Customers want to know they can reach a business at any time. They may have questions before they make a purchase; they may have a complaint or concern after a purchase has been made; or, they want to be able to pick up the phone and reach a live operator at a time that is convenient for them.
One thing for sure, your customers don’t want to be on hold or deal with a recording. If you want your business to have a solid reputation, you need to provide phone access for them at any time.
Outsource Phone Services
You don’t have to hire several people to work at your business to answer the phones. Instead, you can outsource such services. Most call centres have operators that work different shifts, so someone will be available no matter what time a customer calls. The operator will get a prompt when a call comes in that ensures he know which business he are representing at that time.
During high volume hours at your office, overflow calls may be automatically routed to the call centre. This reduces the amount of hold time for a customer. If you run special offers, for example, there may be times when the phone is ringing non-stop with customers who wish to place orders. If they are put on hold, chances are, they may simply hang up.
Please bear in mind that technology doesn’t always mean customers are well cared for. They can submit an email and get an automated response that someone will get back to them. However, that doesn’t allow them to get immediate solutions, which is what most people want. With a phone call, they can talk to a person and share their needs or concerns. They will feel satisfied when they can mark it off their list of things to take care of.
Extension of your Business
When a customer calls your business, they may reach the call centre. They aren’t going to know they haven’t reached your business directly. The call centre will be an extension of your business. With that in mind, you need to feel confident that they will represent you well. You can work with the company to create a script that the employees will follow with each customer.
This can be a flowchart that evolves based on the needs of the customer. The idea is for each customer to get personalised services they are happy with while employees maintain consistency and the high standards of your business. He should be greeted politely, have his issue addressed and resolved, and be thanked at the end of the call. If the issue can’t be resolved, the call should be transferred to a supervisor for further review.
Evaluating the Success
It is important to routinely look at the success of outsourcing your business phone calls from customers. You should be able to obtain a log each month that shows the number of calls coming in. More specific logs can also show the amount of time spent on each call. It will give you a good idea of the time involved with taking care of the needs of your customers. Information should also be collected about why customers are calling.
Such information can help you to make changes to your business operations if the calls are about complaints or other concerns. By improving the business practices in those areas, the volume of calls relating to them should decrease. Of course, if the majority of calls are from customers wishing to place orders, that is a good sign for the future of your business!
One more thing: Make sure there is a good sample of calls being recorded as part of a quality assurance programme. This allows you to see that the operators are following the scripts you selected and treating your customers well. Remember, the operators are an extension of your business, and service needs to be excellent for every single customer.
Low Cost and Efficient
Outsourcing your excess calls for customer service is a wonderful way to be readily available to all customers. When the call centre is open 24/7, it is even better because it doesn’t limit the customer to a given period of time when they can ask for help. Each customer’s phone call should be answered very quickly. This is an efficient way of taking care of their needs.
There will be situations with any business where customers aren’t happy and have complaints. The quality of your customer service for them is going to determine if they are becoming a returning customer or not. When the service is easy for them to access and the phone call resolves the problem, most customers are willing to overlook small problems.
Contrary to popular beliefs, outsourcing phone services isn’t expensive, and it is going to pay for itself with happy customers. It is going to reduce the number of people who don’t buy because they have questions or because they can’t reach a live person. Not only that, provider like Netcall Solutions can help your business to create a reputation that shows customers that you care and will be there to assist them when they need it. Get in touch with Netcall Solutions to find out what is offered.
The Right Provider
Take the time to find the right provider for your phone needs. They should be open to your ideas and willing to learn about your business. If possible, take a visit to the call centre to see how it is set up. Find out about the people who work there and the training they receive. You need to be involved with how employees will be trained to handle calls from your customers.
Evaluate the overall package the company is able to offer you. The price should be based on the volume of calls you anticipate. Over time, that number may increase or decrease, and the company you choose should be flexible with plans so you can change if you need to. Communication is key when you are outsourcing support for your business. You should be able to talk to them about any changes in your business structure or goals so the calls can always reflect the latest information.
