First impressions matter

At some point during the Great (not so much) Lockdown of 2020, I decided to adopt a dog. Of course, I went bananas shopping for her online. Toys? Check. Treats? Check check. However, when I ordered a new collar that was too big, I had to contact the business’s customer service department to process the exchange. As this was my first time shopping from this particular retailer, I didn’t know what to expect. Would I be on hold until the pandemic ended? Should I get something to snack on while I wait?

Before I could make a decision, I was being greeted by a warm, bubbly voice. Doloris was both professional and friendly, and she transformed a standard, run-of-the-mill interaction into an enjoyable customer service experience that felt like a breath of fresh air. In the midst of processing the return, she asked me about my pup, and she told me about her four-legged friend. We talked about the current pandemic and how we were both holding up, which helped personalize our interaction. She wasn’t just some voice on the other end of the line – she was an actual human who was experiencing many of the same challenges I was facing, such as adjusting to working from home and not being able to find any toilet paper.

By the end of the call, a new collar was on its way to me. I was told to donate the original if I didn’t want to ship it back (so awesome!), and I was smiling and laughing as if I were speaking with an old friend. That’s what I’d call an amazing first impression.

Positive experiences lead to positive online feedback

After I hung up the phone, I felt like I needed to tell everyone about my great experience. As someone who has worked in the customer service industry for years, I know how important positive feedback is. And research shows that 91% of consumers are more likely to use a business that has positive reviews. So, I went to social media to tweet at the company, insisting that Doloris be given a raise immediately! Most importantly, my review wasn’t incentivized, meaning that the retailer didn’t ask for my opinion in exchange for cash or freebies, which is a definite online review snafu, according to the Federal Trade Commission.

Now, I am just one person whose opinion may not seem to influence much. But did you know that businesses with nine or more reviews posted within the last 90 days earn 52% more revenue than the average business? Every review really does count! And small businesses thrive off of a strong digital footprint.

Word-of-mouth referrals mean more business

There’s no question that online reviews impact sales. But even more personal and perhaps more valuable is word-of-mouth marketing. As any basic business model can tell you, an increase in referrals means an increase in prospective customers. In fact, referrals are so important that many companies often develop referral programs for existing customers who bring in new business. For example, a property manager might knock a few hundred bucks off a tenant’s rent whose referral resulted in a signed lease. Or a burgeoning hair salon might reward a referral with a discount to both the existing customer and the new customer.

According to Mark Zuckerberg, Founder and CEO of Facebook, trusted referrals are the Holy Grail of advertising. So, how does a business get customers to refer them to their friends and family? They provide a flawless customer service experience. And how do they do that? By offering these three things:

• 24/7 availability: We’re all well aware that emergencies don’t wait until business hours. Whether it’s 2 AM on Christmas morning or 3 PM on a Tuesday, offering 24/7 support is essential in showing your customers that you care.
• Omni-channel communication: Offering support via phone, email, chat and/or carrier pigeon allows you to stay connected with more customers.
• Professional and friendly representatives: Customers appreciate representatives who are polite, professional, and adept at problem solving. When you invest in a solid customer service team, your customers will invest in you.

Times are tough right now for small businesses everywhere. If your small business needs an extra hand with customer communication, sign up for our 2-week free trial to see what SAS can do for you.

The post Why Amazing Customer Service is Essential During a Crisis appeared first on Specialty Answering Service.

Despite social distancing mandates, the blight of COVID-19 has actually brought people closer together on a humanitarian level. Maybe you’ve checked in more with family. Maybe it’s made you more aware of the needs of the elderly or disabled in your community, or increasingly grateful for medical professionals and other first responders. With true face-to-face communication at a standstill, we’ve been pushing the limits of technology as we maintain contact with our social networks. And for business owners, enhanced communication has never been more critical than it is now.

In some respects, an organization’s availability translates to reliability. When customers have an abundance of ways to connect with you, and when you promptly and effectively respond to their questions and concerns, you build trust and the likelihood of repeat business. So, if you already have a business contingency plan in place, a strong online presence, and an answering service managing inbound calls 24/7, you’re a step ahead of the game and well-prepared for the unexpected. On the flipside, if this situation has undeniably highlighted holes in your communication strategies, then you have some work to do to keep yourself afloat. Just a few changes will improve connectivity across all channels.

