Agent support manual

Call principles

Call principles are the guidelines you should follow for every call you make or receive at Bushland Blooms. Having a set of standard call principles helps our contact centre agents provide a consistent level of service to all of our customers.

Be prepared

The first principle of any call is that you should be prepared to manage the call efficiently, comfortably and professionally. For instance, you should ensure that: bullet point. you are mentally alert and focussed , bullet point. your phone and keyboard are within easy reach , bullet point. your chair is adjusted for comfort , bullet point. your headset is adjusted to suit your requirements , bullet point. you have a pen and paper handy to take notes , bullet point. you have a list of contact numbers handy , bullet point. you have any necessary documentation such as contact guides, customer contact records, or existing customer details.

Standard phrases

Bushland Blooms has standard phrases that agents must use consistently at the beginning and end of each inbound and outbound call. These phrases ensure that Bushland Blooms projects a professional image.

During the call bullet point.

• obtain and use the customer's name , bullet point.

• follow Bushland Blooms policies and procedures, particularly in the areas of privacy and credit checks where you need to adhere to legislation , bullet point.

• follow any contact guide and script provided.

Maintain a dialogue

During a call, it is important to keep your customers informed of what you are doing. This helps to avoid silences where the customer may be unsure if they have your attention, or if you have heard and acknowledge their requests. It also helps to build rapport with your customers.

"Mrs Jones, I am just filling in the order details now. It shouldn't be too long."

If the customer is chatty and you would like to acknowledge them but still want to focus on what you are doing, use minimal responses like "uh huh", "mmm" and "yes".

Outbound calls bullet point.

• tell the customer why you are calling (eg telemarketing campaign, data collection, follow-up call) , bullet point.

• tell the customer how long the call will last , bullet point.

• establish that the customer is available and willing to talk.

 I'm calling to follow up whether you are happy with the reticulation that we installed for you last week. Is this a convenient time to talk - I will only take a few minutes of your time? 

Campaign calls

At Bushland Blooms, our agents are required to conduct campaigns in an efficient and knowledgeable manner. You should familiarise yourself with any campaign brief, contact guide and script(s) provided. Your customers will then feel satisfied that you have handled their call effectively. This, in turn, may lead to increased sales.

Summarise and verify the call details

When closing a call, you need to summarise and verify the call details with your customer to make sure that: bullet point.

• both of you understand and agree on any purchase details and/or other information discussed , bullet point.

• details have been checked and correctly entered into the database.

You can summarise/verify the call details by: bullet point.

• listing what will take place as a result of the call , bullet point.

• confirming the customer's details, such as telephone number and address , bullet point.

• confirming that the customer has understood all the details related to the purchase cost and payment method , bullet point.

• informing the customer of the fulfilment procedures. Gain the customer's agreement to these procedures.

I will place the order for the Formstone bench, and will arrange delivery to 64 Berkeley Close, Marylands, for next Wednesday afternoon. You have agreed to pay the sum of $149.95 on visa card... Is this correct, Mr...?

This will ensure that no errors are made, and the customer can feel confident that they know what is to happen.

Check that the customer is satisfied

Always check that the customer is satisfied with arrangements or actions that will take place as a result of the call.

Are you happy with what we have discussed today?

You can often tell whether the customer is satisfied from positive words such as: bullet point.

• great , bullet point.

• wonderful , bullet point.

• good , bullet point.

• thank you.

The tone of voice can also indicate whether the customer is satisfied or not.

If the customer sounds bullet point. positive , bullet point. happy , bullet point. excited , bullet point. pleased they are likely to be satisfied with the service.

If the customer sounds bullet point. negative , bullet point. angry , bullet point. sarcastic , bullet point. annoyed they are probably not satisfied.

If a customer seems unsatisfied then, if possible, offer them alternative solutions or products. It is important that our customers are satisfied with the service they have received.

Offer further assistance

Before ending the call, ask the customer if they need further assistance. This lets them know you are available if they have any further queries, and may lead to further sales.

Is there anything else I can help you with?

Encourage them to call again in the future if they have any enquiries.

Please do not hesitate to contact us in the future if we can be of any further assistance.

Close the call using Bushland Blooms standard phrasing

Remember, you should ALWAYS: bullet point. make contact as efficiently as possible , bullet point. answer customer queries , bullet point. explain the features and benefits of any product or service , bullet point. escalate the call if appropriate , bullet point. provide a high level of customer service , bullet point. adhere to company policy , bullet point. comply with relevant legislation , bullet point. follow up all agreed actions , bullet point. record call details appropriately.

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