By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD
The track record of receptionists successfully transferring calls is not good. In fact, based on my experience, successful call transfers actually occur less than half the time. The most common result is being disconnected.
The receptionist attempts to transfer your call, but there is no ringing and no music on hold. As you listen to silence, there is that growing realization that your call will soon come to a premature end.
The return to dial tone or the automated instruction to “hang up and try your call again,” confirms that you have been summarily disconnected. Although this could be the result of technical problems, it is much more likely the consequence of human error.
When a disconnected caller calls back, how has their mood changed? The happy caller has likely become irritated, the irritated caller has become irate, and the irate caller has become abusive. None of these outcomes are necessary, and the additional stress to agents is unwarranted.
You can tip the odds in your favor, by following some common sense, but often overlooked, steps:
Training
The proper transfer procedure must be covered in training. Additionally, the trainee should be able to experience the transfer from three different perspectives: the caller who is being transferred, the receptionist doing the transfer, and the person receiving the transfer.
All too often, receptionists are deprived of experiencing the call transfer process from the standpoint of either the caller or the recipient. But doing so gives them a better understanding of how errors affect others and provide a means for some much-needed empathy.
Practice
To master a skill, it must be practiced until it becomes rote. Ample practice should occur prior to attempting it with a real caller. Plus, for receptionists not frequently transferring calls, ongoing practice is wise.
Consistency
Most telephone systems provide multiple ways to transfer calls. Pick the most universally applicable method and teach it to all employees. Get the trainers to concur that this standard method will be taught and no others.
Finally, discourage receptionists from using different approaches, seeking shortcuts, or sharing alternative methods with others.
Methodology
Decide on one philosophy for transferring calls. A blind transfer is the quickest, but least professional. With it, the receptionist dials the number, connects the caller, and hangs up before the call is answered. Although common, it is not even close to a “best-practice.”
In an announced transfer, the receptionist dials the number, tells the recipient about the call, connects the caller, and then hangs up. A confirmed transfer is one step beyond an announced transfer, in which the receptionist stays connected long enough to ensure that the recipient can address the caller’s needs.
Verification
Transfer lists need to be periodically checked. Not just read, but actually dialed. Over time, lists become outdated; frequent verification is the only sure way to make sure that receptionists have accurate information. During a slower time of the day or week is an ideal time to assign an employee to the task of testing each number on the transfer list.
Less you write this off as too time-consuming or not cost-effective, consider the cost of dealing with an irate or abusive caller who calls back after being cut off. Even worse, what if they never call back?
First-Call Resolution
If you pursue the first-call resolution, the need to transfer callers is greatly reduced. Perhaps that is the best prescription of all.
Customer Service Success Tip: Implement consistent call-transfer training. Have agents practice. Verify transfer lists and call directories. Even better, pursue first-call resolution, and remove the need to transfer callers.
Read more in Peter Lyle DeHaan’s Sticky Series books, including Sticky Living, Sticky Customer Service, Sticky Sales and Marketing, and Sticky Leadership and Management featuring his compelling story-driven insights and tips.
Peter Lyle DeHaan is an entrepreneur and businessman who has managed, owned, and started multiple businesses over his career. Common themes at every turn have included customer service, sales and marketing, and leadership and management.
He shares his lifetime of business experience and personal insights through his books to encourage, inspire, and occasionally entertain.