Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/298794
50 • MAY 2014 • WORLD FENCE NEWS &#%'#!%##%%&# WIREWALL #""$ ( This column originally was pub- lished in the February 2012 issue of World Fence News. I've addressed this issue before, but it's an important subject that can have a major impact on the public's perception of your business: the way people in so many firms across so many walks of professional life are an- swering the telephone in a poor man- ner. (Even in these days of non-stop THE HUMAN LINK by Jim Lucci Management Motivational Associates texting and e-mail, people still do in- teract over the telephone!) We are not singling out fence companies, but rather pointing out just how widespread this problem is in our business lives. Here are some specifics; some of the points were grammatical and some were an appli- cation of business courtesy. Here is an example of poor gram- mar, a very grating one, but possibly the most frequently heard: Caller: "May I speak with Jane Doe?" Employee on phone: "This is her." Incorrect: It should be "This is she." To know whether to use "her" or "she," turn the sentence around: "She is this" sounds better than "Her is this." (The same applies to the guys. It is "This is he" rather than "This is him.") As an aside, this example brings to mind the reply that "Ms. Doe is in the ladies room." That's just too much in- formation for a comfortable level of communication. And it does not serve to obtain the information which could assist Ms. Doe in returning the call and assisting the caller. I was asked to revisit some thoughts that we have mentioned from time to time in the past, to help rein- force the necessity to make sure that the person answering the phone in your workplace is putting his or her best foot forward in making a good "first" impression on behalf of the business. I think it might be helpful if we once again try to establish the proper mindset or framework for dealing with the telephone in the first place. To do this, we will look at the word as a "whole" and use the component letters T-E-L-E-P-H-O-N-E to help us visu- alize the framework. T=Time. A telephone is designed to reduce the time necessary to facili- tate communication between two or more (if via conference call) parties. Therefore, one has to be mindful of and respectful of just how important time can be to both the person(s) call- ing and to the person(s) answering the call. However, there is a balance that must be struck, and that leads to the second letter. E=Efficiency. If your phone per- son is too direct, it may appear to the continued on page 52 Make the first impression a positive one At Western Tube & Conduit customer satisfaction and quality are the first order of business. Our Fencepost and Fencerail production is ISO-9001:2008 certified - and our products are manufactured to meet all the applicable state, federal, industrial and regulatory specifications and requirements. While we regularly stock standardized products and sizes, we are happy to provide custom dimensions as well. All our Fence products are galvanized with high purity zinc. We use high frequency welding (ERW) to turn the highest quality strip steel into tubing, and then a continuous hot-galvanizing process to zinc-coat the products smoothly and evenly. A zinc-rich interior organic coating, a chromate conversion coating, and a clear exterior organic coating provide the complete finish package that gives them superior protection against the elements and long life as a result. Gal-Z serves customers looking for shaped Fence tubing as well as corrosion-protected mechanical tubing. It can be purchased in squares and in rectangles, and it provides excellent environmental durability while also fulfilling the need for strength and weldability.