When a customer drops your phone call because they are tired of waiting, it’s bad for your business. It means you now have an unsatisfied customer and unhappy customers are more likely to spread the word than happy customers.
Fortunately, there are better ways of handling phone calls and decreasing the number of customers who abandon their call to you.
Here’s what you must know.
Be Empathic
Customers want to feel heard. So even if you disagree with their complaint, act like you are 100% in their corner.
When leaving a customer on hold, let them know you appreciate them waiting and know how frustrating that can be. Let them know you are here for them to handle their problem and will do what it takes to fix it. The key to good customer service is treating the customer like they are the only person in your world at that moment.
Give them a Task
If you have to leave your customers on hold, give them something to do while they wait. For example, ask them to have their account numbers and any questions ready to go so you can serve them quickly when you return. When they’re occupied, they’re less likely to focus on how long they’ve been on hold and risk abandoning the call.
Train your Staff to Handle Calls Promptly
Your staff should understand your hold time requirements and handle your calls promptly. Have a procedure in place in case there are multiple calls or a staff member can’t answer the call and help the customers in person.
Have a backup plan, such as calling someone in the back to take over one of the tasks or taking a message to call the person on the phone right back, so they aren’t left on hold.
Offer an FAQ
If you get the same questions repeatedly, post an FAQ section on your website, and mention it in your message when customers call.
This only works for common questions and won’t replace regular customer service, but it can alleviate some stress on you and your employees to answer the phone.
Hire a Virtual Receptionist
When you can’t get to your calls regularly, it’s time to consider a virtual receptionist. Having someone dedicated to answering your phones guarantees that there will be less call abandonment because some will always answer your phone.
Having answers to their questions immediately, a virtual receptionist helps save your business’s bottom line. So schedule your virtual receptionist sessions during the times you know your phone calls get ignored, and your business will thrive.
Final Thoughts
Handling calls can be incredibly stressful when you have other tasks that need your attention. But, ignoring calls can be one of the worst business decisions a business owner makes. If you find yourself choosing between jobs and ignoring phone calls, consider hiring a virtual receptionist like Easybee.
Our staff is professionally trained to handle calls in all industries and can help keep your customers and provide them with the highest quality customer service.
