Face$-$to$-$Face

Telephone Techniques at Staff$-$Temps

Background

Staff$-$Temps International is a temporary employment agency based in Chicago, Illinois. It has six full$-$time and three part$-$time employment counselors. The office is part of a national chain owned by Yamaguchi Enterprises Ltd$.,$ headquartered in Tokyo. The chain places over $100,000$ temporary employees annually in a variety of businesses and offices worldwide.

Most of Staff$-$Temps$$ contacts are made by telephone; therefore, greater emphasis is placed on selecting and training $$employees who have a good phone presence. Each employee is required to meet certain standards of quality in dealing with customers on the telephone. To ensure that employees apply these standards uniformly, an outside quality control company $($Morrison and Lewis$)$ is used to occasionally make $$phantom calls$$ to staff members. In these calls, Morrison and Lewis staff members pretend to be potential clients seeking information. The $$employee$$customer$$ calls are randomly recorded. Through the calls and recordings, customer service levels are measured.

Your Role

Your name is Chris Walker. As an employment counselor with Staff$-$Temps, you are aware of the customer service standards, which include the following:

$$ Answer a ringing telephone within four rings.

$$ Smile as you speak.

$$ Use a standard salutation $($good morning, afternoon, or $$evening$).$

$$ Give your name and the name of your department and $$company$.$

$$ Offer to assist the customer $($How may I assist you?$).$

Page $404$On the way back to the office after lunch, you were involved in a minor automobile accident. Even though it was not your fault, you are concerned that your insurance may be canceled, since you had another accident and got a speeding ticket earlier this year. Because of the accident, you were an hour late in returning from lunch. Upon your arrival, the receptionist handed you six messages from vendors and customers. Two of the messages were from Aretha Washington, human resources director for an electronics manufacturing firm that has been a good client for over two years. The two of you had spoken earlier in the day.

As you walked into your office, the telephone started to ring. By the time you took your coat off and got to your desk, the phone had rung five or six times.

When you answered, you heard Aretha$$s voice on the line. Her tone told you that she was upset. This was the conversation:

You:

Staff$-$Temps. Chris speaking.

Aretha:

Chris, what$$s going on$?$ You told me when I called first thing this morning that you would find out why my temp did not show up today and would call me back. I have left messages all day and have not heard a thing! We have got a major deadline to meet for a very important client, and I cannot get the work done. My boss has been in here every half hour checking on this. What is going on$?$

You:

Aretha, I am truly sorry. I just got in from lunch and have not been able to get back to you.

Aretha:

Just got back from lunch! It$$s after $2$:$30!$ It must be nice to have the luxury of a long lunch break. I did not even get to eat lunch today!

You:

Listen, Aretha, I could not help $...($obviously $$anxious and raising your voice$).$

Aretha:

You do not $$listen$$ me$!$ I am the customer, and if you cannot handle my needs, I know someone else who can. If I do not hear from you within the next half hour, I do not ever want to hear from you again! Good$-$bye!

$[$Slamming receiver down.$]$

Critical Thinking Questions

$1.$ How well was this customer call handled? Explain.

$2.$ What should you have done differently?

$3.$ Do you believe that Aretha was justified in how she treated you? Explain.

$4.$ How do personal problems or priorities sometimes affect customer service?