Business Phone Do's and Don'ts

Curated from Entrepreneur.com

First impressions with new customers are key through in-person, email, and phone communication. The way phones are answered can have a positive or negative impact on a customer.

Interactive Voice Response (IVR) is a common phone system used by many businesses. These systems can complete tasks such as prompting  “yes” or “no” questions, directing callers to the correct department via a menu, taking payments, and more. This allows for customers to easily complete tasks without being transferred back and forth between departments . When used correctly, these systems can be beneficial in making things simpler for both customers and businesses. However, incorrect use or complicating the system can actually drive business away and cause customers to choose competitors due to poor experience.

Here are a few things to keep in mind when setting up an IVR system.

1. Phone Menus

Don’t make the menu too complicated or lengthy. Even if your menu is trying to be helpful by including details on every department, customers in a rush may hang up if they have to listen for too long.

“Try to keep your menu to no more than three to five items. Any more than that and callers will start to feel lost and confused.”

2. ‘Speak to a Person’ Option

Avoid making it difficult for a customer to speak to a human. Automated systems can be convenient, but if there’s a more complicated request or problem, the customer will want to speak to a live person to get assistance.

“Take that complaint off the table by offering a way to quickly and easily get in touch with a representative right away. Don’t make them wade through lists of options to find it.”

3. Represent Your Brand

Choosing a generic voice set up on the IVR won’t create a lasting impression on customers. These can sound dull and may not portray your brand to the caller.

“Remember the IVR is branding your company. Your IVR is your company’s -- and your brand’s -- first impression, so make it a good one. Avoid bland, boring, or confusing language, and make sure you’re using a voice that your customers can relate to and trust.”

4. Keep it Simple

Prompting callers to give too much information before speaking to the correct department can be deterring. This can lead customers to hang up if they are overwhelmed at the beginning of the call.

“Only get the most pertinent information as to not lose the caller, and when in doubt, go back to the first point -- keep it simple.”

5. Get Feedback

Be sure to ask customers for feedback after the call. This can be a simple survey at the end of of the call or a follow-up on another day.

“Devise a plan to have your team ask callers for feedback on your new IVR system. It can be a survey or a simple question -- “What did you think of our answering system?”