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Every business will tell you that they understand the value of customer service.
That they understand the need to respond to customers quickly and give them what they want, when they want it.
But just how important is customer service to the people who matter most – the customers?
Well, according to research, it’s not just important today.
It’s critical.
Customer service has become a key selling point.
In the past, customers based the company they used on two things, product and price.
Whichever company provided the right product at the best price, won.
Getting a good experience was seen just as a bonus.
Today, it’s the other way around.
Customers have so much choice over what to buy and who to buy from, that the most successful businesses are those which put the customer experience first.
They understand that happy customers won’t just buy once, they’ll keep coming back.
And that’s the key to growing a business.
The key to great customer service
68% of customers believe the key to great customer service is a polite customer service representative they can speak to.
That might surprise you, given all the modern day talk of digital first, customer analytics and automation.
But the vast majority of customers still value good, old fashioned human communication.
And this starts from the first time a customer phones you.
If they get sent to voicemail, or are met with a robotic voice, you instantly give the impression you don’t value customer service.
What happens if you get customer service wrong?
66% of 18-34 year olds say their customer service expectations have risen in the last few years, according to research from Microsoft.
But with this comes high pressure on businesses to meet ever increasing expectations.
And what happens when you fail to meet them?
It’s simple.
Customers go elsewhere.
And they won’t be shy about telling other people about the bad experience.
According to one study, 96% of unhappy customers will leave a company without complaining to the company, but will tell about a dozen other people about their experience.
How your call answering sets the tone for customer experience
The majority of customers still prefer to call a small business rather than message or use a website.
Which means you need to be available to pick up the phone when customers call.
But that’s not always possible when you’re busy.
You could be doing work, or sitting in a meeting and be unable to pick up the phone.
The last thing you want to do is send a potential new customer, or paying client, to voicemail.
It’s not going to create the best impression of your business.
This is where a professional phone answering service or virtual receptionist can benefit your company.
With a virtual receptionist your business’ phone will always be answered quickly and professionally.
Plus, you’ll always get the information you need to follow up later.
A virtual receptionist can add a new level of professionalism to your call answering, ensuring you never miss a call, while giving customers the friendly customer service experience they value so highly.
Investing in customer service is a must
Today you need to understand the importance of investing in customer service to get ahead of the competition.
The customer experience all starts from the first interaction a customer has with your business.
More often than not, this experience starts on the phone.
Can you really risk sending people to voicemail, or just missing a call, knowing it could lose you a customer or piece of new business.
In the immediate future, it’s the businesses that put real value on customer service that will stand out from the competition.
Those that don’t only risk getting left behind.