#1 – Coordinate Website & Social Media Updates

First things first, update your website, and be sure that information is changed as the situation evolves. Include details such as:

Open / Close Hours

• Open hours during which patrons may visit
• 24/7 availability, depending on the type of business
• House calls or technicians’ hours

Contact Methods

• Standard contact
• Website and Social Media contact
• Emergency support contact

Products / Services

• Changes to pricing or availability of certain products or services
• Order lead time or delivery delays

COVID-19 Precautions

• If house calls or technicians’ visits are necessary, spell out how you will protect your employees and customers from COVID-19. For example, “All of our technicians are equipped with protective outerwear, shoe covers, gloves and face masks to minimize the risk of spreading or acquiring germs.”

You’ll also need to use social media outlets to let customers know that you’re still operational and here to help. If you’re in a time crunch, there are social media management tools that enable you to update all social media accounts simultaneously. Set time aside each day to update platforms with consumer tips, pictures from the field, new developments, inspirational stories, and anything else that will put an encouraging spin on a challenging situation. Welcome customers’ comments and personal experience, and follow up so that they know you’re listening. Show them how much you value their continued support. Then, when this crisis is behind us, your reputation for being a gracious business owner will precede you.

#2 – Send Text & Email Blasts

If you haven’t already sent out a mass communication to your customers, create a bullet-points list that echoes the information posted on your website, and include an introductory message from the owner or CEO regarding the company’s response and commitment to serve customers, come what may. That personal touch goes a long way, and it is more important now than ever. We all have the same concerns. It’s best to address them directly, from the top.

Don’t forget to include quick links for contact by phone and email, as well as links to your website and all social media pages. Before you click send, check to see that you have the appropriate text and email consent on file. Be mindful that FCC guidelines protect consumers from receiving unsolicited text and email messages.

#3 – Offer Video Chat

A slew of businesses and social networks are jumping on the video chat bandwagon, using services such as Skype, Webex, GoToMeeting, and Doxy.me, among others. Many are end-to-end encrypted (research each service to look for these features), which makes them accessible for a variety of industries. It’s as easy as sending a link via text or email to your customer or patient and signing on at the scheduled time. Though it is not a viable solution for everyone, it affords the ability to stay connected and offers peace of mind to those you serve.

#4 – Whenever Possible, Enable Remote Working

Having a cloud-based CRM and ticketing system such as Zendesk, NetSuite or HubSpot, means that any employee with an Internet connection can access data and respond to customers’ queries, regardless of location. Some systems will even present an alert if colleagues are working on the same ticket simultaneously, which saves time and prevents doubled efforts. Couple that with a cloud-based phone system such as RingCentral or Grasshopper, and your team will be able to maintain the high-level customer support that you’re known for, all from the comfort of their shelter-in-place.

At a time when the job market is so uncertain, one key takeaway here is that establishing a remote-working protocol just may be the one thing that boosts job retention for millions of people. Having a robust work-at-home plan benefits customers and employees alike. Once established, it will always be available as a failsafe. And, from an employee’s perspective, knowing that you still have a steady paycheck is invaluable.

#5 – Consider an Answering Service

Much like the national run on toilet paper, people start scrambling when they realize that the goods and services on which they depend may not be available in the short term. With this, you may see a swell of inbound calls from people wanting to know exactly where things stand. Yes, this information is on your website and social media outlets and was sent via text and email. But there is nothing like the reassurance of speaking with a live agent.

For example, SAS offers a free answering service. through our two-week free trial period. With that comes a number of benefits, including customized upfront greetings, warm and cold transfers to you or your employees, reach on-call for emergencies, appointment scheduling, message delivery by text and email, integrations with a variety of CRM software, and more. Depending on the service, you might pay per-minute or per-call after the trial period has ended, and plans can be adjusted based on pre- and post-COVID call volume. Customers will appreciate being able to reach someone, even if your offices or storefronts are closed. And you’ll appreciate never missing a call or having to wade through a flood of voicemails.

We’re lucky to be living in a time when reaching out to people has never been easier, and nothing drives that point home more than when a single virus shuts down half the world. Whatever your industry, and however large your customer base, communication is the backbone of every powerful business. Strengthen your approach now, and you’ll fortify your bottom line in the midst of, and well after, the COVID-19 crisis.

The post 5 Ways to Help Your Business Communicate Throughout the Coronavirus Crisis appeared first on Specialty Answering Service.

