Take Ownership/ Maintain Control of the Call

Effective strategies for taking ownership and maintaining control of a call is crucial to establish yourself as a confident and in-control communicator.

To begin with, it's important to establish a clear purpose for the call. Clearly communicate to your customer, ensuring everyone is on the same page. By doing so, you set the stage for a productive and focused conversation. Once the call is underway, it's essential to actively listen to your customer's perspectives and concerns. Demonstrate empathy and understanding, and validate their points of view. This will help create a positive and collaborative atmosphere. Use confident and assertive language to express your ideas and opinions, while still being respectful and open to feedback.

Additionally, pay attention to your tone of voice and non-verbal cues. A calm and composed demeanor will help establish authority and give trust to the client. Remember to project confidence through your words and actions. During any call, unexpected challenges or conflicts may arise. In these situations, it's essential to remain calm and take ownership of the situation by actively seeking resolutions and proposing alternative approaches.

Effectively taking ownership and maintaining control of a call requires careful preparation, active listening, assertiveness, and adaptability. By following the strategies below, you can ensure that your calls are productive, professional, and successful.


Acknowledging the Customer's Concerns:

  • NO Ineffective Response: "I'm not sure what we can do about that."
  • YES Effective Response: "I understand your concern, and I'm here to help. Let me gather some information so we can address this together."

Providing a Clear Action Plan:

  • NO Ineffective Response: "I'll see what I can do."
  • YES Effective Response: "I will investigate this issue for you. While I'm doing that, could you please provide more details or any relevant information that might help in resolving this quickly?".

Setting Expectations:

  • NO Ineffective Response: "I hope we can fix this soon."
  • YES Effective Response: "I'm committed to resolving this for you. I'll keep you updated on the progress, and if there are any delays, I'll let you know why and what we're doing to speed things up."

Taking Initiative:

  • NO Ineffective Response: "Someone else should be handling this."
  • YES Effective Response: "I'll personally follow up on this matter and ensure it gets the attention it needs. You can expect a call from me with an update by [specified time]."

Managing Time Effectively:

  • NO Ineffective Response: Allowing the customer to lead the conversation without guiding the addressed concerns clearly.
  • YES Effective Response: "I want to make sure we cover everything. First, let's address [specific concern], and then we can discuss other related matters. Does that sound good to you?".

Being Proactive:

  • NO Ineffective Response: "I'll wait for you to reach out if there's anything else you need."
  • YES Effective Response: "Before you go, is there anything else you might need help with today? I just want to make sure we've covered all your questions?"

Remaining Calm and Professional:

  • NO Ineffective Response: Showing any frustration or impatience and rush the call pace and the client.
  • YES Effective Response: "I can understand this situation can be frustrating, and I appreciate your patience while I look into this for you. I'm committed to finding a speedy solution for you".

Following Through on Promises:

  • NO Ineffective Response: Making promises without the intent to follow through is unprofessional/ gives the client a lack of trust in the company.
  • YES Effective Response: "I'll personally investigate this and call you back by [specified time]. If for any reason I can't meet that deadline, I'll reach out to keep you informed by email as well."

Closing the Call Professionally:

  • NO Ineffective Response: Abruptly ending the call without checking for additional concerns.
  • YES Effective Response: "Is there anything else I can help you with today? (wait for client response). Thank you for calling Entripy.  Have a wonderful day!"

Empathizing and Expressing Genuine Concern:

  • NO Ineffective Response: Showing indifference to the customer's situation. (lack of empathy/ ignoring/ minimal effort/ Impersonal)
  • YES Effective Response: "I can understand how frustrating this must be for you. I really appreciate your patience, and I want to assure you that we're doing everything we can to resolve this matter right away."
Did this answer your question? Thanks for the feedback There was a problem submitting your feedback. Please try again later.