Business Phone manners= business credibility

Our board member, Marsha, wrote an excellent article in this week's LEO about industry standards. I hope everyone that treads these boards reads it. It's well written and makes some excellent points. The gist of it is this- if we expect anyone's assistance, support or business we better come across with what we promise and show ourselves to be good business people or risk losing all credibility.

Today I called a business associate whose name I will not mention. I will say that I have bent over backwards and bent rules for this associate reasoning that times are hard for many people right now. Perhaps as economics ease up this business will stop asking me to bend ( or in some cases break) rules for them. This was the conversation I heard over the phone...
ME: "Hello this is Carla from the LEO, may I speak with ___________?
GIRL ON PHONE: Uhhhh... wait a minute." (then I hear plain as day) "It's that woman from the LEO. Shall I tell her you're not in?" (mumble mumble mumble) Then, back on the phone with me...". Uhhh yeah, he's out sick today. I didn't know he didn't come in. "
ME:" Really? He's not there at all?"
GIRL: " No, I don't expect to see him all day."

This client lost all credibility with me. Such a blatant lie when it would have been just as easy to say " Just tell her I'm busy or ask if she can call back later... next week...email me" Whatever. But no. I will never give them my business nor recommend them.
End of rant.

Oh ya, Carla, if I were in your position that company would have lost my business big time!

Boy have you hit one of my hot buttons.

I recently tried to do business with a company in California that sent me my package twice, and I am still waiting for both to show up.

The were closed on President's day, and didn't reflect that on their voice mail hell system, which royally ticked me off.

When I called back the next day, and made that suggestion, they guy said "I don't need some hick from Kentucky telling me how to run my business"

Needless to say,I gave up and reported the loss of merchindise to my credit card company.

Point is, it's not just limited to humans, electronic stuff as well is rude, in my opinion

A few years ago, I telephoned a business that served as a retail outlet for our product line and asked to speak with the manager...the person who answered the phone handed it over to them with some sarcastic comment about my language -- I recall that I might have said something along the lines of, "Hi! May I speak with ____, please?" ....I wasn't offended by her remark, but it's rather sad that some people regard common courtesy as a joke....made me wonder what a "normal" phone call to that business must be like....

Hopefully, civility hasn't left us for good - it's just on vacation.

I think the problem has been amplified by our faceless, wired world. Dealing with people over the phone and via the internet gives some of us the feeling that our relative anonymity gives us license to ignore basic human courtesies. Have you read the online newspaper reader comments lately?

Maybe the best solution is to keep leading by example, and hope it catches on. I find that If I use a positive voice with faceless people on the phone, I have a better chance of getting good service, along with the bonus of knowing I probably brightened up somebody's day. It makes it easier to shrug off the reactions of the few who don't appreciate it.

You are so right Steve. And just a little nice voice goes a long way.
Bravo sir.