Put Your Best Foot Forward - practicing good phone etiquette

Whether you're trying to find trucking jobs, or seeking to advance your current position, learning positive communication skills is an important factor. In the RPM for Trucker's article, "Communicating Gooder" by Dan Anderson, he states that according to USA Truck recruiter Staci Huff only 80% of the decision to hire a driver is based on their information. The other 20% is based largely on the driver's communication skills.

Now I know from personal experience that there are plenty of drivers out there that have learned to flex their proverbial communication muscles. Some might argue that they've learned to flex them a little too much! (However being a good conversationalist will hardly count against you in my book, whether I want to hear about Aunt Zelda or not.) But then there are still plenty of other drivers I try to help find driving jobs that contact me and continue to communicate in such abominating ways it honestly shocks me that they've gotten this far in life.

As a phone professional, I think I've just about heard it all, from death threats to sexual propositions, there is just something about a phone that makes people say and do some crazy things. So I thought I'd take a moment and examine the top three "communication faux pas" I deal with on a day to day basis, and try to offer constructive alternatives.

Faux pas #1: Truck drivers call me with questions seeking answers and then interrupt me continuously when I'm trying to help.

Faux pas #2: People call me and insult me and my intelligence to the point where I don't want to help.

Faux pas #3: People curse, swear and holler at me to the point where I beg them to hang up the phone.

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