Why A Live Virtual Receptionist is Better Than Phone Trees, AI, and Impersonal Service
Every day, new tools and techniques are developed to streamline and automate business to reduce operating costs and manpower, cut out unnecessary functions, and save you money on the back end.
But there’s one place you should never cut costs or automate: customer service. Even in the digital age, nothing beats talking to a real person. Studies show that over 80% of customers prefer speaking to a real person when it comes to customer service. To many businesses, especially smaller companies, the solution seems untenable – either automate on the cheap, or break the bank hiring a receptionist. However, Securus Contact Systems (among other companies) has the perfect solution: virtual live receptionist services.
In the middle ground between hiring a new employee and replacing a person with a machine, a virtual receptionist service lets you take advantage of personalized, human customer service at a fraction of the cost of onboarding a new person, while retaining the highest customer service standards and friendly, personable interaction that no machine can ever match.
Here are three reasons you should switch to a live virtual receptionist for your customer service today:
#1. Talk Isn’t Cheap
Up to 90% of customers use customer service as a factor when determining whether to do business with a company. If they don’t like what they see, what the hear, and what they feel when interacting with your customer service personnel (or navigating through a frustrating automated phone tree!), then they’ll take their business elsewhere.
Not only that, but word of mouth spreads fast – and dissatisfied customers talk a lot more than satisfied ones. “Tell your friends” only works when they’ve got good news to share. Gossip spreads fast and word-of-mouth is still one of the most valuable advertising tools around – in fact 92% of consumers trust recommendations from people they know, and when it comes to actually making a purchase, word-of-mouth recommendations are the leading factor in that decision-making process more than 50% of the time.
The same goes for negative reviews – if a customer has a bad customer service experience, they’re less likely to recommend your business to friends, family, and coworkers, and may even actively advise against trusting or buying from your company!
#2. Time is Money
When it comes to customer service, time is money – literally! In 2018, 33% of customers rated waiting on hold among their biggest frustration with customer service, and 67% of customers stated that they hung up after waiting too long on hold. Every customer that hangs up in frustration is almost certainly a customer whose business you’ve lost, and lost business costs money – if they’re not spending their hard-earned money with you, they’re spending it somewhere else. Last year alone, American companies are estimated to have lost more than $1.6 Trillion due to customers experiencing poor customer service and switching to their competitors.
A virtual receptionist can answer the phone when you’re too busy to do so yourself, supplementing your current capabilities, working only in the off-hours when you’re away from the office, or acting as a full-time call answering service. Moreover, companies like Securus Contact Systems manage call volume and answering times so customers are never kept on hold.
#3. Attention Equals Retention
The personal touch means everything to customers in a very impersonal world, with the digital landscape swiftly shifting towards automation and a “one size fits all” business philosophy. Customers want to feel like their voices are heard and their problems matter – so answering your customer service line with a real person goes a long way towards providing that.
When customers feel heard, they’re more likely not only to do business with you, but do repeat business. Let’s break down some of the stats to show you just how important retaining your customers’ business really is:
- Increasing customer retention by just 5% on average translates to a 125% increase in profits
- The cost of acquiring a new customer is up to 25x more expensive than retaining a current one.
- Retained customers are loyal customers, spending approximately 67% more money, 3x more often than newer customers – they like your company and they value your product or service, they’re not going anywhere else for their business!
It’s easy to see why a live virtual receptionist can make or break a business. Real, personal customer service trumps cold, impersonal machines and phone trees every time – and the numbers back that up! If you’re ready to move your business to a virtual receptionist call answering service, contact Securus Contact Systems today! Reach us by phone at 877-310-6676 or online.