Customer Service on the Phone

The Basic Call Flow

What is Call Flow?

Call flow is the path a conversation follows. It’s how a conversation is handled. A good call flow will:

• Lead to the best experience for your prospective customers. • Ensure all important details are covered. • Keeps the conversation on track.

The best call flow method is known as GIFT.

What is Call Flow?

When we think of it. There isn’t much difference between the flow of speaking with a prospect on the phone and one who comes into the office for a consultation. How the interaction is handled has an influence on the overall experience for the prospect. We want this to be positive, as we are committed to providing a high quality customer experience to everyone. The process we use for speaking with our prospects and clients over the phone, and in person, contributes to providing a positive experience. Strong call flow is a habit that only takes practice to develop. When it comes to speaking with a prospect on the phone, the best technique for customer service calls is through the GIFT method.

Give Your Prospect a GIFT

1. Greeting

2. Identify the need

3. Frame the conclusion

4. Take Action

5. Closing the Call

Give Your Prospect a GIFT

GIFT is a call flow technique that is used among the largest and best call centers in the United States, and probably the world. It’s a flow that works and is proven to generate better performance from representatives. No call is ever set in stone. There is always a human factor in customer service that changes the direction a call is going. Using GIFT as a guideline helps keep the call on track. It can be used as a sort of checklist to make sure all of the important information is obtained and covered.

The Greeting and the SEM Prompt

Stands for Search Engine Marketing. The prospect finds AlphaGraphics on the internet and dials a toll-free number. Each SEM call opens with a Whisper Prompt. This lets you know the call came through the toll-free system. Take the time to become familiar with this. Greetings are cut short if given during the prompt.

The Greeting and the SEM Prompt Before we go into detail of the Greeting part of GIFT, we need to touch base on the SEM prompt. Depending upon your organization, each SEM routed call begins with a whisper prompt. This is put in place to let you know the caller dialed a toll-free number that is found on the internet. While you, the representative hear the prompt, the prospect is hearing a ringing phone. Speaking during the whisper prompt will cause your greeting to be cut short, or even cut out completely, for the prospect. We highly recommend taking some time to become familiar with the SEM prompt. If you feel comfortable with not receiving the whisper prompt, we are able to disable it for you. You also have the option of having the caller id display the incoming phone number rather than the SEM line. Please let us know if you are having issues with either of these.

The Greeting

• Open with a proper and professional greeting.

• Company Name.

• Reassure the prospect has called the correct company.

• Representative Name.

• People like to know who they are speaking with.

• Offer to assist.

• People call because they need help.

The Greeting

Opening a call with a professional greeting is very important. This is the first impression the prospect has of the company. Each caller needs to know where he/she is calling, and who is speaking on the phone. Providing the company name allows the caller to know the correct company has been called. Giving your name allows the prospect to know that a real human is on the other end of the call. Always offer to help the caller. You wouldn’t be picking up the phone if someone didn’t need help. Let the prospect know you are here for them.

The Greeting

Examples: “Thank you for calling Alphagraphics. My name is (Theresa). How can I help you?” “My name is (Theresa) with Alphagraphics. How can I help you today?” Explore the options and develop your own! As a location, you can “brand” your greeting in your own way. While each of the three points does not have to be in a specific order, each is important. At some time in the call, thank the prospect for calling. Make your greeting your own. Keep it positive, and HAVE FUN!

Identify the Need

• Ask questions.

• Identify the project specs.

Item Page Count

Material/Stock Binding

Colors Quantity

Size Production need

Identify the Need

This is probably the largest part of a call. During this time, the prospect will tell you what they are looking for. There are some ways to make this a positive experience for the prospect, and make it easier for you to understand them. Make sure you take all of the known project specs.

Identify the Need

Ask clarifying questions: Not all prospects know everything there is to know about printing; use phrases that explain the terminology. Examples: “Do the colors run to the edge of the page?” “Would you like your brochure to fold in two, three or four parts?”

Identify the Need

Not every prospect will know exactly what he or she wants. Taking the time to ask questions about their needs is something the prospect will appreciate you for. Go ahead and ask what the business cards or postcards are being used for. This helps you put the project into perspective for their needs. It is perfectly acceptable to define print terminology in an educating way, while asking questions about the project. While we know what bleeds on a postcard are, your prospect may not. Defining bleeds is completely acceptable. Your prospect may have a vague visual idea of how they want the brochure to look in the end, but he or she may not understand the different types of folds.

Frame the Need

• You can also call this a Re-cap.

