Your December 2017 article “Bad Connection” gave tangible reasons for implementing practices to eliminate how business is potentially lost by not serving customers. When dealerships and their shops transfer phone calls, the protocol should be:
1. Wait for the person to whom you’re transferring the call to answer.
2. Brief that person on the call so the caller doesn’t have to repeat everything and your teammate can mentally prepare.
3. Transfer the call.
4. If you get voicemail, let the caller know that the person or department is unavailable and you will transfer them to voicemail. Tell the caller to please leave a message and that you’ll be leaving one as well.
5. Follow up with an email and copy the caller.
6. Follow up again if you don’t hear that the caller has been served.
In this manner, you know whether you are transferring the caller to the wrong person or department.
By showing callers we are their advocate, and by letting them know we will be bending over backward for them, we don’t give them any option but to leave a message.
People in auto shops work hard. Soft skills content can help make hard work pay off even more.
IAN COBURN, Director of Learning, GPA Training Inc., Aurora, Ill.
