Nancy Friedman The Telephone Doctor Offers 5 Frustrating Voice Mail Phrases Highlighting National Cell Phone Courtesy Month in July

    ST. LOUIS, MO, June 30, 2017 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Nancy Friedman, nationally known customer service keynote speaker and the world's only known Telephone Doctor is recognizing National Cell Phone Courtesy Month in July with a special list of 5 Frustrating Voice Mail Phrases we all have on our cell phones that can aggravate your callers.

Friedman compiled the list from research and observation spanning the past two decades. The list, in no order of importance, includes...

1. Hi, I'm not here right now.
DUH? Well, that's a hot lot of news. What a boring, semi useless statement. Live a little. Let your callers know where you ARE - not where you're not. Tell them, "I AM in the office all this week" OR "I'm in a sales meeting till 3 pm." Let them know if you do or don't check messages. Let them know when you will be back. No one is terribly interested where you're NOT. They are interested in where you ARE.

2. Your call is very important to me.
OMG. Seriously? A big time waster. The caller is thinking, "Well, if I'm so darn important, where the heck are you?" And then again, think about it. Maybe the call isn't so important to you. You don't need this phrase. Semi-useless.

3. I'm sorry I missed your call.
How dull. How average. Of course you're sorry you missed the call. (Although, there may be some calls you're not so sorry to have missed.) It's OK to leave this phrase out! It's a given. Use the time and space for something more valuable. Like where you are and when you will return. Or, who they can call for more information.

4. I'll call you back as soon as possible.
Well, what's wrong with that Nancy? Everyone has it. Not everyone. Not me. Not my husband. It's not interesting and not fun. Mainly because your "as soon as possible" and my "as soon as possible" and "their as soon as possible" may not be, and probably are not, the same.
The truth is most people aren't returning their phone calls in a timely fashion (if at all). If you're telling your callers you'll call them back, make sure you do.
Don't wanna return the call? Have it returned on your behalf. Not returning a phone call is like not using your turn signal when changing lanes. RUDE! Be classy. Don't be a 'no show.'

5. No escape.
Offer the caller another name or extension. Main point here is to offer an alternative when you're not available. Plus, you've bought back some time to say something more interesting or helpful to the caller.

ABOUT NANCY FRIEDMAN
Nancy Friedman, the Telephone Doctor, is one of America's sought after speaker on sales, customer service and communication skills. She presents a broad array of keynote programs that help companies equip their people with tools to convert more inbound leads into sales, and deliver a better customer experience. Her keynotes and workshops have helped hundreds of organizations, franchises and associations with real world takeaways participants can implement right away. Recently selected to the St. Louis Small Business Hall of Fame by Small Business Monthly, she is recognized by the national media as an expert on her topics and has been published in The Wall Street Journal with her article "Don't Strike Out With Your Customers" and has been a featured guest on Oprah, Today, Fox News, CNN, CBS This Morning, Canada Today, as well as hundreds of radio and TV programs across the country. She was named to the list of Favorite Speakers for 2015 by Meetings and Convention magazine. Friedman is the author of nine books on customer service and the spokesperson in the popular Telephone Doctor customer service training library. Nancy delights her audiences and gives clients a true return on their investment (ROI). For additional information visit http://www.nancyfriedman.com

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