Phone greetings may seem menial, but they can make or break your customer service interactions over the phone. The way you answer the phone and greet your callers sets the tone for the rest of the interaction, making it an important cornerstone of your customer service strategy. If you’re having trouble coming up with phone greetings that engage callers, this post will outline 4 ready-to-use greetings that you can start using right away to better engage your callers.
Before we get into that, let’s take a look at the anatomy of a professional, engaging phone greeting. Phone greetings that engage callers are typically made up of at least 3 core components:
- The company name
- The name of the person answering
- A polite inquiry (How are you today? or How can I help you?)
If these core components are in place, it’s hard to go wrong. However, one exception is the tone of voice you use when greeting a caller. Even if you go down the list and offer your company name, your name, and a polite inquiry, if you’re speaking in a rushed or monotone voice, you’ll lose your chance to engage your caller.
It’s so important to speak in a friendly, calm tone of voice on the phone. Without facial and body language cues, your voice is the only thing that can truly convey your feelings toward the customer – the last thing you want to do is make it seem as though your customer is annoying or bothering you!
One more quick tip – if you smile when you speak to customers on the phone, it goes a long way. Not only does having a smile on your face lift your own mood, it’s also apparent to callers. Studies have shown that callers can easily identify when someone is smiling while speaking on the phone; the muscles used to smile create small but noticeable changes in your vocal inflection. Callers love knowing that you’re happy to help them, and that’s the best way to start engaging your callers.
4 Ready-to-Use Phone Greetings That Engage Callers
These greetings are in order from the least formal to the most formal. Use your discretion in determining which greeting(s) would be appropriate for your business.
Remember: Greetings that are used for specialty phone lines, such as customer service or a help desk, should reflect that in their content. Some of the greetings below may not be appropriate for those situations and can sound forced if used in the wrong context.
1. This is [NAME] at [COMPANY], thanks for calling! What can I do for you?
This is the least formal phone greeting on this list. It’s just right for most B2C companies and is best delivered in a cheerful, positive tone of voice. Don’t forget to smile!
2. Good [TIME OF DAY]! Thanks for calling [COMPANY]. I’m [NAME], how can I help you?
A bit more formal because of the addition of Good morning/good afternoon/good evening, still kept informal by using ‘thanks’ and ‘I’m’ instead of ‘Thank you’ and ‘My name is.’ It’s a good choice for most B2C or B2B companies.
3. You’ve reached [COMPANY], this is [NAME], how may I help you today?
Drop the mention of the time of day and replace it with the more professional “You’ve reached” to up the formality on this phone greeting. Replace the can with may in how may I help you today, and you’re set. This greeting is appropriate for any business, B2C or B2B.
4. Thank you for calling [COMPANY]. My name is [NAME], how may I assist you?
Finally, the most formal greeting on this list replaces “help” with “assist” and thanks the caller for getting in touch with your company. It’s not overly cheerful and manages to remain more neutral, but if delivered in a positive, friendly tone of voice, it goes a long way in engaging callers.
Phone greetings that engage callers are polite, informative, and above all, professional. They tell your callers that they’ve reached the right company, give them a solid point of contact in case the call is disconnected or they need to reference the call later, and offers a polite inquiry that shows you’re ready to help the customer right away. Phone greetings that engage callers can start your customer service interactions off on the right foot and ensure you have better customer relations – start using one of these ready-to-use phone greetings that engage callers today!
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