• This is a good time to make sure all the bases are covered.

• Take the time to go through all the project specs.

• Ensure all needs are met.

• Also known as Cross-selling.

• Gather the prospect's contact information.

Frame the Need

Framing the need is also called re-capping. The Customer Service Whiz who came up with GIFT probably thought GIRT didn’t sound as good. This is a good time to summarize the project to be quoted; and to take the time to ensure all of the related needs are met. Take the time to ask if addressing and mailing services are needed for their postcards. Perhaps the prospect ordering business cards has not yet thought about letterhead or envelopes. This is a good time to bring this up. You will want to gather your prospect’s contact information: including the name, and phone number; and an email address for a written copy of the quote. Be sure to collect all of the information required for your location’s estimating software.

Take Action

• Offer the quote.

• Make sure you have the preferred communication method.

• Provide a time frame for the quote to be finished and delivered.

• Set the completion time for the project.

Take Action If you haven’t already let your prospect know prices are provided on a custom request basis, this is a great time to do it. Offer to provide a quote; and use the preferred method of communication for your prospect. The prospect called for information. It is only appropriate to meet the communication needs of your prospect. Not everyone wants to conduct all their business by email. Doing this demonstrates that you are willing to take the extra step to work with them.

Some locations only provide quotes by email. This is perfectly understandable for preventing misunderstanding and providing a written quote. In addition to sending a quote by email, offer to call the prospect.

There are two important expectations that need to be set before a call ends. Your prospect needs to know when a quote should be delivered, and what the production time should be. If you haven’t already discussed completion with your prospect, make sure you do it now.

The best practice for delivering a quote is within the same business day. If this is not able to be met, inform your prospect of the situation. Most people will understand.

Close the Call

Take the time to make sure all needs of the prospect have been met.

• Be careful not to end the call too early. • This is a good time to invite your prospect to visit.

Examples:

• “Is there anything else I can help you with today?” • “Have I been able to answer all of your questions?” • “We invite you to come visit us and look at samples.”

Close the Call

The last thing you want to do is hang up the phone too early. You may want to take the time to ask your prospect if there are any other questions. This is also a good time to extend an invitation to your location. You don’t have to use the examples verbatim. Be creative and make your own. Keep it positive and HAVE FUN!

Close the Call

PROVIDE THE LOCAL PHONE NUMBER! • Offer the opportunity to call again locally.

Examples: • “We have a better phone number for you to call if you

have any other questions.” • “I would like to provide you with our direct phone

number.”

Close the Call

I can’t stress enough the need to provide the local phone number. Providing the local phone number has a positive effect on the overall customer experience. Giving your prospect the local phone number offers a direct opportunity to ask questions in the future. Allow the experience to have a local touch. Provide an invitation to do business with your location without the feel of a toll-free call center routing.

Close the Call

Always end with a positive salutation.

“Have a great day!” “We look forward to working with you. Bye.” “Thank you for considering us. Bye.”

Close the Call

In the end, always make sure you are doing everything possible to provide a high quality customer experience. The prospects calling through the SEM toll-free line are new customers, giving them a positive experience will bring them back. While it is commonly known that a bad experience will be talked about among friends and associates (and now the internet) more than positive experiences, we still need to give a positive experience that can be talked about. Use this as a guide to develop a positive experience. There is no such thing as a regular call; there is a human factor in everything. Call flow is more about developing good habits that help the prospect have a better experience. Explore your own options of different methods of saying things. Do your best to never sound automated or robotic.

In Conclusion

• Make the customer experience a positive one.

• Call flow is never set in stone. It’s more of a guideline for keeping things on track.

• Don’t forget to HAVE FUN!

In Conclusion

Use this as a guide to develop a positive experience. There is no such thing as a regular call; there are human changes in just about everything. Call flow is more about developing good habits that help the prospect have a better experience. Explore your own options of different methods of saying things. Several times, I have used the phrase “take the time.” You are never in any rush to keep phone calls short. We don’t measure, let alone care about, the average handle time of calls. In the years I worked in call centers for wireless and internet/mail order retail, I was thanked for taking the time to help a caller, rather than push them off the phone. Taking the time to listen to your prospect’s needs helps determine the best options for the project at hand. Sometimes, there may be a better option than what the prospect was thinking of. Neither of you would have known this if you hadn’t spent the time listening to the prospect. More than likely, the prospect will thank you for it, and recommend others to your location. And last of all, don’t forget to have fun. It makes everything just a little bit better for everyone.