If You Don’t Take Care of Your Customers, Somebody Else Will
Most people would rather hang up than to talk into a machine. For them, it is an annoyance talking with automatic answering device that gives nothing but scripted messages. People in the first place ring you in order for their concerns to be dealt with accordingly, so what would you expect them to feel, if calling would be just talking to a machine?
Customers are the most important visitors in your premises. They are the ones that keep your business within the run for they could be your greatest assets. Once you have acquired their loyalty, there could be no way of letting them go. Having an impressive and catchy service all the time could drive them not to look for any other. So retaining them through a desirable first time encounter could mean a worthy negotiation later on. Your customers are not totally dependent on you, but because you are to them, valuing them should be your concern.
The way of receiving calls conveys attitude to your customers. Delivering messages over the phone should carry out respect and truth by the choices of words, by the tone of the voice and by the channel to which they are being transmitted. Some are fond of using automatic answering machines, with recorded messages on it, to answer calls from their customers. And because almost all of the customers are not comfortable leaving messages with these machines, they rather hang off than to continue. Missing the chance of getting that particular customer is actually loosing the opportunity of making sales. So, how important is live answering service in maintaining present customers and in acquiring new ones?
First, you would not solely rely with your voicemail or answering machines. Your customers would be confident leaving a message, because knowing the one that they are talking to would already assure them of their message being sent to where it should be. Second, abandonment of calls would be very minimal because through live answering, callers would have a different perception on you; they would feel valued because their needs are addressed correctly. Third, callers would be more inclined to negotiate with you because of the proper communication that took place between him and the operator. Fourth, through their word of mouth, your present customer would surely promote your service to others because they could prove it by themselves how you meet their needs as good as it should be.
One line says, “Treat every customer as if they sign your paycheck, because they do.” Acquiring customers would mean growing your business, and retaining them would mean retaining your business.
