"Hello, howzit" is not a favourable way for your switchboard operator to greet callers - a crucial area being the first point of contact with a company giving first impressions.
While this greeting may appear somewhat exaggerated, it`s surprising how many operators have little or no clue how to hold well-mannered discussions with callers and how this can cause a negative bearing on business etiquette.
To assist businesses run effective call centres, help desks or switchboard operators, information technology training company IT-IQ has introduced two two-day courses designed by a US company, Held Desk 2000.
IT IQ applications lecturer Sally Baumann recently attended a training course allowing her to lecture on Help Desk 2000 courses which currently comprise a professional course and a managerial course. Later this year a third course, Field Support Technician, will be added.
The professional course is targeted at switchboard or help desk operators to make them world class proficient in call centre operation. It covers the help desk and the business, the missions of a world class help desk, meeting customer needs, best practices, communicating professionalism, troubleshooting and dealing with difficult customer behaviours.
The managerial course is targeted at management level and focuses on the value of the help desk in monetary terms highlighting where problems can be prevented and how money can be saved in the long term.
It goes further, giving management valuable information on correct help desk staffing procedures, the framework for a world-class help desk, understanding the technology and managing and marketing the help desk.
"The courses are intended to be highly interactive and can be tailored to suit each group of students so that they get the most potential out of the course and that they are on the right track," says Baumann.
Call centre staff and management from large corporations such as Saldanha Steel, Board of Executors, SA Police Services and H&R have already attended courses at IT-IQ.
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