The above section details types of phrasing to avoid; however, it doesn’t detail what users should NOT say on their greeting. Though this is a bit loaded, as there are hundreds of combinations of things one shouldn’t say, there are some key components users should ALWAYS avoid. a. Forget About Slang: You should strive to be as professional and welcoming as possible in your greeting. While this may steer you towards using slang, in an attempt to make callers comfortable, it’ll most likely work against you. As a professional, your demeanor, tone, and speech should be clear cut and well articulated. Using slang undercuts this and works against you. b. Don’t Even Think About Profanity: This is a no-brainer. Never, under any circumstances, curse in your greeting EVER! c. Keep Your Sentences Clean, Don’t Ramble: Introduce yourself and give your caller specific direction. Avoid long diatribes detailing tangent thoughts. Keep it simple and quick. d. Always Return Your Calls: It’s important for callers to feel they are valued. Nothing dissolves this quicker than a greeting that doesn’t stress this. For example, “I’ll call you when I can,” “If I don’t return your call, please call back”—these phrases are terrible and completely destroy any good will you may have with a caller.
"I was unhappy with our service provider for the on hold music – which is listened to by citizens calling 311, Access Calgary, or any other City service or facility. I reached out to a counterpart at WestJet and he referred me to On Air. I must say that the customer service I received from the onset at On Air was night and day from what I had previously been accustomed to. They are extremely responsive, and very customer focused. I even had a late request for some holiday music and I had a new playlist in my hands in less than 24 hours. Fantastic! And most of all, Thank you!" - Kelly Brown, Telecom Engineer, Voice and Video Solutions, The City of Calgary, Calgary, AB
