourself when answering telephone calls. 

Some callers abandon calls from businesses, organizations, and institutions for many factors; Yet ineffective communication is one of the reasons for not calling again. Misunderstandings, misinterpreted, and unclear messages given by the receptionist can make it worse to help the caller. Therefore, as a receptionist, it is crucial to pay attention, to stay awake, and listen carefully to the caller. Do not participate in repeating inappropriate words because of a frustrated customer, patient, or other caller. Here are websites for telephone etiquette and tips for Telephone Tuesday. 

 

Teaching Phone Etiquette to Middle School Students: Activities and Discussions:

Teaching Phone Etiquette to Middle School Students: Activities and Discussions

Phone Etiquette for Business Calls-Mitel:

Phone Etiquette for Business Calls-Mitel

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