One thought will take an alkaline ph and turn it into acidic ph in 90 seconds
I am pretty fascinated with the way phones are answered and voice mail messages asking people to leave a message are crafted. I know companies and individuals take their greetings seriously, yet some greetings simply miss the mark, while others set up the experience positively. Take the case of two different greetings I recently experienced.
Greeting #1 is from a very large hotel company I contacted regarding a reservation. The first thing I heard when the phone was answered was “May I have your name?” Not even a greeting. It was so terribly off-putting I felt like hanging up. Once my name was provided they stated, “Ms. Stiel, how can I help you?” or something like that.
I appreciate the importance of using names, but at the expense of a warm greeting just doesn’t make sense to me. I wonder what consultant they hired to come up with that awkward greeting? Or, perhaps it was a result of internal discussions. Whatever the backstory, the end result was awful.
Compare that to a different company, RAB Motors in Marin to be exact. When I called to find out when I could take my car in for service I heard this, “Good morning, my name is Debbie, I’m happy to help you.” Phew! What a difference.
When I was a hotel concierge, we answered our calls, “Good Morning, Concierge, this is Holly at your service.” Initially we balked because we didn’t like the way it sounded, but after a while we learned to loved it. It was quick, friendly and handled all the important parts of a greeting — the welcome, your name and department, and an offer of assistance. We came to appreciate the efficiency of all that important communication in only 11 words. When you answer the phone hundreds of times a day, an efficient yet warm greeting is appreciated on both sides of the call.
Consider your own greeting and voice mail message. Does it include all the important components? Does your voice mail make people smile? There is no second chance to make a good first impression.