One of the main things we’re learning by speaking to our customers and prospects is that the conversation around business communication is changing. For some businesses, answering services were the after hours dispatching team or the overflow receptionist team when you couldn’t answer the phone in your own office. Now, we’re becoming the 24 hour answering service. With so many businesses forced to do business from home, the main thing small businesses are concerned about now is continuity of communication.

Businesses are seeing customers trying to reach them more than ever. Inbound requests are spiking. Business communications are in flux as you don’t know which member of your team is going to be available to speak with a customer at any point through the day. You need your communication to be flexible, and an answering service allows that type of flexibility.

Answering services like Specialty are committed to supporting companies like yours. No matter what size your business or what industry you’re in, an answering service can act as a central point of contact and give you the flexibility to be there to receive a transfer, or take a message if you’re not available.

Here’s how to maintain solid communication through your answering service during a crisis:

1. Ensure messaging redundancy: In many cases, and especially during an emergency, there needs to be more than one point of contact to ensure messages are getting to someone as soon as possible. Whether it be through texts, emails or actual phone calls, you should include two or more contact numbers or addresses for each method of communication being used. That way if Contact Person A has stepped away, Contact Person B can step in without any disruption.
2. Maximize coverage: If you are in an emergency service industry or not, consider using the 24 hour live coverage answering services offer to make sure your business is available around the clock. Assign staff members who are available to take transfers around the clock by using a rotating on-call schedule or simply arm your answering service operators with a handful of the most important FAQs. That way they can help answer questions on your behalf which will help cut down on the amount of calls your team have to return. While we recommend 24 hour support, it’s a good idea to review your answering service pricing first to ensure there are no extra charges for 24 hour support. Most services do not charge extra and will just charge based on your usage alone.
3. Reassess contact points: Normally, there is a single person from your company who takes your teams needs and communicates them to the answering service to program into a script. Make sure there are at least 2 individuals in your company who knows how to contact the service and who understand your protocols in general in case one contact person is unavailable.
4. Ensure phone reliability: If you manually transfer your calls to the service, make sure you have another way to transfer calls if something prevents you from accessing your office phone. For example, a power outage will make it difficult for you to manually forward calls. However, your phone provide may be able to do it remotely from their own headquarters. It’s important to make sure your provider has a plan in place specifically for emergencies and that they are compatible with your own business protocols.

Even if your answering service is performing perfectly, we understand that your staff may be experiencing a high level of stress because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Answering services are here to help you through the stressful times so maintaining continuity in communication isn’t even on your radar. We understand the role communication plays during an emergency and now more than ever, communication is critical to maintaining your business.

The post Keep Your Answering Service Performing Over a Crisis appeared first on Specialty Answering Service.

Let’s take a look at the best practices for using an answering service to tackle your traffic and communication challenges.

1. Offer 24/7 Customer Service

As a result of customers working and living out of their homes, new ways of reaching out to businesses may arise. As our new normal sets in, customers could start to contact you outside of normal business hours, or expect you to be available when their schedule allows a call to your company. Companies can be prepared for this new normal by making sure their answering service is available 24 hours, and by providing time dependent call handling. For instance, where during office hours you may want your answering service to transfer every call, after hours you may only want to have important or urgent calls transferred to you.

If your provider doesn’t offer 24-hour answering, here are other ways to cope with traffic outside of office hours:

• Add an IVR on your line which routes calls to your answering service during the hours when the service is available, then to your staff when your virtual receptionists are not
• Use an IVR after hours to help answer basic questions and provide information for callers, like when your team can be reached live as well as any urgent information
• If you’re trying to minimize contact for your employees after hours, program your IVR with an after hours announcement letting the callers know the office is closed and to can leave a voicemail message

2. Update Your Scripts

With social distancing and stay-at-home orders, physical business interactions may not be returning for quite sometime. Now is the time to re-imagine how you do business and make sure those changes are part of your customer service experience.

For example, many doctors are offering telemedicine appointments as an alternative to physical, in-person appointments in an effort to limit unnecessary contact. Brick and mortar stores are offering free delivery or curbside pickup. Whatever your new business model, make sure your answering service knows about it and your script is adjusted accordingly.

If you aren’t looking for a total overhaul of your script for something that may be temporary, here are some quick fixes:

• Update the FAQs your answering service uses with your new offerings
• To keep your script simple, add your new offerings to a ‘what services are you interested in’ dropdown
• Include a transfer protocol for important or urgent calls so your customers know you’re still there for them

3. Love The Phone Again

With new quarantine rules, all small businesses have the opportunity to fall in love with telephone communication again. With limited opportunities for face to face interactions with businesses, phone contact is more vital than ever to develop long lasting relationships with clients. Customers are looking to feel connected to the brands they love again, and telephone communication is the perfect answer.

