Research has found that 74% of customers who had negative phone experience with a business become inclined to choose a competitor. How you communicate with your customers can either increase your sales or drive away your customers.
You can also build trust with the way you interact with people, and this is crucial for business growth. Here are some strategies that should help improve how you communicate with your current and potential customers.
First Impression Matters
The first impression is crucial for businesses. Potential customers may decide to do business with your competitor if they do not like the initial interaction they had with your company. Be friendly and accommodating at all times.
A potential customer who received rude answers for an inquiry will likely look for better customer service somewhere else. Another common way businesses sabotage their first impression is by not answering their phones correctly.
If you have been receiving large amounts of calls, consider using a professional automated answering service to route your customers to the appropriate extension. This will help them connect with the right person at the earliest time possible, instead of being needlessly held in the queue.
Personalized Interaction
Customers appreciate being treated like real people and addressing them with their names is one key to a more personalized interaction. Do more than rely on scripts when providing assistance and be more empathic to your customers.
Talk to your customers as if they are friends who need help with a particular service or product that you have. Ask for feedback. Do a follow up after the initial conversation to ensure that you have addressed their concern and they are satisfied with the assistance you provided.
Minimal Waiting Times
Customers used to wait for hours and even days to get a response for communications about a service or a product issue, but this is no longer the case. Customers are now used to getting immediate replies to their concerns.
One survey revealed that 82% of consumers expect to receive an immediate response on marketing and sales questions. This means that it is crucial to respond quickly to your customers. Providing quick response also gives your customers the idea you are always there to help them.
An automated answering system should help with call congestions but make sure these systems are set up properly and won’t leave your customers at a dead end. Use Xorcom IP systems of phones that can make a sound or signal when a customer has already been on hold for some amount of time.
This will help ensure that your callers will not be left hanging on the line.
Different Options to Contact You
Offering your customers several communication channels through which they can contact you does not just cut waiting times. It also gives convenience to your customers. Some customers may prefer to contact you through social media instead of making old-fashioned phone calls to ask for assistance.
Many companies now provide customer service support through popular social media sites like Facebook and Twitter.
