OCTOBER 2013
Click here to listen to October’s call
Call Analysis and Recommendations
The call was picked up in 2 Rings, which is within acceptable limits.
TAFI Introduction Report Card
- The Greeting
- The Team Member mentioned her and the Practice’s name, but did not reference the Practice’s tagline, that is, reason for being, which is an important part of establishing a professional and positive first impression.
- Control
- In response to the Caller’s question, the second step in the TAFI Introduction is to always respond with “I can help you with that, my name is NAME. With whom am I speaking?” This achieves a number of objectives, the most important of which is gaining control of the call. Instead, the Caller began with “We don’t really quote prices over the phone.” The word ‘don’t’ is one of those negatively charged words, which can quickly lead to, if not an adversarial relationship, then at best a disappointed caller, (and non-appointed call).
- Rapport and Empathy
- The Team Member missed a number of opportunities to do so e.g. when the Caller expressed frustration with her cracked tooth.
- Enthusiasm
- The caller’s tone, resonance, and energy could be ‘upped’ quite a bit. As Henry Ford is credited with saying “Nobody ever bought anything without an exchange of enthusiasm.”
The caller began with a question, which is what typically occurs. Because whoever asks the questions controls the call, it is important to stay true to the TAFI Introduction so the caller quickly establishes rapport, conveys empathy, exudes enthusiasm, and controls the call, thereby empowering the caller to the decision that is right for him/her.
Following the Team Member’s answer to the Caller’s second question, she paused, thereby allowing the Caller to regain and maintain control of the call, contributing to the missed appointment.
The Caller was placed on hold, and heard music, which, while preferable to silence, misses the opportunity to reinforce the perception of a professional and caring practice that a professionally produced and regularly updated on hold message offers.
Perhaps most important, at no point did the Team Member request or receive the Caller’s name or contact information. As Dale Carnegie said “A person’s name is the sweetest sound they will ever hear.”