There are right ways to answer the phone and wrong ways to answer the phone. I recently called a company that chose the wrong way to answer the phone and remembered just how awkward a bad greeting can leave a caller feeling.
What was this awful greeting I was subjected to, you ask?
It was simply, "Hello?"
Nothing wrong with that, right? Well actually there is, there's a lot wrong with it. In my books a greeting like that from a company is one syllable away from a disinterested grunt.
"Hello?" is how people answer their home phones - had I called someone's home? What do I say? Do I ask for Pam (who I want to speak to) or first ask if this is the right company?
Avoid this kind of situation at all costs (invest in training if needs be) by adopting a simple, standard greeting that leaves the caller confident of who (and where) they've reached.
"Good morning, this is XYZ and you're speaking to Sam, how can I help you?", is an example of a greeting that tells the caller everything they need to know.
If you have calls transferred to you then adopt the same approach. The caller is by now probably sure they've called the right company but you should still introduce yourself and your department.
Do you have a standard greeting for callers to your business? What do you include in your greeting?
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