Answer the phone in a polite manner and always identify yourself.
“Thank you for calling Carolina Biological Supply, this is (your name). How may I help you?”
“Customer service, this is (your name). How may I help you today?”
“Good morning/afternoon, my name is (your name). How may I help you?”
Ask the customer if they are paying with a purchase order or credit card. Doing this at the beginning of the call will help you determine which account to use before the order has been started.
Ask the customer if they will be using a sales quote for their order.
If the customer does not provide account number, school name/address up front, ask for shipping info based on Who’s Who methods. Customer name, school name, address, zip, etc.
VERIFY billing and shipping information. Verify the telephone number & email address. You must ask for an email address if one is not listed on the ship to.
Always check account comments when selecting account. Some accounts are duplicates and are not to be used.
Remember to ask who you are speaking with. This name needs to be keyed in the “Ordered By” field.
Ask the customer if they have any promo codes before entering items. (ex “Do you have any promotion codes to use on the order today?)
Not applicable if converting a quote.
Always read back the description of the item and verify the unit and extended price with the customer.
Read item comments if prompted. Share any pertinent information with the customer, such as hazardous material charges, permit restrictions, mandatory shipping dates, etc.
For living items, ask the customer when they would like to receive the item.
Recap the order to ensure it is correct.
Provide customer with expected delivery date(s)
Provide the customer with their shipping total, tax if applicable, and overall total.
Inform customer of amount of promo discounts if applicable.
Always provide the “confirmation” number (Order Number).
At the end of an order, always thank the customer.
Also, ask “Is there anything else I can assist/help you with today?” (This can be skipped if the customer is in a hurry or if the call was difficult and the customer seems irritated.)
