How to Help Customers Feel Valued, and Not Like a Commodity
Every business has to think about its customers. Without their money coming into an organization, it is only a matter of time before the doors have to close. However, it is easy to get so wrapped up in the numbers game of increasing sales and maximizing profits that we lose touch of what really makes a company valuable to a customer. This isn’t the product sold or the services offered, but rather how customers are treated. There are very few products or services in the world that aren’t offered by a wide range of providers, giving customers a lot of different options. The true factor that sets the best companies apart is how they treat their clients. This is precisely why many companies prefer a small business answering service over Voicemail.
In a profit-driven world, answering machines and IVR menus make a certain amount of sense. They result in fewer man-hours on the telephones, and automate processes that would otherwise require wages being paid to worker. However, you should always consider the cost to benefit results of any investment in your business. While you may save time by utilizing voicemails and automated menus, it is almost certain that you will lose more money than you save. Customers are used to a world where a few clicks of a mouse on the Internet can obtain instant results. If forced to stay on hold when calling a company, they are likely to either find a website that can offer them the same service, or to hang up and start dialing your competitor’s number.
Answering service professionals also offer a personal touch and a caring ear to your customers. When a customer calls a professional, there is a good chance that person is involved in any number of other tasks, and that they won’t be giving the customer the care and attention they deserve. A polite and attentive worker at an answering service is capable of increasing the level of customer service your clients receive.
Live answering services also follow the protocols and instructions left for them by your company. This allows you to set up contingency plans in case a key account happens to phone in with a concern when you’re not able to take the call. In these cases, you can let the answering service know that you need to be contacted as quickly as possible in order to resolve the client’s concern. In the meantime, your key account will be comforted in knowing that the issue is being handled as promptly as possible.
