Manage holds and transfers

(mellow music) - Nobody likes to be put on hold. It's the worst part of the call. Well, maybe the second worse. The worst part of a call might be getting transferred to someone else and having to tell your story all over again. Holds and transfers are two situations that can be really unsettling for customers. In this video, I'd like to share a few techniques that can make those situations a little more bearable. Let's start with how to put a customer on hold. Chances are, you've been put on hold in the past when you called someone for customer service. Think about how you felt in those situations. It's common to feel like the employee doesn't know what they're doing or that they aren't valuing your time, or you might have felt anxious when it seemed like you'd been on hold for too long. Your customers can experience all of these emotions when they're put on hold. But there are a couple of things you can do to make it better. Start by asking permission before you put your customer on hold. You may also want to explain why the hold is necessary. - I need to check with my coworker to find the answer to that question. May I place you on a brief hold? - Sometimes we need to place a customer on hold for longer than a minute or two. When that happens, it's a good idea to check in with your customer so they don't wonder where you went. - Hi Bill, are you still there? I've just tracked down my coworker and he's getting the information we need right now. Will you hold for just another moment? Thank you. - Okay, let's switch gears and talk about transferring calls. It's frustrating to get transferred to someone else and have to repeat your problem all over again. It can really feel like you're getting the run around. Always try to avoid transfers whenever possible. One customer service team I know came up with a list of the top 10 reasons they had to transfer a call. They worked with other departments to identify several types of calls they could handle without transferring, if they just had a little more information or a little more training. This is a great idea, but sometimes transfers are unavoidable. If you must transfer a call to someone else, it's always best to do a warm transfer. A warm transfer is when you transfer the customer to a specific person. Explain the reason you're transferring the call, and give your customer the name of the person you're transferring them to. - Hi Bill, I've got my coworker Mario on the phone. He's an expert in this area and can help you out. Please hold just a moment and I'll transfer you to him. Okay. - If possible, explain the situation to the person receiving the transfer so your customer doesn't have to repeat everything they've told you. Of course, there are situations where a warm transfer won't work. If this is the case, do your best to explain to the customer where you're transferring them and why. When it comes to putting customers on hold or transferring calls, I'd like to think of them as a guest at a party. If someone came to a party at your house, you'd want to make sure they were comfortable. You wouldn't want them waiting around too long for someone to talk to. And if you wanted them to talk to someone else, you'd take them to that person and make an introduction. Nobody likes to be put on hold or transferred, but you can make your customers feel a little bit better if you use these techniques and try to treat them like a guest.