Before picking up the telephone, stop and take a breath, smile and then focus on the call that you are about to take. When you answer, the caller will pick up on your positive attitude and your smile, and they will automatically be more receptive to what you say.
People will always comment on a positive telephone manner, simply because it's so refreshing. This also sends the message that the business is fresh and alert and that they take an inquiry seriously.
We can all recite countless times when we have spoken to businesses on the telephone and the person answering the call sounds bored, completely uninterested or even quite rude. These calls only last a few seconds if I am making them.
The telephone is an essential tool for most businesses. But the telephone itself is the same piece of equipment for all of us. The difference is how it is used. There is no excuse for a poor telephone manner, and anyone who answers a telephone in your business should constantly be encouraged to follow the three-step principle of stop, smile and think before picking up the phone.
Customer service is all about attitude. To really impress your customers, you need to have the right attitude.