The importance of tone of voice in customer service.

If you’ve ever seen Three Men and a Baby, then you might remember the scene where Tom Selleck is lulling the little baby to sleep reading a sports article about a bloodied and bruised boxing champ. Who would read that to a baby? Well, as he points out, “It doesn’t matter what I read. It’s the tone you use.”

When you’re angry, people know it.

Tone of voice very obviously tells the tale of your mood. You can hear joy as clearly as you can hear anger. It is believed that changes in expression impact us on a subliminal level. We pick up on different characteristics in a speaker’s voice, and those little cues help us interpret what may be going on beneath the surface. So, as a customer service representative, what do you do when you’re feeling under the weather or having a bad day? You fix it with a smile.

Shhh. Listen. You can hear a smile.

Research has shown that smiling affects how we speak, and it can be “heard” through the phone. That means that when you are talking, whether you are smiling, frowning, or somewhere in between, your facial expression is translating across the distance. In fact, research postulates that some people have “smilier” voices than others.

Plus, smiling makes people happier!

Smiling has a serious influence over attitude. Genuine smiles suggest that we are trustworthy, help us build relationships, reduce stress and make us happier! Anyone working as a customer service representative knows that there is no place for anger, frustration, or any off-color mood in the course of a phone transaction. So, in the interest of keeping callers (and yourself) happy, smile. You’ll put your best voice forward each time you pick up the phone.