How a Live Answering Service Can Improve Customer Satisfaction
Customer service can make or break a company, especially a small business. In fact, a good customer experience will make more than 80% of customers return to make a purchase. Conversely, consumers are twice as likely to talk to family and friends about a negative customer service experience than they are told o the same for a good service experience. Almost 80% of consumers indicated that they would not follow through with an intended buy as a result of a bad customer service experience. Good customer service is about responsiveness, ease of use and the ability to resolve problems.
One way to improve customer service is to invest in a live telephone answering service. Such live telephone answering services can improve customer satisfaction because it means customers can contact the business at anytime, and professional answering services can also handle customer complaints, answer questions, and address concerns. A live telephone answering service can make all the difference, especially when you consider that almost a third (27%) of email customer service inquiries are incorrectly answered meaning that they are unable to resolve the customer’s problem. More than 60% of customers surveyed say that they prefer to obtain customer service assistance via phone and over half (55%) would pay more for a better customer service experience.
Customer satisfaction translates directly into increased profits. If a company can increase customer retention by as little as 5%, it can result in a 125% increase in profits. In fact, businesses that opt to prioritize their customer service are capable of generating 60% more in profits than their competitors. Virtual receptionist services can aid in improved customer satisfaction.
Avoiding negative customer service experiences is vital, given that in order to make up for just one such negative experience requires as many as 12 positive customer service experiences. This means lost customers — and often companies are not even aware of why, since only 4% of its total dissatisfied customers actually contact the company. A 24/7 answering service or call handling service means your company is always available and a friendly voice is representing your brand. A consumer who can easily reach a company and resolve an issue is more likely to follow through with an intended purchase or remain loyal to the brand.
