Objection handling
How to answer “Call me later”
The customer postpones, and may or may not intend to talk.
Why customers say it
Bad timing, wanting to end the call kindly, or real interest with no time.
Three ways to respond
One approach for each setting. Adapt the words to the customer and to your company’s rules.
- In sales
- Pin it down kindly. “Happy to. Which day and time suits you? I will call then and only for ten minutes.” Write it down and keep the slot.
- In insurance
- Make the callback concrete. “Of course. Would Wednesday afternoon or Friday morning be better?” Confirm by message if the customer agrees.
- In a contact centre
- Offer a choice and respect no. “I can call back tomorrow or next week, or if you prefer, leave it to you to contact us. What would you like?”
A common mistake
“I will try you sometime next week.” A vague promise nobody can keep.
Educational conversation training. It is not legal or financial advice and it promises no results. Always follow your company’s rules and the terms of the product.
Practise it out loud
Talk to an AI customer who raises this objection and read in the report which sentence helped.
Questions about this objection
What does “Call me later” mean?
The customer postpones, and may or may not intend to talk.
Why do customers say “Call me later”?
Bad timing, wanting to end the call kindly, or real interest with no time.
How do you answer “Call me later”?
In sales: Pin it down kindly. “Happy to. Which day and time suits you? I will call then and only for ten minutes.” Write it down and keep the slot. In insurance: Make the callback concrete. “Of course. Would Wednesday afternoon or Friday morning be better?” Confirm by message if the customer agrees. In a contact centre: Offer a choice and respect no. “I can call back tomorrow or next week, or if you prefer, leave it to you to contact us. What would you like?”
What is a common mistake when a customer says “Call me later”?
“I will try you sometime next week.” A vague promise nobody can keep.