Say Your Name, Say Your Name!

Has this ever happened to you?  You need some service; you call the place of business and someone answers the phone in 3 rings or less. So far, so good, right?  Then, they continue, but they don’t say their name?

Now, if you’re like me, you have to take notes when you do business with anyone.  I like to write down the date, time, and who I’m speaking with (you never know when you’ll have to call back and be asked for this information!)

In this case, the person answering the telephone, I’ll call them the “agent”, didn’t say their name. So, what’s my next step?  It’s not launching into the matter at hand, because now I’ve been put in the position of having to stop and ask the agent to say their name, CLEARLY, so I can write it down in my notes.

Does this business really care about their customers? Do they care that I have been put in the position of having to ask someone their name? Do they really expect me to recognize who I’m talking to? Is this helpful? 

You want to really know how you could help me. SAY YOUR NAME! 

When I call a place of business, and someone answers the phone with caring and concern, they make it easy for me to do business. For example, when I call for service, and the agent answers, I like to say, “Hi, So-And-So, may I speak with _____?”  Ahhh, that was nice. This phone call is going to go really well.  

But, why is it so important to say your name? It’s important for a lot of reasons. First, it says to me that you care enough about how I feel to treat me with respect! Respect crosses all cultures and is a cornerstone of great customer service. When you say your name clearly, it immediately says to the caller that you value his or her business and will do your very best to satisfy his or her reasons for calling.

That brings me to the second reason. It’s also important to say your name because now I have confidence in your answer. You’ve made me feel like I’ve gotten reliable information that I can trust.

I’m going to hang up now, feeling very cared for. Thank you for making me feel special. I think I’ll do business with you again. In fact, I may just tell my friends and family to do business with you, too!

So, say your name, say your name. It costs nothing, and your customers will do the advertising for you.

Verena Somer is a consultant, speaker and an author. She has recently published a book about customer service, called “The 11% Solution, 7 ways to Make Your Buck Go Bang!” Read more about her and get more No Cost advertising tips at www.theserviceadvisors.com.