Well, the place to start is to improve the experience people have when they call your business. Because, whether you realize it or not, while phones may feel like an outdated way to communicate, one study concludes: “Phone calls are still the primary channel for customer communications: Social media channels handle just 3 percent of all customer communications, compared to 68 percent who contact customer service by phone.” That means even in an increasingly tech-savvy world, the telephone is still one of the most important mediums of communication between a business and its customers and prospects. With that in mind, here are four ways to improve customer experience and communication over the phone so you can drive business and improve customer happiness. Another study found that “more than eight in 10 consumers (83 percent) say they will avoid a company or stop giving it business after a poor experience with an automated phone system.” For many businesses, the first point of interaction with a customer will occur over the phone, so the most effective way to ensure better communication with customers is to put a professional automated answering service (called an auto attendant) in place. The bottom line is, people hate holding for longer than a couple of minutes, so take steps to ensure all calls are being routed to the appropriate person or voicemail in a less than that. Again, a good automated answering system will help limit hold times when setup properly. So work on putting the right processes and technology in place to ensure callers aren’t placed on hold for long periods of time. Make customer service calls a priority. In other words, when communication breaks down over the phone, people take it personally, and they tend to not give you their business. To start, try to frame your language in a positive way rather than a negative one.
Communication is at the heart of human interaction, and it can make or break a business. Being able to communicate effectively with customers can lead to increased sales, repeat business and referrals. On the other hand, not being able to can quickly lead to decreased sales, frustrated customers and negative word of mouth.
So one big question facing businesses in this ever-more-connected society of ours is: How can businesses improve their communications with customers in order to grow and thrive?
Well, the place to start is to improve the experience people have when they call your business. Because, whether you realize it or not, while phones may feel like an outdated way to communicate, one study concludes: “Phone calls are still the primary channel for customer communications: Social media channels handle just 3 percent of all customer communications, compared to 68 percent who contact customer service by phone.”
That means even in an increasingly tech-savvy world, the telephone is still one of the most important mediums of communication between a business and its customers and prospects.
With that in mind, here are four ways to improve customer experience and communication over the phone so you can drive business and improve customer happiness.
1. Nail the first impression.
We’ve all heard that first impressions are everything, and business is no different. In fact, first impressions are even more important for businesses because prospects can easily send their business to your competition if they decide they don’t like their initial interaction with your company.
One of the easiest ways to botch your business’s first impression is to simply not answer your phone correctly. More specifically, if you’re getting a decent amount of calls on a daily basis and you don’t have an automated system that communicates with callers effectively, it can damage your business more than you may know.
Another study found that “more than eight in 10 consumers (83 percent) say they will avoid a company or stop giving it business after a poor experience with an automated phone system.”
For many businesses, the first point of interaction with a customer will occur over the phone, so the most effective way to ensure better communication with customers is to put a professional automated answering service (called an auto attendant) in place.
A quality service will answer your customer’s calls quickly, with a friendly and professional voice, and route them to the appropriate extension so they’re connected with the right person the first time.
This takes a huge burden off the…
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