How Poor Telephone Skills Break Your Image & What You Can Do About It

Jan had passed by the restaurant many times, and always wanted to give it a try. It looked upscale, and she decided it might be a good venue for her brother's 40th birthday celebration. About a week before the party, she inquired about reservations.

It was midday, and the restaurant's phone rang into a voice message that said they must be on the phone, and promised to call her back. About an hour later she hadn't heard back, so she called again. The girl who answered sounded in a hurry and wasn't sure if they could accommodate 18 people and asked her to hold for the manager. After what seemed like an eternity, Jan hung up and called the restaurant back. The girl on the other end of the phone apologized and said the manager was ending a meeting with a food rep, and could he call her back in a few minutes?

Jan became worried that it might be a problem getting a reservation for so many people this close to the date, and decided to check around in case this restaurant couldn't accommodate her party. By the time the manager called her back, an hour later, the impression of the restaurant had been made. She had already made a number of calls to other restaurants and found one she liked that could accommodate her.

It makes no sense to have spent the dollars required to be seen in the community and then lose the sale because incoming callers were not treated right. -- Pat Luebke

Place a telephone call to a successful major business, or accounting or law firm. The person answering the telephone will most likely build your confidence and put you at ease from the first moment he or she utters a word. These organizations live and die on first impressions. To paraphrase an old business adage: "Before you get to the CEO, you must get past the receptionist."

If you've got a display advertisement in a typical metropolitan telephone book, you've spent a small fortune to get people to pick up the telephone and call your business. Add a billboard and some media advertising. It's not chump change. But if the voice on your end of the telephone is anything less than inviting, informative, and with courtesy that rivals Emily Post, you may be losing opportunities right and left. Remember that restaurants have to live up to grander expectations than many businesses, in terms of dealing with the public in person or on the telephone. You're in the hospitality industry, and folks expect you to be, well, hospitable.

You might own a large operation and have several hosts or hostesses that answer the telephone on any given shift, or a small establishment where you, your manager, or one of your servers is likely to pick up the telephone. It doesn't matter. Anyone who takes calls on your telephone from prospective customers needs to refine and hone telephone skills. It's an inexpensive way to maximize the pull of your advertising and polish of your image.