Kyle T
Premium Member
Registered: 11th Sep 04
Location: Selby, North Yorkshire
User status: Offline
|
Something has come up at work, and I can't decide what I make of it - so wanted the opinion of others, so where better to ask than CS? I'm not particularly pissed off or upset about this, just genuinely curious as to what people think.
I work in a reasonably small IT team, and recently our helpdesk (team of three) have been asked to cut out their use of words such as 'mate' or 'buddy' when talking to customers on the phone.
All of our customers are internal, and I'd say (without any real figures to back this up) that 80% of our calls are from 20% of our userbase (being about 1000 users total), so it's fair to say that we're on first name terms and quite pally with most of the people we speak to.
Personally I only speak with people maybe once or twice a week, and typically it's involving quite a long ongoing issue so I talk to them in the same way I'd talk to any person outside of work - but for our helpdesk guys taking potentially hundreds of calls per week, is it fair/right/proper to ask them to sound 'more professional' and eliminate the 'Cheers Mate', 'Eyup Buddy', etc?
I always felt that I had a good relationship with my 'customers' when in a similar role - and I was very 'casual' in the way in which I spoke to people. I think that turning into professional robots in a company this size will just create an even bigger social barrier between the production side of the company and the IT support/facilities side, but I've never really worked in a large corperate environment so I'm not sure my opinion is particularly well informed.
I've been in car dealerships recently and have cringed at the way in which sales people speak to me with all their mates, pals and buddies, so I think it has to be used in good measure - but certainly not eliminated completely.
How do you speak to people on the phone, and how would you respond to somebody calling you 'mate' or 'love'?
Lotus Elise 111R
Impreza WRX STi
|
Sam
Moderator
Premium Member
Registered: 24th Dec 99
Location: West Midlands
User status: Offline
|
Well if you all work for the same company, what bloody difference does it make whether you call them mate or not if you talk to them regularly? 
Obviously you may not want to do this with senior management/directors unless they are "alright".
|
T21SVJ
Member
Registered: 14th Sep 06
Location: formby Drives: Company Cars
User status: Offline
|
if im on the phone to one of our supplyers who i speak to regular then its always "mate" or "love".
but if a customer walks into the dealership then i wouldn't use mate or love to any new customer who i was trying to sell a car to.
|
Jake
Member
Registered: 24th Jan 05
User status: Offline
|
barnshaw literally has the best telephone manners out of anyone on the internet
|
Robin
Premium Member
Registered: 7th Jan 04
Location: Northants Drives: Clio 182 Cup
User status: Offline
|
Depends on the customer IMO, I use 'sir' if it's a new customer or someone old, and mate if it's someone I know well enough.
Familiarity with people you don't know can rub people up the wrong way.
If there's suits in the room, it's 'sir' all the way.
|
mattk
Member
Registered: 27th Feb 06
Location: St. Helens
User status: Offline
|
people are people, apart from material things we are all the same, I treat everyone the same, Id talk to the queen the same Id talk to anyone else.
I like to think Im polite enough to everyone
my close mates are different though I suppose, they are the only ones I call Cunts
|
BarnshaW
Member
Registered: 25th Oct 06
User status: Offline
|
quote:
Originally posted by Jake
barnshaw literally has the best telephone manners out of anyone on the internet
i can confirm you should not address customers or people outside the business as "mate" or "buddy" , it is just not professional.
|
Stuart H
Member
Registered: 17th Jul 09
Location: lanark , scotland
User status: Offline
|
When I worked in peugeot it was mate for customers that were in all the time
Spoke professional to anyone I didny know though
|
Tomnova16
Premium Member
Registered: 21st Jan 06
Location: Gerrards Cross Drives: Porsche 911
User status: Offline
|
quote:
Originally posted by BarnshaW
quote:
Originally posted by Jake
barnshaw literally has the best telephone manners out of anyone on the internet
i can confirm you should not address customers or people outside the business as "mate" or "buddy" , it is just not professional.
http://www.lemass.co.uk/ for all your automotive/bodyshop needs
Located in Chalfont st Peter
|
Ian
Site Administrator
Registered: 28th Aug 99
Location: Liverpool
User status: Offline
|
Never used mate in work, ever.
|
Jed D
Member
Registered: 15th Mar 11
Location: Durham
User status: Offline
|
i called a customer mate once....
then looked up to see it was an old lady 
|
sc0ott
Member
Registered: 16th Feb 09
User status: Offline
|
I work with some proffesional bodies both internally and externally.
