Learn how to create a positive and productive phone culture in your workplace with these six tips to motivate your employees to improve their phone etiquette skills.

Motivate employees to improve phone etiquette by clearly communicating the benefits, such as enhanced customer satisfaction and career growth. Offer regular training and constructive feedback to support their development. Recognize and reward improvements to reinforce positive behavior. Create a supportive environment where employees feel encouraged to practice and refine their skills.

Last updated on Aug 9, 2024

How do you motivate employees to improve phone etiquette?

Phone etiquette is a crucial skill for any employee who interacts with customers, clients, or prospects over the phone. It can make or break a business relationship, affect customer satisfaction, and influence the company's reputation. However, not everyone has the same level of phone etiquette, and some employees may need more guidance and motivation to improve their skills. How do you motivate employees to improve phone etiquette? Here are some tips to help you create a positive and productive phone culture in your workplace.

1 Set clear expectations

The first step to motivate employees to improve phone etiquette is to set clear and consistent expectations for how they should handle phone calls. You can create a phone etiquette policy that outlines the dos and don'ts of phone communication, such as greeting, tone, language, listening, empathy, problem-solving, closing, and follow-up. You can also provide examples of good and bad phone etiquette scenarios and explain the consequences of each. Make sure to communicate the policy to all employees and provide them with a copy for reference.

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Yuvaraj V

Assistant Manager - Global Talent Acquisition | MBA in HR
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Motivate employees to improve phone etiquette by clearly communicating the benefits, such as enhanced customer satisfaction and career growth. Offer regular training and constructive feedback to support their development. Recognize and reward improvements to reinforce positive behavior. Create a supportive environment where employees feel encouraged to practice and refine their skills.

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Kimerly Metcalf CPhT-Adv

Inventory Specialist and Advanced Certified Pharmacy Technician at CVS Pharmacy
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The clear and consistent etiquette expectations are set forth by the policy and procedures department of my company. The supervisor enforces them.

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2 Provide feedback and coaching

The second step to motivate employees to improve phone etiquette is to provide regular and constructive feedback and coaching. You can use various methods to monitor and evaluate your employees' phone performance, such as listening to recorded calls, observing live calls, conducting surveys, or using phone etiquette assessment tools. Based on your findings, you can praise your employees for their strengths, identify their areas of improvement, and offer specific and actionable suggestions for how they can enhance their skills. You can also coach your employees on how to handle challenging or difficult phone situations and provide them with scripts or templates if needed.

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Kimerly Metcalf CPhT-Adv

Inventory Specialist and Advanced Certified Pharmacy Technician at CVS Pharmacy
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The supervisor provides the feedback and coaching at each and every location within the company that I work for. Colleagues do not coach each other.

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Lauren Helm, APR, CPRC

Communications Consultant | Branding & Strategy Expert | Elevating Brands with 15+ Years of PR Experience
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Producing an audio recording of the phone conversation can provide insight into the why behind the importance of phone etiquette. It can help you offer constructive feedback to employees with real examples and workshop scenarios to produce a better outcome. Often, a phone call is the caller's first introduction to your brand, and it is critical to ensure a positive experience each time after that.

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3 Recognize and reward

The third step to motivate employees to improve phone etiquette is to recognize and reward their efforts and achievements. You can use various ways to show your appreciation and encouragement, such as giving verbal or written compliments, sending thank-you notes or emails, announcing their success in meetings or newsletters, or offering incentives or bonuses. You can also create a system of recognition and reward that is based on measurable and attainable goals, such as customer satisfaction ratings, call quality scores, or call resolution rates. By doing so, you can foster a sense of achievement and pride among your employees and motivate them to keep up the good work.

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Kimerly Metcalf CPhT-Adv

Inventory Specialist and Advanced Certified Pharmacy Technician at CVS Pharmacy
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There is no reward program within my company for providing good phone etiquette as it is expected from every colleague within.

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4 Train and develop

The fourth step to motivate employees to improve phone etiquette is to train and develop their skills and knowledge. You can provide your employees with various opportunities to learn and grow, such as enrolling them in online or offline courses, workshops, or webinars on phone etiquette or related topics, such as communication, customer service, or sales. You can also assign them mentors or buddies who can share their best practices and tips, or encourage them to join peer groups or forums where they can exchange ideas and experiences. By doing so, you can enhance your employees' confidence and competence and help them stay updated and relevant.

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Kimerly Metcalf CPhT-Adv

Inventory Specialist and Advanced Certified Pharmacy Technician at CVS Pharmacy
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The training and development is done by corporate leaders through modules we watch and participate in during on boarding with the company.

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5 Lead by example

The fifth step to motivate employees to improve phone etiquette is to lead by example. You can demonstrate the phone etiquette standards and behaviors that you expect from your employees by modeling them yourself. You can also show your employees that you value and respect them by listening to their feedback, addressing their concerns, and supporting their development. By doing so, you can create a positive and supportive phone culture in your workplace and inspire your employees to follow your lead and strive for excellence.

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Kimerly Metcalf CPhT-Adv

Inventory Specialist and Advanced Certified Pharmacy Technician at CVS Pharmacy
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A new hire will shadow an experienced colleague to watch how the colleague answered the phone and conducts the call that they are on.

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6 Involve and empower

The sixth step to motivate employees to improve phone etiquette is to involve and empower them in the process. You can solicit their input and suggestions on how to improve the phone etiquette policy, the feedback and coaching system, the recognition and reward program, or the training and development opportunities. You can also give them more autonomy and responsibility in handling phone calls, such as allowing them to make decisions, solve problems, or escalate issues. By doing so, you can increase your employees' engagement and ownership and encourage them to take initiative and be creative.

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7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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How do you motivate employees to improve phone etiquette?

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1 Set clear expectations

2 Provide feedback and coaching

3 Recognize and reward

4 Train and develop

5 Lead by example

6 Involve and empower

7 Here’s what else to consider

Phone Etiquette

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