Phone Skills

The phone line(s)

There is no need to answer multiple phone lines in this position. There is one main phone that Dhaval works from, and everyone has an extension to which he can direct the call.

When to pick (or not) pick up the phone

In Dhaval’s position, he doesn’t work with a lot of students. But in his previous work experience, if he was to manage a phone and students coming up to him to ask for help, he has found a way to balance it. If a student is talking about a sensitive matter, then the student comes first. If the caller is talking about a sensitive matter, than the caller is number one priority. If the phone rings, its about what is the highest priority to deal with first, says Dhaval. That is a judgement call that office professionals have to make and they will be able to increase this skill over time.

How to answer the phone

Most of the time, when someone calls Dhaval, their name and extension number will appear on the screen. This means that Dhaval knows where the call is coming from, so he will answer the phone a bit differently than if there is an outside call. If it is an inside call, and he knows the person, he will pick up and say “Dhaval speaking,” but if it is someone who he does not recognize calling or they are calling from outside the college, his greeting is much more formal. He says something to the extent of, “Good morning/Good afternoon, this is Dhaval speaking. How may I help you.”

In other positions Dhaval has worked for, he says standard and professional greetings are always required. It is something that the company you work for will train you for when you get into the position.

When a dissatisfied customer calls

This is not usually the case in Dhaval’s current position, but if there is a dissatisfied caller, he allows them to say their frustrations, and in return tries to be as friendly and helpful as possible. If a manager needs to get involved (if the caller asks for one or if the situation is not being resolved), then a manager can enter into the call. This standard procedure will also be taught at the workplace.

A word of caution with dissatisfied callers. It is important to know when to say “I’m sorry” and “I apologize that you had that experience”. This can be crucial in learning not to place the blame on another co-worker, as well as trying to make the dissatisfied caller feel heard. “I apologize” is used more often then “I’m sorry”, says Dhaval.

Dhaval likes to receive calls to help, rather than being the one to call out. This means that he doesn’t want to bother people with phone calls.

Calls outside of office hours

When Dhaval worked in the office, at the end of the work day, he did not continue to answer messages as the phone was in-office and he was not. This means that every morning, he would check to see what calls he missed. Now that he works from home, and the calls come to his cell phone, he doesn’t usually receive calls after hours. If he does, it is because he has given out his personal number to a manager for contact. This rarely happens.

Voicemail messages

For Dhaval, he started off with changing his voicemail greeting every morning. This would include,” Hello, this is Dhaval. The date is (example: June 24, 2015), and I am unable to answer your call at the moment.” This worked for a bit, but Dhaval realized that in this position, it is not needed. Since there is not a lot of phone calls that come through, Dhaval thought that it was an extra task that was eating up time for something else. He now has a standard voicemail message. This includes, “Hello, this is Dhaval from Facilities Management and Community Services. I am unable to answer your call at the moment, but if you leave your name and contact information, I will get back to you as soon as possible.” This has been his standard voicemail for the last four years.

Long-distance calling

This is a very rare occurrence for Dhaval. If he wants to make a long-distance call, then he has to dial “9” before he types the phone number. If a call comes through, sometimes you won’t know its long-distance until you pick up the call.

Handling multiple types of phone calls

If Dhaval receives a phone call for something not working in the building, he will direct the call to the correct person. If he can assist, he will listen to what the caller says, offer help, and ask if they need anything else. If not, then he says goodbye and have a nice day.

If Dhaval receives a call from outside the College (say the City of London), to book a meeting with a manager, then he will take the caller’s name and information, why they are calling and the purpose of the meeting and and say he will pass the information along to the manager that needs speaking to. This is a task he doesn’t do right away, depending on what the call is about. This message is always relayed to the manager by the next day, and the caller is made aware that it may be the next day when they are contacted.

The phone setup

Dhaval makes sure he is ready for a call, even if they don’t happen often. In office, he likes to have a pen and sticky notes set up by the phone.

If you are in a job that answers phone calls a lot, then there is another option to the sticky notes. This could be a standard form that you fill out with the caller’s name, phone number, time of call, reason for calling, and who to contact.

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The technology

If Dhaval needed to answer phone calls constantly, Fanshawe College would provide him with a cell phone. Since his position does not require a lot of calling, he just uses his personal phone at the moment.

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Learn More!

Click the learn more button to watch a quick YouTube video on phone etiquette and how to become a rockstar at answering the phone! This video is informative, provides clear direction, and even solidifies some of Dhaval's teachings!