The opening spiel is the most common sentence spoken by every agent all over the world. It always starts with “Thank you for calling (company name), this is (name), how may I help you?” If it’s outbound, then “Hi, this is (name) from (company name)."
But this spiel, however mundane it is and often ignored, is critical to avoid getting scammed.
A story that broke out a few months back has now resurfaced in the news. There were consumers who were scammed or even forced to pay high rates for a simple locksmith job. You get locked out of your house or car and you call your local locksmith to help you out, but on the contrary you ring a call center that is not even within your neighborhood. Though this in-house center was legitimate with agents working round the clock, there was something suspicious about how they answered their calls.
“Thanks for calling. Locksmith.” That wasn’t a company name. It was just Locksmith. Since it was a generic company fooling someone into thinking they called their local store, it wasn’t.
Interestingly enough, the newscaster’s first tip to viewers was to listen to the opening spiel and make sure that it was a legitimate company.
So, remember, even if the opening spiel seem insignificant to the call, it may save you from wasting time and money over a simple request. Listen to it intently and appreciate the fact the company name is in there.
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