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The importance of first impressions
Whether over the phone or in person, how your employers greet customers can have a significant effect on business.
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By Barry Himmel, Signature Worldwide
You’ve heard the saying, “You only have one opportunity to make a first impression.” While it may be a cliché, it is true. A positive first impression is an important start to building a relationship with your customers. Whether the interaction is over the phone or in-person, the initial impression can set the tone for the entire customer experience.
First impressions delivered by phone
Your greeting is a simple step, but it is too often overlooked. It is your first opportunity to make a positive impact on the customer. Consider these two phone
interactions:
Example 1
Inside sales coordinator:
“ABC Rentals, how can I help you?”
Customer: “I need to rent a backhoe for a week.”
Inside sales coordinator: “OK, what size backhoe?”
Example 2
Inside sales coordinator: “Thank you for calling ABC Rentals, this is Barry. How can I help you?”
Customer: “I need to rent a backhoe for a week.”
Inside sales coordinator: “Great, I will be happy to help you with that. May I get your name please?”
The differences might seem slight, but are actually significant. The personalization in the second example takes almost no additional time, but it can leave a significant impact on your customer. Use a greeting that will make a difference and set you apart from your competition, making certain your customers know they called the right place.
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