ALAN CARLTON
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Jodi Sutton: Answer the phone. Please.

Picture
Alan: Today let’s talk about answering the phone? What is a bad way?
Jodi: To say hello and then nothing. Because whoever is on the other end has no idea who they called or even if they have dialed the right number.
Alan: Well if I was writing a textbook the right way to answer the phone is: Good morning; thanks for calling; and then mention the name of the practice and then mention your name and then say may I help you.
Jodi: I’d agree with all of that.
Alan: To teach people to answer perfectly should you write it done. Give them a script.
Jodi: Initially a script is very helpful.  It tells people what it is we want you to say when you answer the phone. Some people learn in different ways. Some people may need it written down. Do whatever you need to do.
Alan: When you ring up a business some people I speak to haven’t followed a script.  Does it matter? 
Jodi: A couple of times I have rung up and because of what they say I decide not to got here. I wait then ring back and cancel the appointment. The person on the phone is very important especially if it is a new person calling.
Alan: Let’s call it first impressions.
Jodi: We are in an industry where people are feeling vulnerable at the best of times. And we don’t know what their story is.
Alan: Their story may be: I need my regular checkup and clean. Any morning next month. Or my kids are annoying me, my car needs fixing, I wish my boss would like what I do and now this bloody tooth keep me up all night.  I’ll try this dentist.
Alan: When you recognize someone who rings up what should you do then? Should you smile? Can they see you smile?
Jodi: I would say their name. I love it when I freak them out.
Alan: I rang up the hairdresser to make an appointment and she picked up the phone and mentioned my name before I spoke.
Jodi: Yeah caller ID. These phones are getting fancier and fancier.
Alan: And then my hairdresser mentions something personal and I thought I’m batting out of my league.
Jodi: You are paying for a pretty fancy service when all you want is short back and sides.
Alan: She recognizes and remembers me. That’s a bit much.
Jodi: Could be. You might be on their problem list.
Alan: Hopefully I’m not on their problem list. Cutting my hair is pretty simple. When they use their mirror to show me the back I always say looks good.
Alan: Another issue is the speed of picking up the phone.
Jodi: It is a bit tricky. If you are dealing with pats at the desk and the phone rings then the person in front of you was there first. You should ask the person on the phone to hold. In theory everybody is happy unless you forget to go back to the person on the phone.
Jodi: I forgot once and ten minutes later I went back to the phone and she was still there.
Alan: She must have thought. Really busy practice.
Jodi: Or she badly wanted that checkup and clean.
Alan: What is a good way to end a call.
Jodi: Confirm the appointment. Repeat what you have just said.
Alan: Have you understood or are you happy.
Jodi: I would say is there anything else I can help you with.
Alan: Cultural factors. Is that an issue?
Jodi: It quickly becomes evident if English is their second language and their ability to communicate is difficult.
Alan: The important thing is getting to basics. The essence of the call.
Jodi: Broken English can be a hurdle.
Alan: Get straight to the main point. Try and help them.
Alan: Is it obvious if I say don’t interrupt. Is that obvious?
Jodi: If you have someone who is particularly aggressive you can either interrupt them or let them speak as you figure out what to say.
Jodi: We do get people who are so aggressive you can’t win. Best to lose quickly.  
Alan: Best to get cleaned bowled first ball and move on. But some people ringing have a toothache. Is that an excuse for rude behaviour?
Jodi: That is a factor because...and people react differently when pain is a factor.
Alan: Music when you are put them on hold. Yes or no.
Jodi: Not elevator music. The radio. You are not listening to the same tune over and over. There have been places I’ve called and they put you on hold and there is nothing and you don’t know if you are no hold or they have hung up.
Alan: So we want music but not elevator music.
Jodi: I would go with the radio. 

