We have all been there, you call a company for after hours assistance only to find yourself speaking to an automated after hours answering service. The system tells you to say your account number, but after several tries the automated system just can’t understand what you are saying. You try to press zero to get in touch with a live agent, but to no avail. While there have been great innovations in automated call handling services and technology, the fact is that sometimes there is no replacing talking to a living, breathing, actual person.
Poor Call Handling Services Can Be Adverse to Business
While this situation can be a rather frustrating event from a consumer angle, from a business standpoint it can severally and irreparably effect your customer relationships. Customer service is reported by consumers one of the most important aspects of any business. In a recent study 59% of consumers that were polled responded that they would be more willing to try a new brand or service based off of the expectation of better customer service. In addition to these stats over 78% of American respondents surveyed stated that they have been dissuaded from buying needed goods and services due to a bad customer service experience. Considering that about 61% of American consumers, in recent studies, have stated that their preferred method of customer service is by phone, your after hours answering service can make all the difference to your bottom line.
Your Customer Service Should be a Priority Even After Your Closing Hours
Just because your doors are closed doesn’t mean that your customer service should stop. Investing in a 24 hour answering service can your bossiness by projecting to your customers the appearance of sustained support, even after the storefront is closed. In many ways the manner by which a business handles after hours inquiries can mean a great deal once it comes time to calculate profits and losses. Recent studies have shown that companies that go the extra mile to provide not just standard levels of customer service, but exemplary customer service on average can see a net increase in profits of about 60% when compared with their direct competitors. Therefore by having a after hours answering service, preferably a live answering service, you can increase your profits while you are asleep.
When it comes to your customer service it is best to not take any chances. As the maxim goes the customer is always right. There have been several studies on the correlation between customer satisfaction and the long term longevity and prosperity of business. By most accounts and studies it takes a great deal more resources to undo adverse customer satisfaction. Certain studies show that it takes about twelve positive customer experiences to make up for even a single poor customer experience. Considering this fact most business owners won’t ever hear directly about customers who have had an unsatisfactory experience.
Certain studies show that most business owners will only ever hear about 4% of the complaints against their customers. This is directly opposed to the common misconception that unhappy consumers are excessively vocal about their dissatisfaction. The reality is that an unhappy customer is more likely to tell friends, family and coworkers about their dissatisfaction. This should stress the importance of maintaining a united front of exemplary customer service regardless of the time. A live phone answering service can improve your service quality and subsequently your profits.
