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V O L U M E 1 , I S S U E 1 , 2 Q u a r t e r 2 0 0 6 A H E R M A G R O U P I N T E R N A L E - P U B L I C A T I O N

Learning Dispatches
e are how we speak. This GUIDELINES FOR EFFECTIVE appropriate guidelines listed

W issue focuses on how we as

frontline employees, can
effectively communicate with
TELEPHONE SERVICE

Answer calls promptly,  Ask the caller if you may

that were violated by the
person answering the
telephone. (For example, if the
HERMA'S customers.  by the second or third put him/her on hold if person on the otherline is
you need to speak to cracking gum while answering
ring.
Each employee, whether a the telephone, Tick number
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another staff member
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manager or a staff represents about the call, or need to “6” after you read the case
Greet all callers with a

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not only the area within which check for information for scenario.)
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smile- it will be
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he or she works but also the reflected in your tone! the caller.
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HERMA Group as a whole.
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Learning Scenario #1:
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Learn your department’s
Identify yourself and 
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How one interact with a  procedures for You wait for a half-dozen rings,
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your department.
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customer has lasting transferring telephone then a harried voice answers,
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implications beyond that calls within the “Herma Shipping Heller?” You
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Speak clearly,
 reply hesitantly, “Is this the
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immediate interaction.
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controlling your department and to other
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○ Herma Shipping & Transport
business units.
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volume and speed. Corp.?” The voice responds

This applies to telephone
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with a curt tone, “Ahhh, Opo.

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conversations, as well as The Learning

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[you hear a snide, ano ba'to
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Listen attentively, and

person-to-person interactions. 
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take notes, if needed. Scenario bingi?], How can we help?”

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How you speak on the

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Restate important
telephone reflects not only your

P Learning Scenario #2:

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points of information ut yourself in the place

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attitude, but also that of your of Lilian Lim who is

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to check There were two rings and then

department and, by extension,
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calling the Herma

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understanding and the person answers, "Herma

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the HERMA group toward its Shipping & Transport Corp.

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accuracy.
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customers. Hello?" You reply, "I'd like to talk

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(HSTC). You encounter the to Mr. Mira please." The voice

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Avoid talking with following situations. Think responds, I'll transfer your
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With this in mind, the following 

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anything in your about what your reaction would call." After a few rings, the call
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guidelines intend to help be as a customer to the service reverts back. The voice says, "I
mouth, such as gum or
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employees to enable them to don't think Mr. Mira is around.

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candy. you received. Also consider

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do effective telephone how you, as the staff person Can you just call back?" You
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communication. irritatingly suggest "Can you

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When problems occur, receiving the phone calls, could

 transfer me to somebody in
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project a tone that is handle each of the phone calls

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We have included some PPI that I can talk to?" A click

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to provide the customer with a

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c o n c e r n e d , follows and you get transferred

scenarios you can go through
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sympathetic, and positive image of one SBU and, to PPI.

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and assess how they can be by extension, of the HERMA

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apologetic.
handled and applied in our daily
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Group. Learning Scenario #3:

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office communications.
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The quality of your voice

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Instructions There were two rings and then

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should reflect a smile. a person answers, "Herma

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Imagine a mirror on the wall Shipping & Transport

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A fter analyzing each

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and smile at your reflection Corporation Good Morning,

case scenario, enter
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as you answer the call. this is Mher Santos, how can I

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the numbers for the help you? " You reply, "I'd like to
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talk to Mr. Peter Huang please."

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The voice responds, I am sorry

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but Peter is in a meeting at the

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moment, this is regarding what

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matter sir, perhaps I can help?