The ones i know pretty well usual get 'good afternoon, halfords bike department', or 'hello jjb female changing rooms' from me.
|
Lynny
Member
Registered: 3rd Jan 03
Location: oop north! Where people talk properly
User status: Offline
|
I hate being called mate, love, pet etc. Especially when in a work environment.
|
Marc
Member
Registered: 11th Aug 02
Location: York
User status: Offline
|
I never use the term mate personally. When speaking to internal customers at NU we were not allowed to use the term and if we were called mate that was for their departments call listeners to pick up! When at Gamestation store staff would call you mate when they called you but that was a completely differant culture! At Nestle we have a few internal customers and we have to speak to them like we would all our other customers - ensure we say Mr or Mrs once. I'm pretty sure we would be lynched if we dared call them by their first names!
|
Jake
Member
Registered: 24th Jan 05
User status: Offline
|
i used to call everyone mate when i worked at daytona. they asked us to call men, sir etcetc but couldnt bring myself to say it
|
Daveskater
Premium Member
Registered: 29th Apr 08
Location: Oxford, UK Drives: Jap wagon
User status: Offline
|
Whenever I make an internal call at work I always say "alright mate, how you doing" but for clients etc it's "hi *name*" instead of "alright mate".
I'm far too laid back to call everyone sir
Numberwang!
Originally posted by AlunJ
I like you Dave, you are a man of men
Originally Whatapp'd by Neo
Dave's maybe capable of a drive-by cuddle
Look at my pictures
|
Ian
Site Administrator
Registered: 28th Aug 99
Location: Liverpool
User status: Offline
|
In fact I used to get asked in the pub why I was being funny during work hours. Everyone said I was totally different in a social setting than in work. To the point that loads have people have said that since going for a pint they now think I'm OK, previously a narky bastard.
It's just a different setting.
|
shaunmods
Premium Member
Registered: 12th Mar 07
Location: Glascote, Staffordshire
User status: Offline
|
If a customer calls me 'mate' or similar im a lot more likely to say it. Its harder over the phone than face to face because you can tell things like their age etc most of the time. Most younger people probably wont have a problem with it but someone older might not like it.
I've had a customer complain about me for calling them by their first name before. I've never called someone sir or madam though.
|
BarnshaW
Member
Registered: 25th Oct 06
User status: Offline
|
i use sir or madam all the time, if your calling someone for the first time and you dont know them its the proper way,
also people with hard to pronounce surnames i might say "good afternoon, i am sorry to trouble you sir my name is ..... and i am calling from ......."
|
VegasPhil
Premium Member
Registered: 16th Jan 05
Location: Fareham, Hants Drives: Octavia VRS
User status: Offline
|
Mr/s and Sir and Madam for me. Rarely say mate, unless i'm on the phone to IT.
Corsa 2.0 16v Vegas - Sold
|
mwg
Member
Registered: 19th Feb 04
Location: South Lakes
User status: Offline
|
I hate being called Sir.
|
Daveskater
Premium Member
Registered: 29th Apr 08
Location: Oxford, UK Drives: Jap wagon
User status: Offline
|
Sir Matty G 
Tbf young people aren't going to want to be called sir because it makes you feel old
[Edited on 30-08-2011 by Daveskater]
Numberwang!
Originally posted by AlunJ
I like you Dave, you are a man of men
Originally Whatapp'd by Neo
Dave's maybe capable of a drive-by cuddle
Look at my pictures
|
John
Member
Registered: 30th Jun 03
User status: Offline
|
I know exactly the sort of person that would have decided to bring in a rule like that, there's always one.
|
mwg
Member
Registered: 19th Feb 04
Location: South Lakes
User status: Offline
|
quote:
Originally posted by Daveskater
Sir Matty G
Tbf young people aren't going to want to be called sir because it makes you feel old
[Edited on 30-08-2011 by Daveskater]
I dont like being called it because it means the person saying it is being an arse licker
|
Daveskater
Premium Member
Registered: 29th Apr 08
Location: Oxford, UK Drives: Jap wagon
User status: Offline
|
Yes, Matty G, sir. Of course Matty G, sir. Whatever you say, Matty G, sir.
Numberwang!
Originally posted by AlunJ
I like you Dave, you are a man of men
Originally Whatapp'd by Neo
Dave's maybe capable of a drive-by cuddle
Look at my pictures
|
