10 Phone Etiquette Mistakes Your Bail Agency Should Avoid

• September 11, 2018
• by AboutBail Staff
• Business Tips

Answering and making calls is an important element of business, and every bail bond agency should understand that they are judged by their phone etiquette.  It may seem basic, but it is absolutely crucial that you put your best efforts into making clients feel like they were helped. How you treat a client during a phone call can determine whether they will stick with you or take their business elsewhere.


Here are 8 common phone etiquette mistakes that could hurt your business:

Not answering the phone. With caller ID, telemarketers, and restricted numbers many people choose to ignore calls from numbers they don’t recognize. Unfortunately, in a time-sensitive business, it's usually the first professional to answer that gets the job.

Not having a business line. Having your work calls come in on your personal line may seem like no big deal, but a future client will likely hang up if they hear a ringback tone or even a voicemail that isn’t specific to your business.   

Not forwarding your calls. It’s important to have your office calls forwarded to your cell phone when you aren't in. This way you aren’t missing out on any potential clients and can be reached if there is an emergency or sudden change.

Not answering professionally. Most businesses answer with their business name, so a “Hello” can make the client confused about who they are talking to and if it's a business. A good example would be to say, “XYZ Bail Bonds, this is John. How may I help you?” This establishes professionalism from the beginning and immediately tells the client who your company is, what you do, who they are speaking with, and most importantly that you are ready to help them.

Being unfriendly or rude. A person who is seeking a bail bond agent might be stressed out and upset, but it’s important to be calm and patient. If the potential customer thinks you were rude and not very helpful, they will likely take their business elsewhere.

Not taking notes. From the moment you answer the phone, you should be taking notes on the call.  It’s important to write down the person’s name, what they are calling about, and the details of their bail needs.

Leaving people on hold. Ideally, you would never have to put a potential client on hold, but sometimes it’s necessary. When you put someone on hold, try to get back to them as soon as possible.  If it will take you more than a minute or two, ask to take a message and let them know you will call them back as soon as you can.

Not returning calls. If a potential client has left you a voicemail, it’s important to get back to them as soon as possible. Not returning calls can make your business look disorganized and unprofessional. 

Given the choice, customers will usually turn to the company that provides better customer service, so you should consider phone calls your most basic form of marketing. Remember, if you are friendly, helpful, and meet your client's needs, they might refer someone to you in the future.