Your Customers Prefer Human Interaction
Why is the phone such a popular method for customer service? People prefer to get resolutions to their problem in the fastest mode possible. They call for a human touch, to know that their needs are being met by a person and not lost in somewhere in the digital realm. They simply want to interact with a person, rather than hope for an email response from a computer. As we know, reaching a person who can answer your question and resolve an issue is often most quickly realized via the telephone.
According to a 2011 Forrester Consulting report (PDF of report), a mass majority (81%) of customers prefer customer service support via telephone rather than other methods. (online, email, etc) In this same study, they found that “phone conversation” was the most utilized method of seeking customer service in the prior 3 months (44%), well ahead of email (15%).
While they prefer customer service with a human touch, customers also become frustrated when excellent levels of service are not achieved. In today’s social media age, they often share frustrations with others. This can be of serious consequence to any company who regularly provides less-than-adequate customer service.
E-how lists these negative impacts:
- Negative Reputation
- Loss of Customers
- Loss of Revenue
Additionally, ClickFox reported these negative impacts:
- 52% tell family/friends/peers about the experience
- 35% stop doing business with the company
- 16% post comments on social networking sites
Our customers realize that the cost of maintaining your own customer service department can be enormous, and rather than provide a minimally adequate customer service experience, they choose to outsource the inbound portion of their customer service to us. Rather than falling into the category of providing the average 8% (Forrester report) satisfaction rate of customer service often found when companies try to minimize support costs and keep their call center, they hire us.
Top 3 customer service frustrations:
- Phone Menus: aka. Interactive Voice Response (IVR). People dislike trying to speak to a computer, and trying to navigate multiple levels of phone menus. You may not realize how many customers you have lost just because of their unwillingness to go through the motions.
– Our services eliminate the need for multiple phone menus, especially when utilizing our live-answer services, making your customers HAPPY customers. - Hold Times: Even if you have music, a recording with information to listen to, or a repeated reminder telling your customers “your call is important to us, please hold on the line for the next representaive”, what your customers hear is “we’ll help you when we are good and ready, we are too busy for you right now”
– Our highly trained staff will treat every call as if it is of the highest importance, eliminating hold times and ensuring your customers get quick resolution to their needs. - Repeating Information: There is nothing more frustrating to a customer than repeating your need to multiple persons, and being repeatedly transferred from agent to agent, department to department.
– Our account managers will work with you to determine the best possible call-dispatch system to ensure that your caller is sent to the correct person the very first time around, while relaying all pertinent information when transferring their call to you and your staff.
Direct Line TeleResponse provides the excellent customer service our clients expect for their customers, at a reduced overhead cost, and without any negative impact on the customer. Our time-tested service and proven attention to detail results in high levels of customer satisfaction, which in turn is directly attributed to your company. Excellent customer service is hard to find, but we make it our top business activity. Our priority is quick resolution and quality human interaction, which mirrors the top expectations of customers in the Forrester study.
Top 3 customer service expectations – consider them met with us:
“I am able to interact with a customer service representative quickly.”
“My query is resolved quickly.”
“I am able to interact with a person.”
We do it right.
Direct Line Teleresponse is a U.S. based telephone answering service.
Who Answers For You? – 7 Reasons Direct Line is Your Answer
No matter what business you are in, it is very difficult to be available to your clients on the phone at any moment they choose to call. In today’s 24/7 instant gratification world, your customers are looking for service. Are you giving it to them? When they call, do they get an “answer”?
Seven reasons to choose Direct Line Teleresponse as your 24/7 Answer.
- Specialized Service: Direct Line provides specialized service plans for your unique business needs. Whether you need someone to handle your calls, take your orders or to provide support for your web alerts, Direct Line will create a tailor-made plan to maximize your business potential.
- Superior Service: Internationally recognized for our excellence in customer service, we provide outstanding customer service quality to both your customers, and to you… our customer.
- Experienced Service: Established in 1979,Direct Line Teleresponse has been serving businesses of all sizes across the nation for over 30 years.
- High-Tech Service: We pride ourselves on utilizing the best technology available in the industry with our Pinnacle computer system which automatically identifies which instructions to follow, whether it is time of day, specific service you provide, or who might be on call for a specific situation. As technology changes, we advance with it.
- Reliable Service: Direct Line is a 24 / 7 Gold Site Certified Service, representing a high level of proficiency in recovery techniques, good business practices, documentation of procedures, and levels of redundancy necessary for 24 / 7 preparedness.
- Customized Service: We don’t just answer your calls (or answer your inbound email), we do it professionally, pleasantly, within 3 rings and never put callers on hold in the middle of a call. We process incoming information accurately, quickly, exactly, as per your on-call instructions as detailed in our database. Direct Line will deliver your message, efficiently, quickly by email, fax, pager, text message, voice mail, relay to cell phone, or patch the call directly to you.
- Domestic Service: All of our agents are based in the United States, and we do not outsource any of our calls to overseas call centers. We screen our operators to ensure the highest possible quality, and pride ourselves on our outstanding staff.
Isn’t it time you gave yourself an advantage? If your customers can’t reach you, they will surely reach out to your competitors. Our service is always open, always answering, and always offering the very same high-quality customer service whether you call at 9am, 9pm, or even at 2am. We remain open on all holidays, and are equipped to remain open no matter the circumstances with our backup systems. You will never miss another call, and you will get one of the best competitive advantages available in business today. Excellent customer service.