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  • Home
  • Photos
    • photos >
      • All Saints Church
      • Anglesea Barracks
      • Art Mob
      • Boer War
      • Botanical Gardens
      • Brooke Street Pier
      • Brunswick Hotel
      • Campbell Street
      • Castray Esplanade
      • Cenotaph
      • Constitution Dock
      • St David's Cathedral
    • photos >
      • St David's Park
      • Elizabeth St Mall
      • Elizabeth St Pier
      • Franklin Square
      • Hadley's Hotel
      • Hobart GPO
      • Hobart Congregational Church
      • Hobart Rivulet
      • Hobart Town Hall
      • Holy Trinity Church
      • Heading South Sculpture
      • Hutchins Old School
    • photos >
      • Kunanyi / Mt Wellington
      • MacQuarie Street Primary School
      • Maritime Museum
      • MacQuarie Wharf
      • Parliament House
      • Penitentary
      • Railway Roundabout
      • Regatta
      • RHH
      • Royal Visits 1868 1901 1920 1927 1934
      • Royal visit 1954
      • Salamanca Place
    • photos >
      • Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race
      • Theatre Royal
      • Victoria Dock
      • Saint David's Cathedral
      • Saint David's Park
      • St George Anglican Church
    • Street art: photos >
      • Bidencope Lane
      • Criterion Collins Liverpool Streets
      • Elizabeth Street North Hobart​
      • Kemp Despard Streets
    • Streets: photos >
      • Argyle Street
      • Barrack Street
      • Bathurst Street
      • Brisbane Street
      • Brooker Highway
      • Campbell Street
      • Collins Street
    • Streets: photos >
      • Davey Street
      • Elizabeth Street
      • Goulburn Street
      • Harrington Street
      • Hunter Street
      • Liverpool Street
      • Macquarie Street
      • Murray Street
  • Places
    • Places >
      • All Saint's Church
      • Anglesea Barracks
      • Atheneum Club
      • Baha’i Centre
      • Boer War Memorial
      • Brook Street Pier
      • Brunswick Hotel
      • Boats in the docks
      • Constitution Dock
      • The Drunken Admiral
      • Franklin Square
      • Gas Works
    • Places >
      • Hadley's Hotel
      • Heading South Sculpture
      • Hobart GPO
      • Hobart Synagogue
      • Hobart Town Hall
      • Holy Trinity Church
      • Hunter Street
      • Ingle Hall
      • Old Wool Factory
      • Ordnance Stores
      • Parliament House
      • Penitentiary
      • Princes Park
    • Places >
      • Princes Wharf 1
      • Scots Memorial Church
      • Saint David's Cathedral
      • Saint David's Park
      • Saint George Anglican Church
      • St Michaels Collegiate School
      • Supreme Court
  • History
    • History >
      • Tasmanian Timeline
      • Early Tasmania
      • Mid Nineteenth Century
      • Late Nineteenth Century
      • 20th Century
      • Tasmania’s aborigines
      • Convicts
    • People >
      • John Lee Archer
      • William Bedford
      • Andrew Bent
      • Louis Bernacchi
      • James Blackburn
      • William Bunster
      • William Buckley
      • Thomas Bromfield
      • Luke Castray
      • William Champion
      • David Collins
    • People >
      • John Colvin
      • Charles Darwin
      • Governor Eadley
      • TT Flynn
      • John Franklin
      • Lady Jane Franklin
      • Charles Gaylor
      • Haig: Elizabeth and Andrew
      • Henry Jones
    • People >
      • James Kelly
      • Robert Knopwood
      • Lachlan Macquarie
      • Douglas Mawson
      • Charles McLachlan.
      • George Mure
      • Pearce: Henry and John
      • Robert Pitcairn
      • Poulett-Harris
      • Reid: Arthur and Alison
      • James Clark Ross
      • Ikey Solomon
      • Phillip Smith
      • Abel Tasman
      • Mark Twain
      • AJ White
      • Andrew and Elizabeth Haig
  • Community
    • Hobart Marathon Festival
    • Hadley's Hotel
    • history is not set in bronze
    • Wooden Boat Festival 2019
    • What do you think of Hobart?
    • Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race
    • The Mountain
  • Walking Tours
    • Dave's Walking Tour
    • The Tench Walking Tour
    • Botanical Gardens Circuit
    • ​Alfred’s feeling religious walk
    • Battery Point Sculpture Trail
    • Lachlan gets to the point
    • Street art: Luffy paints the town
  • Blog
    • healing through living
    • This website
    • about another website
    • Acknowledgement
    • Contact
  • The Full Complement
    • Alan Carlton
    • Daniel Frank
    • Paul Barrington
    • Jodi Sutton
    • Jodi Sutton talks about mistakes
    • Jodi Sutton: The phone
    • Ann Heath
    • Maddie Atkins
    • Karen Wong
    • Jo-Anne Cherry
    • Jo-Anne Cherry: Retirement
    • Errol Kilov
    • Garry Owen
    • Katherine Janney
    • Jacques Cawood
    • John Chung
    • Gordon Henry
  • Songs
    • Forty Years Ago
    • Tomorrow
    • Clouds in the River
    • I Woke Up
    • Hold My Hand
    • Cornelian Bay Boathouses
    • Dance on the Deck
    • Eucalyptus Globulus