Making an Inquiry

Planning a big party, scheduling ocular visits to your prospective venues, or scheduling food tastings with possible caterers will have you sending out a slew of inquiries. While customer service will always put you and your requests as top priority, it’s also important to maintain a respectful and gracious tone. Conducting yourself with decorum isn’t just proper—it can also score you a better deal, and have you building better working relationships with people, whether or not your deal pushes through.

Here are a few tips to keep you courteous on the phone or over email.

ONLINE

Set up a professional email account. Get rid of that 15-year old embarrassing address you created as a teenager and move on to something a little more serious. If you’re going to be going through business transactions, you want to be taken seriously!

Start and end appropriately. You may be sending the same inquiry over a bunch of suppliers—make sure each letter is addressed properly, especially if you’re cutting and pasting the same text. Start off with a polite “Hello” and end with a cordial “Sincerely” or “Best Regards.”

Use the signature function. Have all your details included in your email signature so they know how to reach you across all networks. Be wary of putting in personal accounts though! Keep things strictly professional to avoid getting into hairy situations with work contacts.

ON THE PHONE

Get your questions ready. Prepare a list of specifics you need from your supplier to get the conversation going without any unnecessary lags. The more specific you are about what you’re looking for, the more help your customer service representative can offer you.

Have a pen and paper handy. Or if you’re more tech-oriented, open up a new Note on your phone or a sticky on your laptop. You’ll be getting a lot of details over the phone and you’ll want to have a place to record all the information you acquire. Don’t let the person who’s assisting you wait. Having everything ready shows you’re serious about your call.

Stay focused. Try not to leave the person you’re talking to hanging, or be distracted by whatever’s going on around you while you’re on the phone. Dedicate a specific time in your day to make your calls in a quiet space to get things done more efficiently for both you and your supplier.

The Blue Leaf is a great place to host parties, whether you're looking to entertain corporate clients or throw a get-together for friends and family. We can help you forge new bonds and make new memories, no matter what the occasion. For inquiries, call The Blue Leaf Events Pavilion at 898-BLUE or visit mckinley.theblueleaf.com.ph for more information