When it comes down to it, everyone just wants to know that they are being heard. In a hectic world full of constant noise, sometimes it can feel like your voice is too easily drowned out by everything else that is going on. And often, if this is the case when you are trying to communicate with a business or company, they will most likely be losing you as a customer or client, and rightly so. Yes, businesses have a lot going on and it can be difficult to keep up with the demand. But the whole premise of what they are doing is to create satisfied customers. And if you do not feel like your concerns are being addressed, that business is not living up to the promises it has made.
Why a live operator answering service is good for business
It is always a good thing to have an open mind and try to understand where everyone involved in a discussion, debate, or dispute is coming from. Let’s take a look at things from the other perspective. As a business owner, you have worked hard and put in long hours to get the company to where it is today. There have been employee issues that you work out, crises that you have been able to manage to avert, and successes that have felt so incredibly well earned. But not everything goes according to plan at all times, and sometimes mistakes happen or things get overlooked. If these mistakes affect a customer, there is more than one issue at play here. Not only will you need to work to correct the original problem, but you will need to interact with the upset customer as well.
Many customers can be reasonable. People for the most part have the ability to understand that businesses are comprised of people too. More often than not, an agreement and an understanding can be reached. However if that customer attempts to reach out, and cannot get ahold of anyone at your company, tensions and tempers will elevate before you are even aware of the problem. No, your office, store or warehouse may not be open all hours of the day and night, but you have a varied range of customers, who just might be trying to reach you at all hours of the day and night.
People live in different time zones, or work different hours. If someone calls during a time of the day that your business is not open, you would be wise to have an after hours answering service available. And not just an automated system. A live operator answering service will increase your chances of having a better outcome with that customer.
The benefits of a live operator answering service
Typically, businesses only hear from about 4% of the total number of customers who are upset or not satisfied for some reason or another. While it may not seem like a big deal, good business owners will understand that it is crucial to fix these cases as they happen. You may not be hearing the complaints, but that unhappy customer might be the person that another potential customer asks for advice, and chances are that unhappy customer is not going to be directing them in your direction. Unhappy customers are not good for business.
About 61% of Americans say that they prefer to interact with a customer service agent over the phone, as opposed to online or an automated system. A live operator answering service could help with that. It has been estimated that 45% of consumers across the country will give up on an online purchase if they are not addressed quickly when they have concerns. A 24/7 answering service could help with that. About 78% of individuals said that they did not make a purchase due to poor customer service. A good, professional answering service will handle the questions, complaints, and concerns of consumers in a manner that you can be proud to associate with your company.
Not every aspect of running a business can always go smoothly. But you can improve customer satisfaction with making a listening ear available to them around the clock.