They’re often spoken and they’re rarely true. There are exceptions to every rule, of course, but here are three things that we’ve realized are the stuff of fable when it comes to serving your customers.
Myth 1: Customers Don’t Need to Call
With the rise of the Internet and the Contact Us box on company websites, it’s easy to think that customers prefer to do all their business online and rely on your FAQ section for any questions they might have.
The Truth
Nope: customers still want to talk. In fact, 67% of customers hang up the phone after calling a business and are unable to reach a real person. Besides, buying a new microwave is one thing, but what if you’re in real estate and your customers are shopping for a new home? For serious purchases like homes, cars, security systems, etc., the customer is going to want to talk to you, not search through your website for the answers they need so ensure you are able to respond to their inquiries quickly.
Myth 2: Customers Hate Voice Broadcasts
A lot of businesses struggle with this one. They know using voice broadcasting will save them money and time when it comes to customer communications especially those in the medical, legal, and home delivery/logistics industries who struggle with no-shows and cancelations but they’re afraid that their customers will wrinkle their noses at receiving an automated, pre-recorded message.
The Truth
The truth is, your customers are busy too. That’s why voice broadcasts are good for both your customers and your business: everyone saves time and it’s easy for the customer to hear the information they need and either hang up, or press a button to reschedule. (In light of the statistic in Myth #1, we know you need to get them to a real person if they wish.) Personalization is important, and voice broadcasting enables you to provide a personal touch: your customer doesn’t get a robocall; they get your voice telling them what they need to know and allowing them to get back to their busy life.
Myth 3: Good Customer Service Cancels Out Long Hold Times
High call volumes may mean your hold times for inbound calls are lengthy. Many businesses reason that polite, helpful agents can balance out customers’ long subjection to classical music. Folks don’t mind waiting for awhile if there’s a happy voice on the other end of the hold, right?
The Truth
Wrong. In fact, 84% of customers say they’re likely to do business with a brand if they respond in less than a minute but only 54% say the same after waiting for more than one minute. Four out of five indicated a desire to abandon a brand due to poor response times. Speed matters. Leaving your customers to languish on hold is a recipe for disaster.
Luckily there are ways to make these myths work for you.
Shown the error of our ways with the first myth, we know that customers want to talk. So make it easy for them: using a next-generation virtual call center can help you connect with customers faster and get them to the right agent at the right time. Or, if they’re poking around on your website and submit that Contact Us form looking for more information from a live rep connect instantly. That’s right, instantly. There’s no such thing as too soon: have that form submission trigger an automatic phone call that connects your agent with that information-hungry customer and get this transaction started fast and on the right foot.
From the second myth, we know that customers don’t mind receiving voice broadcasts if they’re informative and personalized. Intelligent voice broadcasting makes it happen. Record and send a short, personalized message to your customers reminding them of the time and date of their appointment and enable them to connect to your receptionist to reschedule if they so desire.
From the last myth, we know that customers need to be connected fast, so your task is responding faster. A next-generation virtual call center can help with this, enabling your customers to connect with the right agent at the right time. With call tracking, you’ll know exactly which page of your website (or which ad) they’re calling from and you can have the call routed directly to the department, agent, or subset of agents the customer requires no long hold times and no getting passed around to the wrong people.
Your customer service is too important to base on myths and assumptions. Step it up a notch and get creative that’s good service.