Depending on the type of business you run and what your answering service offers, you may also want to utilize text or SMS response for those customers who’d rather not call, but still want the prompt response of speaking to someone in real time.

The businesses that continue to thrive when this pandemic is over will be the ones who stay close to their customers.

The post How Businesses Can Stay Connected with Customers appeared first on Specialty Answering Service.

An answering service is a powerful communication tool that allows companies to handle an insane amount of call volume without you having to hire more employees to do it. Answering services can answer basic questions your customers may have to protect your internal support resources, schedule call backs for later, or transfer important calls to your staff if required. So, what can you do to ensure your answering service is making a meaningful impact, especially during this crisis? We’ve put together 3 things you can do in 1 hour.

1. Arm Your Receptionists With Information

Take a minute to analyze your helpdesk tickets or connect with your team to see what types of questions they’re being asked, and assess if those answers can be offloaded to the answering service agents.

• Send a quick email to your staff to ask them the top questions they’re being asked by customers
• Log all of their questions on a shared document and have them add any new questions there
• Decide which of those questions are good candidates for the answering service to handle
• Send updates to your answering service from the list, or if you have online access to your answering service system, update your FAQs on your own

If you find you’re getting a lot of crisis related questions, like questions related to COVID-19, it may be a good idea to create a separate FAQ with your answering service specifically for those requests. That way, when life eventually gets back to normal, you’ll just have to make one FAQ change instead of editing through several.

2. Make Simple Messaging Script Updates

Reviewing and updating your messaging protocols and script will help make sure that information gets transmitted as quickly as possible from the callers to the answering service to your own staff.

• If you’re dealing with several requests about the same issue, like rescheduling appointments or cancelling reservations, consider adding a new path (or screen) to your script. That will ensure the operators can log the reason for the call quickly and collect the relevant information without having to guess – which can cause chaos later when you’re already dealing with too much on your plate.
• If you have employees working from home, make sure the messages the answering service is sending are reaching everyone they should. See what messages have been sent over the last week and poll your employees to see if anyone who should have received those messages didn’t – and vice versa.
• If your business model means you are responding to customer requests 24/7, your 24 hour answering service should have the ability to send messages one way during office hours, and another during after hours. Check to make sure which employees or groups of employees have been receiving messages both during and after hours and make adjustments accordingly.

3. Streamline Your Workflows

Simple is always better. Consider temporarily simplifying your answering service protocols to get customers on and off the phone as quickly as possible. If you’re getting a high volume of calls, this will free up answering service agents to handle more requests and lower your hold time.

• Decide what the most important requests are and have those calls transferred to your staff
• For all other calls, instruct the operators to take a message with the most basic information (name, phone number, reason for contact)

With a just a few tweaks, you can make sure your answering service is able to effectively handle a higher call volume during this most difficult time.

The post What You Can Do in One Hour To Improve Your Answering Service appeared first on Specialty Answering Service.

#1. Provide 24/7 customer service

Think people only connect with companies from 9-5? With most businesses only available by phone from Monday-Friday 9am-5pm, offering live customer support after hours is a natural place to help differentiate yourself from your competition. Open up your support channels to not only phone calls, but emails, live chat and social media as well. If you run a small company and can’t answer phones all the time, outsourcing calls to a 24/7 answering service is a cost-effective way to keep  your communication channel open around the clock. If your customers are upset and try reaching you after hours, they’re only going to become more upset when they are forced to leave a voicemail. Even if your answering service isn’t able to solve the issue right then and there, giving your customers a live voice to talk to is better than no voice at all.

Pro tip: If your support reps are friendly and upbeat, are knowledgeable about the product or service and can resolve the issue during that first interaction, your customers are going to be delighted. After a positive experience with your support team, they won’t be as hesitant to call when they need help. They may even leave a positive review!

#2. Send out follow up emails after an operator interaction

Answering services give you the opportunity to let your customers interact directly with a brand representative. Unlike voicemail which is a one way communication system, live interaction is a two-way street. To further the engagement post phone-call, keep the interaction alive by emailing callers immediately after a phone call asking for feedback. How did we do? Did we answer your question? How would you rate the operator?

