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Monitor Phone Calls for Difficult Employees

I called a small-business owner for an interview. I got his name from a trade group that said he would be perfect for my story. Well, he might have been, except for his receptionist. When I called, she said he wasn’t in. She didn’t offer to take a message, but instead, she asked me to call back. She apparently didn’t think the call was important enough to note. I passed on her boss. Some companies pay public relations people a lot of money to get exposure. That company could have gotten it free.

Front-line employees, who deal with your customers wield enormous power. With a poor attitude, they turn off customers and cost you sales. Knowing how valuable calls are, some business owners ask friends and family to call their companies to gauge how employees handle calls. Be sure that your employees are helpful and courteous when customers call. And no one contacting the company during business hours should be instructed to call back. The employees should take a message and someone should return the call.

Make certain you have a policy to deal with workers who are belligerent or dismissive when handling phone calls. That way, a reprimand, transfer, or even dismissal won’t seem arbitrary.