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The Learning Dispatch is an e- Publica- You reply, "Its about the Banga
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Dos, I want to report to him that

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tion of the Herma Group produced by the

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Group HRD through the Corp. Comm. it hit the walls of the newly
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constructed park along the

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Comments & Suggestions are welcome. e-

Pasig River." The voice retorts,
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mail rjsocco@herma.com.ph
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I can take down your report and

ask Peter to call you at once." member about the A Few More Notes
After giving the details you hang call, or need to
up " Peter Huang calls you check for desktop as well. Answer the telephone, at latest by the third ring,
back after an hour. information for the preferably on the first ring. Identify yourself to the caller: “HERMA
caller. SBU, this is Jane Doe. How may I help you?” If you have to put the call
Check only the guidelines on hold, ask the caller if you may do so. “Can you hold for 30 seconds?”
that were violated in the If you know you will be unable to help them at the end of that time, ask
scenarios above. 9. Learn your your co-workers for help. If this is not possible either, or if the question
department’s is beyond your scope, transfer the call to one who would know.
1. Answer calls procedures for
promptly, by the transferring Transferring a Call for the Telephone Operator
second or third ring. telephone calls
within the hat telephone call from outside justifies your presence with

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department and to the HERMA Group. The caller is your job and deserves the
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2. Greet all
other areas of the best you can give. It is our customer. Some of the calls we
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callers with a smile- University. receive need to be transferred to the correct department. All transfers
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it will be reflected in entail the same series of steps. The first is to ask permission to transfer
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your tone! the caller. “I think, given your inquiry, you should speak with our
10. Learn your
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Department Manager. His name is "Juan dela Cruz" and his extension
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department’s policy
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3. Identify is 403. May I transfer your call now?” On the affirmative, transfer the
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for taking call. It would be good to talk to the employee concerned and inform
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yourself and your messages or
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him of the call before the transfer. Then press the transfer button to
department.
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transferring calls to complete the transaction. Alternatively, simply transfer the call without
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a staff member’s
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announcing it. The advantage of the first method is that you can
voice mail.
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4. Speak clearly, screen the call and announce the caller (always politely). The advantage
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T
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controlling your he props to support your of the second is that if you are very busy at the desk you can direct the
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volume and speed. telephone image include call to the concerned employee. If you know the person is unavailable,
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offer the option of taking a message, or, transferring to another who

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the pens and paper at

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your desk. There is a list of library you know may be able to serve the call, or offer assistance yourself. If
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5. Listen
you cannot help, interrupt, politely, and say so.
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telephone numbers taped to the

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attentively, and take

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notes, if needed. Telephone Manners

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Restate important
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points of information

N o matter what, you need to behave professionally on the

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to check
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telephone and maintain your composure. Ask for information,

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understanding and “May I tell her who is calling?” Use the caller’s name, and
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accuracy (e.g.,
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provide courtesies: “Thank you for calling Mr. Esguerra.” Request

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repeat the caller’s messages tactfully: “Will he know what this call is about?”
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name and give

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Alternatively, “May I give him a message from you when he gets

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correct spelling). back?” Verify the information provided: “Your name, again, was: . . .” in
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case you are doubtful of spelling it correctly, “Can you spell that for

B y now your analyses of

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6. Avoid talking the first two calls will me please.” “That phone number was: . . .” Your message should
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have several violations include the caller's full name, and business affiliation, contact numbers,
with anything in
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from the checklist. Now, being and extension, the message or action requested, the time and date of
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your mouth, such

the call, and your name. It is also good to determine where the call is
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as gum or candy. the caller how would you feel?

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fromto enable us to call on business hours should the call come from
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abroad.
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After putting yourself in the

7. When
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shoes of the caller, put your

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problems occur, Above all else listen to the person; you can think faster than he/she can
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shoes as the one who is

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project a tone that receiving the call? How would talk. So answer the questions who, what, where, why, when and how, by
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is concerned, listening to them. Also, lead the conversation if you must in order to help
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you address them?

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sympathetic, and the caller identify their problem and then get them to the correct place to get
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apologetic. their problem solved. Each bureaucracy, firm, department, or business, has
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The guidelines initially given

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will help you address such calls. its own language, and structure; it is impossible and absurd to expect a
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caller to know and use these. Instead, your goal is to make your bussiness
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8. Ask the caller By practicing them you will be

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able to project a possitive speak transparent. We are all here to serve the customer.
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if you may put him/

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images of the HERMA Group

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her on hold if you

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and thereby help bring in and

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need to speak to (For comments and suggetions, e-mail rjsocco@herma.com.ph)

maintain business partnerships.
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another staff
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