It may come as a surprise, but 48% of new clients prefer to be contacted via phone call. People are quickly growing tired of reaching automated services and voicemails, so many business are upping their phone skills. Here's a few tips to increase your small business customer service via phone.
1. Is your phone number easy to find?
Your phone number should be listed on every page of your website and should be mobile-friendly to simply click to call. The goal is to make it as easy as possible for potential customers to reach you.
2. Are you always accessible?
Once your number is listed on your website and popping up on Google, you'll need to be certain there's someone ready to pick up when a call comes in. This is crucial for your small business customer service. For every caller that reaches a voicemail, you risk losing a potential client. (hint – this is where OmniCall can help!)
3. Are you making a great first impression?
Everything from your greeting, to your tone, to your confidence level impacts a caller's first impression of your business. No pressure, right?
- Adding in a simple ?Good morning? to your greeting makes a world of difference.
- Smile when you're taking calls; you'll be amazed at how much it impacts your tone.
- When it comes to a situation in which you aren't sure of the answer, it sounds much better to say ?I'd be happy to find that out for you!? rather than ?I?m not sure. Hold on.?.
4. Are you utilizing ?hold? properly?
When it comes to placing your caller on hold, it's always better to ask for permission than to tell. ?May I place you on a brief hold while I find out that information for you, Mrs. Smith??
5. How are you ending the call?
There are 3 key factors in ending a call with a customer. Start with addressing the fact that you've helped them by asking if there's anything further you can do for them. Thank them for calling, regardless of how the calls ends. And finally, always say ?goodbye?. It can be a huge turnoff to be hung up on! ?Thank you for calling today, Mrs. Smith. Have a great day. Goodbye.?
Your phone etiquette is a great opportunity to show your professionalism and outshine the competition. Step up your small business customer service and pass along these tips to any and all answering the phone in your business!
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