Up the Ante with Your On-Hold System to Win Over Customers

According to research by Forrester, 77 percent of consumers claim that “valuing their time is the most important thing a company can do to provide them with good service.”

Businesses that are both thriving and progressive only get to such a level by mastering the art of pleasing and retaining customers. But even so, the best businesses are still more than eager to find new ways to improve their customer service experience. After all, without the loyalty of happy customers, even the most booming businesses can quickly find themselves on a downward spiral.

Even if you have the best intentions of elevating your customer service, it can be tricky to know where to start and what to focus on first. This is where statistics can help. For instance, a Marketing Land study found that 74 percent of consumers who have encountered a poor customer service experience with a company were inclined to buy from that company’s competitors’.

So, with a single phone call carrying that much weight, why not start by revisiting — and maybe even revamping — your calling system? Here are a few reasons why elevating your customer service experience can help you retain customers.

Their Time is Gold

According to research by Forrester, 77 percent of consumers claim that “valuing their time is the most important thing a company can do to provide them with good service.” This is especially important with customer service phone calls, as most people already feel aggravated about having to call a company in the first place. In today’s era of convenience, calling a business to get a question answered or air a concern often feels archaic and a major waste of time.

So how can you effectively show your customers that you value their time? It’s pretty simple, really — start by not placing them on hold for long periods of time. Many companies have embraced an on-hold system that allows callers to elect to receive a call back, rather than waiting to speak with a representative. Offering this option lets customers hang up the phone, go back to their busy day and still get a chance to speak with a customer rep when both parties are available.

Another way to help callers feel better about dreaded wait times is to adopt a system that allows them to know where they stand in a queue and their expected wait time to reach a company representative. This may be less preferable than giving callers the choice to be called back, but it’s still a way to show customers you value their time.

You can also largely circumvent the issues associated with calling systems and placing callers on-hold by including as much information as possible on your website. You may also want to consider implementing a chat system on your site, so working customers have a convenient way to receive assistance without stepping away from their desks to make a phone call.

Get Personal

No customer ever wants to feel like just a number or like all they amount to is a dollar sign in the company’s eyes. Appeal to your audience’s desire to feel special and understood by using a technologically-advanced, interactive voice response phone system like those sold by Aspect. In fact, this type of technology can work wonders to improve customer service. For example, your company can use such a system for:

• Conducting outbound or inbound calls
• Administering surveys by phone
• Alerting customers about their order status
• Sharing emergency notifications

Solutions, like those sold by Aspect, even integrate with customer relationship management platforms to make calls even more personalized and accurate. Instead of feeling like they’re talking to a robot on the phone, callers will feel respected, appreciated and — most of all — adequately and quickly helped.

If you want to raise the bar with your company’s customer service, start with your phone system. Consider each step a customer has to take to reach your company and how you can make this process more seamless — and perhaps enjoyable. At the end of the day, even seemingly little changes can make a big difference.