First Impressions & Phone Manners
By: T.J. Tedesco
For: High Volume Printing
Published: April, 2000

I’m writing the second draft of this column while traveling on the 5:42AM Amtrak train from Washington, DC to Philadelphia. 

At this hour, all I want is a fresh cup of coffee.  When I boarded the train, I walked back to the café car but found it closed.  The attendant told me she would make an announcement in a few minutes.  A half hour later, without hearing anything over the PA system, I groggily returned and found her open for business.  When I mentioned that I didn’t hear an announcement, she hastily replied, “It happened – I did it myself.”  Two conductors overheard us and volunteered that they hadn’t hear the announcement either.  Disregarding our input, she said that she had done her job.  Disregarding her input, I left her without a tip.

People care about effort and results.  When something goes wrong, they want to know that they’ve been heard.  I didn’t really care that I waited a few extra minutes for a cup of coffee, but I started to care when she told me I was wrong.  In my mind, it was possible that I didn’t hear the announcement, but when two other people corroborated my story, she should have said, “Thanks, I’ll look into it.”  Consider the people on the frontlines of customer service at your company.  Are they willing to take feedback and make things right?  Or, do they dig in their heels and stake out non-defendable positions?

It doesn’t take much to turn off customers these days.  Like the National Football League, the printing industry seems to be trending toward parity with each passing year.  Printers that have won “top-of-mind” market position in a few niches usually are the ones that are the most successful.  But even niche leaders seem to have more competition than in the past.  Great looking products and kept promises once guaranteed success, but no longer.  Now business has to “feel” right – and it certainly won’t if your people have poor customer service and listening skills.

Phone Manners

Most clichés contain an element of truth.  Consider the statement, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.”  First impressions can be made either in person, or over the phone.  The graphic arts industry is ripe with customer service people who don’t return phone calls promptly and receptionists who chew gum, eat or take too long to answer the phone.  Even if people do their jobs competently, poor phone manners will cast a pall over the entire business relationship.  In this competitive environment, in which customers will leave at a drop of a hat, great customer service and phone manners are musts.

Do an experiment.  Invest a few minutes twice a day for a week and listen to phone conversations around your office.  You may be surprised at what you hear.  I travel all around the country and visit a lot of graphic arts companies each year.  Unfortunately, many have chronic phone manner problems.  It’s not that their people are intentionally rude; it’s more that they’re just sloppy.  No one is arguing for scripting or phony pleasantries, but what’s the harm in doing better? 

The Basics

Encourage your receptionists to:

• Pick up the phone on as few rings as possible, preferably the first.  People make inferences about a company’s customer service from little things.  The speed at which phones are answered and messages are returned is very important.  These days, speed is the basis of many successful selling propositions.

• Say, “Good morning (or afternoon/evening).”  It’s polite and good manners.

• Identify your company.  When you make a call, it’s reassuring to hear the answering person identify the company to confirm that you’ve actually reached your intended number.  Some multitasking print buyers dial phone numbers while doing other things and forget whom they’ve just called.  Help them out.

• Say something like “Jane speaking.”  People should identify themselves when answering the phone.  Our society is anonymous enough – you shouldn’t be.  Think of how you drive in your own neighborhood.  You’re on your best behavior right?  Making a mistake around friends and neighbors is different than among strangers.  If your people establish a personal rapport with your customers (even if only over the phone), they are more likely to be given additional chances during stressful situations.  Phone manners do have consequences for the top and bottom lines.

It will take about two seconds to say, “Good morning.  XYZ Company.  Charlie speaking” – go ahead and time it.  Depending on your receptionist, consider adding another line, “How may I help?” or, “How may I direct your call?”  As in advertising, this is the “call to action” and demonstrates a willingness to serve.

An Example Of It Being Done Right

It’s very important to establish relationships with people, even if you never meet them in person.  For years, I’ve used a company in Houston to handle most of my clients’ electronic communication needs.  Even though we’ve had our share of problems, Mary’s service department is so pleasant and helpful in stressful situations that I wouldn’t dream of taking my business elsewhere.  It’s unlikely that I’ll ever meet any of them in person, but this doesn’t matter.  They clearly get the concept of customer service … and my business.

Conversely, I use a lot of different web hosting companies and am frequently disappointed.  The speed at which people come and go in this volatile industry makes me feel like I’m dealing with commodity suppliers.  How similar is this to the printing industry?  In your push to streamline your operations, are you turning your people into interchangeable components?  Or, are you allowing them to be like Mary, capable of creating irresistible customer relationships and weathering a few bumps in the road?

The graphic arts industry is no different.  I have seen companies do all the little things right – like answer the phone in a friendly and courteous manner and work with customers to solve problems, regardless of origin.  I have also seen companies depersonalize their relationships with their customers in the name of efficiency.  Guess which ones do better?

A few years ago, I received a phone call from a web printer that wanted me to help stem the flow of defecting customers.  Even though the owner was a likeable guy, he failed to properly train his people on the frontlines.  I quickly realized that this was one company to avoid.  I have never seen a receptionist chew so much gum while answering the phone.  Slurping and smacking noises were clearly audible.  Even worse, this company answered the phone by saying their phone number.  When questioned about this unfriendly practice, I was told that trade printers need to protect their identity.  This argument made no sense to me and I didn’t accept the assignment.  (PS. This company no longer exists.)

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We in the printing industry are living in the dog days of consolidation, a shortage of qualified workers, and an ever-increasing emphasis on internal efficiencies to fuel profits.  It’s vital to do the little things right.  Start by answering the phone properly.  I once was at a company that answered their phone by saying: “It’s a great day at B___ Corp.”  This may seem like overkill, but the politeness was overwhelming.  This company grew from four people to more than fifty, in six short years.  I’m not surprised.  The Amtrak café attendant?  I guess I’m not surprised either.

T.J. Tedesco is a “hands-on” marketing, sales, coaching and training consultant to the post press industry. He is the author of Binding, Finishing & Mailing: The Final Word, and Win Top-of-Mind Positioning, both published by GATFPress and available at Amazon.com. T.J. can be reached at (301) 294-9900 or tj@growsales.com.