Understanding what someone is saying on the phone fosters a productive conversation and helps to prevent a conversation filled with tension.

When your clients need something, they want to talk to a person, not a machine. A machine can be appropriate in some circumstances, can direct calls to the proper places and take messages, but an actual person answering the phone can do so much more!

Chewing gum, drinking a beverage, or eating a snack during a call is a no-no. It can prevent you from speaking clearly, prevent you from hearing what the caller is saying, can be irritating to the caller and can even convey an unprofessional image of your business.

Last week I attended the 2016 NAEO (National Amtelco Equipment Owners) Annual Conference. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: “It never ceases to amaze me how helpful and willing to share knowledge the people in this industry are!” So to keep in the spirit of the organization, here’s a summary of my experiences this trip!

A large portion of a business’s success is dependent on phone calls it is receiving. These phone calls are necessary not only for communication between you and current clients, but for the procurement of new customers. When handled well, calls can ensure that your clients are satisfied and dedicated to using your services.

The National Amtelco Equipment Owner's (NAEO) annual conference starts next week and it got me thinking about what specifically I look forward to. There are so many things I had a hard time narrowing it down, but these are probably my top 10 reasons/benefits (in no particular order):

When the conversation is completed, what should you do? As with most things, finishing a conversation on the right note can create lasting positivity and a satisfied customer.

If you smile while talking on the phone, and no one is around to see it, does it make a sound?
It might sound cliche, but it does! Smiling while talking on the phone might not be seen, but it is definitely heard.

People often think that customer service is only about fixing things and solving issues but that's not the whole story. The real goal of customer service is providing a positive experience.

Do you remember the game in school where the teacher whispered a message to a student, and then it was passed around the room from one student to another? By the time the last student spoke the message aloud it was completely changed.

Don't let other people or things distract you while speaking with a caller. When you pick up the phone while you're eating, writing an email or reading a text message, don't kid yourself the person on the other end knows they don't have your full attention.

It is easy to communicate with anyone at any time of the day. Smartphones make everyone available at all hours. Even so, not all old forms of communication have become obsolete.

Pretend that you aren't talking to only the client, but to an audience that is watching the interaction. This is also important when interacting with your clients online, you never know who's watching.

It’s that time of year again for many people: time to make resolutions and set goals for the upcoming year!

Customer service is not an easy job. Sometimes your customers will be angry with you, need extra attention to understand things and sometimes things will simply be difficult.

If you need to transfer a caller, make sure to get their contact info just in case the call is disconnected. You've probably heard Call Centre Customer Service Representatives (CSRs) say this phrase "In case we get disconnected..."

Your after hours callers are just as important as those who call during office hours.

During the last month while travelling with my co-worker Jessica for courses, we've talked about winter driving a couple of times because she’s getting prepared to trade in her Irish drivers license for a Canadian one!

Avoid using 'cheers', 'uh-huh', 'mate', 'yeah', 'um' etc. Keep it friendly but business-like; you are speaking to a business contact not your drinking buddy.