Installing a Landline Telephone

How A Call Answering Service Can Promote Repeat Business

16 July 2020

Mathew Hunter

In the high tech world, businesses are losing sight of what matters to customers. Enterprises small and large are spending money on customer relationship management (CRM) systems. CRM systems promise to drive faster sales, higher sales values, and repeat business. 

But when a potential customer calls, no one is available to answer the phone. Incredulously, most business are unaware that they could be losing more than half their sales prospects daily. Here's the true cost of not having a 24-hour call answering service. 

Slow Response Time

In the global business world, many businesses still provide 9-to-5 customer service in their time zone. These businesses vastly underestimate the importance of providing a timely response to customer problems. If you're not available to answer questions, 32 percent of customers will walk away.

Placed on Hold for Too Long 

Many companies mistakenly believe that customers will wait for a customer service agent—at least for a few minutes. Playing music has been shown to make callers hold on longer. How long are customers willing to wait? 

Sixty percent of customers will hang up if placed on hold for more than one minute. A 24-hour answering service could save more than half of your sales prospects from moving on. 

Live Chat Support is Boring

If you are using chat support, a live person may not even be on the other end. AI chatbots are becoming very smart. Unfortunately, both man and machine chat services lack personality. A common complaint of chat services is they are too formal. Customers want something, well, more chatty.

Live Chat Support Has No Personality 

Robots are good at performing repetitive tasks but they lack the personal touch. A customer service agent is part psychologist. If a customer is dissatisfied, he or she needs to release their anger. By showing empathy, you validate their anger. Together, you can move toward the solution. This process can only take place in a live conversation. 

Canned Email Response 

Unfortunately, when email is the only choice of contact after hours, oftentimes customers give up. When the canned response arrives, they feel their needs will not be met within 24 hours. When after 24 hours, the email response arrives and provides an overly general, non-helpful answer, the customer will be very dissatisfied. After two bad experiences, 59 percent of customers will walk away. 

The cost of a 24-hour call answering service is a small price to pay to grow your business. A live answering service will support your sales team, convert questions to sales, and provide resolutions that promote repeat business. Click here for more info.

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