Whether you’re asking for feedback or just simply checking in, your customers will appreciate you taking the initiative and reaching out to them. Many people will let things slide until they eventually get so fed up that they quit. If you’re actively reaching out to them, they will feel more comfortable responding and asking for help. The sooner you can solve their issue, the happier they’ll be and the more inclined they will be to stay a customer.

Depending on what you are looking to accomplish, you may have to shop around. Some answering services are able to send out emails using your own software systems and workflow, and other call center type services can send out survey emails after each phone call made to your business. In addition, not all answering services have the capability to handle live chat and email support, so make sure you do your research beforehand.

#3. Customize a tier 1 help desk

Can your answering service do everything you can? Probably not, but they can usually do a lot more than just take down messages and transfer calls. People expect brands to be available when they need them, and sometimes just taking a message isn’t going to cut it. A good way to maximize customer retention is to use your answering service as a tier 1 help desk. Whether you run an HVAC company, a computer software company, or any other type of business where you’re bound to get calls asking why something isn’t working, setting up specific protocols for those scenarios allows your virtual receptionists to help your callers better. Some examples of questions based on industries include:

HVAC:

• Have the batteries in your thermostat been changed recently?
• Has the filter been cleaned within the last several months?
• Is your unit blowing hot or cold air?

Computer software:

• Is your system able to turn on?
• When you restart the system, does the issue go away?
• Are you able to access the internet?

Auto:

• Does your vehicle turn on?
• When it turns on, do any lights show up?
• Is it puttering, or making any strange noises?

Tech:

• Is your machine able to turn on?
• Is it able to run on it’s own?
• After restarting the machine, is the issue persisting?
• Are you receiving error codes? If so, what are they?

While these are only a few examples, most answering services allow you to customize your script so that your agents are able to get closer to the root of the problem. This method is much more effective than having the operators just take basic messages and having your team follow up, especially if they are able to resolve the issue while on the phone. While it may make your calls last longer, it will definitely help cut down on the workload of your own staff as they won’t have to spend as much time calling people back. If your staff do have to call customers back, they will be able to prioritize who needs a call back first depending on the information gathered by your answering service.

#4. Set up emergency dispatching

Monitoring your calls is one thing, acting on them is another. When customers reach out to you in the middle of the night, it’s usually because they’re having an emergency and are literally calling out for help. Not only do you want to give them a live voice to talk to, you also want to give them assurance that someone can help them ASAP. Whether you run a medical practice, an HVAC company, or a tow truck company, setting up an emergency dispatching protocol with your answering service is another great way to ensure customer retention.

If your customers can’t get a hold of anyone when they need it most, they’re going to look for a company that is available, which is not something you want. Some tips for setting up your on-call schedule with your answering service include:

• Keep it updated in advance
• Make sure all of the contact information is up to date
• Have a back up protocol in place in the event your on-call personnel can’t be reached
• Set up expiration alerts so you are reminded when to update your schedule

#5. Have your answering service schedule appointments

For businesses that rely on appointments, you’ll definitely want to recruit your answering service to help schedule. If your customers or patients know that they’re calling your answering service, they’re going to be less inclined to reach out if they know they aren’t able to schedule with them. Even if they are unaware they’re speaking with your service, they’ll think it’s awfully fishy that they have to wait for a call back in order to schedule.

If this is the case, your customers may be more inclined to look elsewhere for business, possibly at another company who may be able to help them the first time they call instead of always having to wait for a call back. Instead of flushing business away, see if your answering service can accommodate your scheduling needs. They may be able to schedule right on your website, using their own calendar, or they may be able to integrate with a web-based software like Google Calendar.

#6. Set up order processing

For many eCommerce and retail companies, order processing is your bread and butter. Instead of letting business go stale, have your answering service help customers place orders, answer product questions and process returns if necessary. While your service is busy bringing in the dough, you can focus on other things, like updating your product line with even more items that your customers love! If you want to make sure both your in-office staff and your answering service are handling orders correctly, feel free to download and print out our order evaluation form to hang in your office.

Pro tip: If you are having your answering service process orders and take payments from your customers, you’ll want to make sure they are PCI compliant to ensure your customer’s private information stays secured. 

The post 6 Simple Ways to Use an Answering Service for Customer Retention appeared first on Specialty Answering Service.

#1. Users want immediate answers.

