TELEPHONE `DOCTOR' TRIES TO CURE CALLERS' ILLS

The Telephone "Doctor," a nationally known expert on telephone etiquette and customer service, will bring her cure to Southeast Missouri next month.

The Telephone Doctor, Nancy Friedman, will be the keynote speaker for the 106th annual Southeast Missouri Press Association meeting. The Telephone Doctor's presentation from 2 to 4 p.m. on Friday, April 17 is open to the public.

"The biggest mistake people make on the telephone is not being friendly enough," Friedman said, in a telephone interview from her St. Louis office. "And you should be friendly before you know who is on the other end."

Friedman will present a two-hour program that she promises will be "energetic, motivational, humorous and educational."

"Untold millions of dollars are lost each year due to poor customer service," Friedman said. "We want to keep the dollars in Cape Girardeau. We don't want people to drive to St. Louis when there are wonderful businesses right there in Cape Girardeau."

The program is for car dealers, real estate agents, doctors' offices, newspapers "and every other kind of business," she said.

And Friedman said it's not just the receptionist who needs good telephone skills.

"Whoever answers the phone is the company," she said.

With ever increasing prevalence of voice mail, direct dial and automated answering services, the job of answering the telephone has become considerably more complicated.

Friedman has just finished her second book about customer service. Her company ran a contest to collect the worst customer service nightmares.

"I can tell you there are some horror stories," she said, "and no business is immune. What I say is that these situations can be avoided with training. How many of us have a new employee training, especially concerning answering the phone?"

The seminar is filled with humorous anecdotes, and no one has to stand or do role-playing. A question-and-answer time will be included.

Tickets cost $25 and are available at the Southeast Missourian office or by calling Joni Adams or Peggy Scott at 335-6611.