How to Improve Customer Service with a Virtual Receptionist

Exceptional customer service delights customers at all touch points of your business.  When thinking about how to improve customer service, often business focus on just making sure no customer call is missed.  However, when a customer or potential customer calls, there are so many more opportunities to strengthen customer service than simply taking a message or answering their inquiry.  But to really leverage these opportunities, you need a live person to answer those calls.  A live professional, such as a Virtual Receptionist!

There are many opportunities to not only improve customer service, with your Virtual Receptionist, but to also drive growth for your business.  Strong customer service can lead to increased sales, greater customer retention, and reduction in customer turnover.  It can also result in positive word-of-mouth and  differentiation from the competition.

Here are 5 Ways to Improve Customer Service and Grow Your Business with a Virtual Receptionist.

1. Never Miss a Call!

Having a live person answering the phone makes all the difference.  It’s estimated that 70% of callers do not leave a voicemail.  That means, having a live person vs. an automated system will immediately improve your customer service.  Yes, getting the name and the number of each and every caller is critical as a first step.

2. Gain New Customers with Priority Screening

When you have a live professional answering your phone, you can provide criteria for priority screening.  This means that based on certain criteria, your Virtual Receptionist can determine how urgent the call is.  Then the highest priority callers, can either be transferred directly to you or messages give to you immediately.  Ultimately, this can help to increase customer acquisition as potential new customers inquire.

Having someone screen for important callers, also allows you to focus on what’s most urgent for your business.  Time is money and saving you time helps to increase productivity.

3. Increase Sales

A Virtual Receptionists can not only take messages or answer inquiries, but they drive new sales!  We are talking about a live person here, not a recording.  That means they can listen to the customer and understand the need behind the need.  Based on those needs, they can share special offers, talk about new products or services, or suggest existing products.  Most importantly, a live person can do this in a way that feels customized to the caller.  A voice recording, alternatively sounds generic.  Ultimately, when potential or existing customers feel valued, they are more likely to trust you.  When they trust you, they are more likely to buy from you.

4. How to Improve Retention & Loyalty with Customer Service

Reduce Customer Attrition or Churn

When customers are dissatisfied with a product or service, they are more likely to leave your business, brand, or product.  However, when the person answering an unhappy customer call shows empathy & compassion, it can reassure that customer that your business understands their concerns and truly wants to help.  It reassures unhappy customers that you care.  This can in turn turn an unhappy customer into one that is willing to give you another chance.  It can prevent negative word of mouth.  Ultimately, this reduces customer attrition, which helps to grow your business.

Maintain Current Customers

Current customers may not be unhappy, but that doesn’t mean they won’t leave.  People need to be reminded of why they bought from you to begin with.  They need to be reminded of why they should buy again.  If a current customer calls, it’s an opportunity to provide business or product updates.  It’s also an opportunity to communicate any special offers.  Finally, it’s an important to THANK them.  Say thank you and ask them what it is they like most about your product or business.  Once again, this makes them feel valued and it reminds them of why they should remain your customer.

Drive loyalty

Finally, all of the above can drive loyalty.  Loyalty is not only maintaining customers, but making them so happy that they want to tell others.  Loyal customers can become advocates for your business, brand, or product.  A live receptionist can build relationships with your top clients or customers.  That relationship is with a person, but it’s also with your business.  When customers feel valuable and important, they will want to keep coming back and tell others.

5. Differentiation from Competition

Last, but not least, Customer Service is a way to differentiate your business from the competition!  If you provide a similar product or service to other businesses, the thing that can make customers come back to you is their experience.  This is where customer service can really help your business to pull ahead of the competition!

For example, say that Client A hires an Accountant to do their taxes.  They have to call many times and leave messages before someone responds.  They send documents through email and do not hear back for weeks.  In the end, the taxes are filed on time, but Client A feels frustrated with the process and the service.  Client A decides to find another Accountant.

Alternatively, Client B hires a different Accountant.  Client B is greeted with a warm reception and a series of questions to help guide the exact service that can be provided.  They always reach a human when they call and calls are returned within 24 hours.  Their taxes are filed on time as well, but Client B feels extremely satisfied with the process and service.  Client B feels as if the service was customized to their needs and decides to work with the Accountant in the coming year.

The Accountant that worked with Client B was able to differentiate themself from the competition through strong customer service.  The live Receptionist helped to create a bond and a relationship with Client B.  Ultimately, Client B felt valued and will be a repeat customer.

How to Improve Customer Service Today with a Virtual Receptionist

If you are ready to improve customer service immediately with a Virtual Receptionist, just click here!  This is one of the easiest things you can do to help your business.

Be sure to check out these other articles on how to improve your business:

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