There’s this one moment in the final stanza of Berlioz’s Roman Carnival Overture, when the instrumentation builds to a grand finale.

In the final measures of the score, the brass instruments wail, the strings thrash with furiosity, the percussion shakes the walls; and then, amidst the final note and subsequent silence, the hair on the back of your neck stands at attention. The impression is a resonating one.

Sandra Roeling isn’t a composer, but she’s certainly an orchestrator. And it’s her job to create that same experience for her phone audience every day, to orchestrate a resonating impression.

When it’s time to perform, Sandra takes her seat.

As Project leader, it’s Sandra’s job to contact the customer when a sales order comes in, and coordinate details from equipment order to delivery date. She’s the main point of contact between customers and coworkers until (and even after) an installation is complete.

“Sandra is always very patient with customers and takes her time when she’s on the phone with them. Even though she may feel overwhelmed, she will never let the customer know that. There have been times when customers have called in and they are frustrated and Sandra has always been able to de-escalate the situation,” said Jacqueline Campos, to which Sandra’s current manager Laura Jo McDaniel obliges.

How does Sandra Orchestrate a Resonating Impression With Customers? Here are Just 5 Ways.

1. Set the tone.

If Sandra’s having a bad day, you certainly wouldn’t know it over the phone. She has a positivity about her, and a genuine interest in everything the customer is saying; one that can neither be taught nor replicated.

“I just need to be an active listener (to do that),” Sandra says.

2. Lighten the mood.

“When someone calls me with their hair on fire, I try very hard to talk them down and lighten the mood,” Sandra says. “If a dog is barking in the background, I’ll ask what kind of dog they have. If it’s raining, I’ll ask them if they’re getting flooded in over there. When the time is right, I’ll even joke around with them a bit.”

3. Write down the details.

“I have to ensure that I have every bit of the customer information, dates, times, etc. all down correctly. I’ll write everything down on pen and paper, just so I have a reference point,” Sandra says.

4. Reiterate the details.

In the course of a conversation, she’ll mention her own name multiple times – she does so for strategic reasons. “Hi, this is Sandra. “If you need anything, my name is Sandra.”

“I want to make sure they have my name in their head, so when something does arise, a delivery date needs to change, that they know to come to me,” Sandra says.

She also includes plenty of phrases like “any questions, give me a call.” “Does that make sense?" “I’m here to explain anything you might not understand.”

“The bottom line is, I want clarity,” Sandra says. “I always want them to come back to me if a need comes up, so that I, as the point person, can set everything straight.”

5. Do the job right the first time. 

The best impression Sandra figures she can leave is by doing the job right the first time. I.E.: A smooth, well-planned installation. Part of Sandra’s standard practice is to do a follow-up call after an installation.

“When I hear, ‘this was the smoothest process possible. Y’all were so easy to schedule with. This was such a painless transition'… That’s when I know I’ve left an impression.”

Meanwhile, in East Texas, Connectivity Specialist Kelly Hunley has a customer in tears. She’s laughing that hard.

Laughter is great medicine, and Kelly’s just told a customer one of his classic jokes. She’s laughing, her scanning issue is soon resolved, and a positive rapport is established quickly through the simple vehicle of comedy. But there’s more to it than shared laughter.

Kelly’s positive outlook is infectious. Customers walk away from a service call with him happier than they were when the copy/scan issue arose – what a great impression to leave.

“I believe in the power of positive suggestion,” Kelly says. “If you go around and feel bad all the time, you’re going to feel bad all the time. Half the battle is getting the customer to feel good about whatever issue they’ve got with their equipment. I often tell customers, you know what the true definition of a problem is don’t you? It’s an opportunity to learn something new.”

Anyone who’s worked alongside Hunley has heard a few “Kelly-isms” from the hallway or breakroom. Just three of them:

• “Never give up. Never surrender.”
• “If we don’t quit and we don’t give up, we’ll never lose.”
• “It’s all good. If it’s not, it will be.”

These one-liners are more than sayings: They’re mantras that Kelly illustrates with each of his customer calls.

Kelly’s 4 Ways to Orchestrate a Positive Impression.

1. Start by listening.

“I reckon the easiest way to put it is, I start out by listening. I introduce myself, why I’m calling, and then I let them tell me what’s on their mind,” Kelly says.

Kelly’s reasoning? God gave us two ears and eyes for a reason. You learn a lot more by looking and listening than by talking.

2. Explain what’s going on – in a way they can understand.

Customers, Kelly reasons, feel better when they know the reason behind their particular issue. So he explains it to them, without going over their head.

“I like to use analogies. Like, think of an IP Address as a Post Office. And the last number in that address? That’s your post office box. When it makes sense to them, they’ll always feel a little better about the resolution we provide.”

3. Don't allow silence.

Kelly throws a question at The Rave Review: Have you ever been on the phone with an IT support person, and he or she just doesn’t talk? Not on Kelly’s watch.

“I don’t allow silence. Not at the point of being overbearing. But if they decide to stay on the line with me while I remote in, I’ll interject with “You still with me?” or I’ll ask them if there are any questions. In the meantime, we usually start talking about something else.”

4. Be a chameleon.

Kelly’s been blessed with a friendly, outgoing personality. He naturally exhibits empathy, and, in talking to him long enough, you’ll too crack a smile. Or crack a joke.

“I guess the best terminology I can use is, be a chameleon when it comes to customer talk and lingo. If they want to joke around, we’ll tell jokes. If they’re frustrated, I’ll work on calming them down. If they want to talk about politics… I’ll listen (laughs).”

For Kelly Hunley, laughter is often the best medicine for customer service. But his Power of Positive Suggestion? That’s a heck of a way to leave an impression that resonates, one that lasts well beyond the service call.