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Radio Stations invest time, money, and resources to find out what people think of their radio stations and how aware they are of the station brand. However, they miss a key element. How much time and attention is given to who is answering your station business phones?
In the past 12 months, working with McVay Media, I have been in constant contact with stations across North America. The first person that I talk to when contacting a radio station is where my “lasting impression” comes from. Many of the General Managers who are reading this article would be angered by the poor representation that their business, and in-turn they, are receiving.
Based on what I’ve personally observed, below are 10 ways that radio stations phones are being answered. It leads me to ask, “Do you know Who Is Guarding Your Gate”? (Imagine David Letterman reading The Nightly Top-10). They are:
10) Answering the phone while eating and drinking.
9) Answering the phone while sneezing and belching.
8) Throwing the phone on the desk as a substitute for the “Hold Button”.
7) Having random employees answer the phone … then yelling, “Hey, I don’t know how to put someone into voicemail”.
6) Answering the phone while carrying on a conversation with a fellow employee
5) Answering the phone with your competing stations name…then saying, “Oops! I worked there last week”.
4) Having 3 different people answering the phone with three different corporate names for the same company, and all in ONE call… “Tom’s Radio Stations”… “This is Red River Radio Group”…. “Blue Bird Broadcasting, How Can I Help You?”
3) Giving out personal information ….“Tom’s just ran out the door for his custody hearing, it was a messy divorce, so he may be gone a while, do you want voicemail.”
2) Being transferred incorrectly. (Especially into conference calls you aren’t scheduled for).
1) Not knowing who is currently employed at the station and refusing to transfer the call. (I later emailed the New General Manager, apologizing for not making our scheduled call. When we spoke the following day on his cell phone, he walked up to the receptionist, re-introduced himself, and reminded her to please read his name on the mailbox).
For those of you who know me, I don’t consider myself an exceptionally intelligent man; therefore, I like to keep things very simple. Share these 5 Points Below with your “Gate Keepers” and you will improve the image of your station to your clients, business partners, and listeners who may call your place of business.
Tips For Telephone Success:
1) Be familiar with the phone system.
2) Be familiar with staffing changes, and have a CURRENT employee directory to reference.
3) Answer all incoming phone calls before the third ring, while being warm and enthusiastic. Your voice at the end of the telephone line is sometimes the only impression of your company a caller will have.
4) When answering the phone, welcome callers courteously and identify yourself and your organization. Say, for instance, “Good morning. McVay Media. Jim speaking. How may I help you?”
5) When answering the phone, never reveal employees personal life details to callers.
One more thing if it’s me (Jim McVay) please put me through and do not make me listen to 30 minutes of music-on-hold. Believe me when I say that my wife; my children and me will appreciate it when I’m in a GREAT mood later in the day.
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