Being Unreachable
Inaccessibility is one of the worst mistakes you can make as a small business. If customers cannot find your phone number either on your website or popular listings such as Google Maps, they will likely opt for your competitor. Add a click-to-call button on your website and on business directories to make it easier for customers to get in touch with you.
Not answering phone calls is an equally terrible mistake. Every time you do not pick up a call, your business is potentially losing a customer. Hire someone to answer your calls or outsource the service to ensure you never have to miss a call or have to direct customers to voicemail when your staff is tied up in meetings and other activities.
Timely reachability helps your business increase customer loyalty, enhance sales, and build a strong brand reputation.
Making a Bad First Impression
How you address a customer when you answer their call will set the tone for the rest of the interaction. An impolite, inauthentic or unenthusiastic greeting can change a customer's mind about doing business with you.
Get each call off to a good start by having a standard customer-friendly greeting that includes a salutation, your name or that of the company, and an offer to assist the customer. Train your communications team to be professional, relevant, and profitable on the phone with your clients.
Lacking Proper Call Holding Practices
No one likes to be put on hold. Although some situations may demand that the customer holds, you must ensure they understand why it is necessary. A busy customer or one in need of an urgent solution to their problem may find it hard to forgive you for putting them on hold.
The New Voice Media study revealed that 25 percent of customers will switch their loyalty to a brand because they are tired of being put on hold. Offer a callback option as soon as you realize it may take you a while to get the information the customer requires, and be sure to fulfill the promise as soon as is possible. Keep updating and reassuring the client if they opt to hold.
Failing to Address Customers' Needs
Resist the temptation to jump right into getting business when a client calls you or you call them. Listen to your their concerns, go out of your way to help with their problems, and prioritize developing a relationship with them.
Your principal goal should be to leave the customer convinced you care. Give your customer a chance to speak, listen, identify their pain points, and offer relevant solutions.
While you or your staff may not have all the time to be on long phone conversations with customers, having telephone answering assistants as part of your team can help you achieve this goal adequately.
As a small business owner, every interaction you have with your customer can profoundly affect your bottom line. If you and your team are busy and unable to respond to all your client's calls, a professional phone answering provider can help you deliver dependable customer service while you focus on the other functions of your business.
Contact Kim's Answering Service
for an initial consultation, expert advice, and professional and reliable telephone answering services.