Auto-attendants are great at routing calls to the right agent, but they can’t do customer service well. As technology continues to evolve, consumers are becoming more and more accustomed to getting information with just a few clicks or a ‘Hey Alexa’ shout out. Like Veruca Salt, your customers want answers now. The longer your auto-attendant process is and the more options your callers have to press through to reach the end of the maze, the more likely they are to hang up. As an answering service business, we actually dig IVRs, but not as a single solution. We recommend using IVRs as part of a larger whole. If you’re going to use an auto-attendant, consider these tips:

• Make the greeting short and sweet so that your callers can get through to a live voice as quickly as possible. Limit your options in any menu to no more than 4 options, and ideally 2 or 3.
• If they’re calling for simple questions like your business hours and address, have an IVR option be a recording that will relay all of that information instead of having your callers sit through the menu options each time they call.
• Always have a press 0 auto-attendant option route to your answering service to answer simple questions via your FAQs so your callers can get the information they need from a real person. If your callers are asking questions the operators are not able to answer, they can at least take messages or transfer the call, whereas your auto-attendant would simply hang up. Rude!
• Have a live voice record your auto-attendant messages instead of a computer. The live voice gives your company a personal touch and will be easier for your callers to understand.

#2. Nothing compares to a live voice.

Sometimes auto-attendants are necessary, like when you want your callers to choose 1 to speak with an English representative or 2 to speak with a Spanish representative. However, nothing compares to speaking to an actual human being that can hear their concerns, understand what they are asking for, and ultimately come up with a resolution.

Even if you’re using an answering service and the agent isn’t able to immediately help the caller, they can still take a message and assure them their call will be returned in a timely fashion. This approach is a lot better than having your customers leave a voicemail, as they won’t be certain when or even if their call will be returned.

#3. Auto-attendants aren’t always right.

Technology is only as smart as it’s creator. If your business or answering service is using an auto-attendant, you’ll want to make sure it’s always relaying the most up to date information. For example, if you have an extension list for callers to choose who they want to speak with, make sure it has the most current employees. Sometimes callers will find that the staff member they wish to speak with no longer works there, but their name still appears as an option. Or, worse yet, if a new hire isn’t included in the dial by name directory.

In addition, businesses often times move locations or add temporary holiday messages but then forget to update their automated greetings. While small, all of these hiccups can give your business a bad look as customers may think you’re not on your game. I love Christmas as much as the next person, but having a business wish me a Merry Christmas in March just isn’t cool.

#4. Your customers don’t feel heard.

While IVR services (interactive voice response) can mean pressing different options on the keypad to get to a specific department or person, the true meaning of IVR means the caller is speaking into the phone to the machine to be directed accordingly. Often times you’ll see this option with telecommunication companies like Comcast or Verizon. While it seems like a more technologically advanced solution, it can be quite annoying if the caller has to keep repeating themselves because the attendant can’t figure what they’re saying, or if the callers’ option isn’t pre-programmed and the IVR is left confused.

When the caller does finally get through to a live agent, IVR hell has them worked up which makes for an unpleasant experience for the support rep on the other line. While CSRs are supposed to remain calm and collected no matter what the situation, no body likes to be yelled at, especially if it can be avoided with live operator love.

#5. Callers want options.

Relatively speaking, many people enjoy helping themselves and may actually prefer using an auto-attendant over having to speak to a real person. However, there are just as many people who still like the personal touch of talking to another human when they need help. You should give your callers the option to choose how they want to be assisted instead of just giving them one option over the other.

It’s helpful if your auto-attendant offers callers a choice on how they’d like to continue. For example, if they’d like to continue with the self service route, they can press 1 to be taken to the directory of options. If they would like to speak to a live person, press 2 or say ‘Operator’. It’s also a good idea to make it known that if they choose the self-service option and change their mind, they can press 0 at any time to either be taken back to the main menu, or be transferred directly to a customer service agent. While auto-attendants are helpful, they should not be the primary means of support for your customers. Ultimately, auto-attendants are the most effective when they are working in tandem with real agents.

The post 5 Reasons Why Fully Automated Customer Service Is A Rotten Idea appeared first on Specialty Answering Service.

At Specialty Answering Service, we strive to provide a great service and have an amazing customer service team when there are bumps in the road. We have a growing team of eager, friendly, and overall amazing support reps who kick butt day in and day out, so we decided to ask them what makes them a great customer service representative and why they love their job.

Annie B.

Why do you enjoy customer service?

Because I love helping people and problem solving!

What makes you great at customer service?

I’m good at putting myself in the caller’s shoes. When someone needs assistance, the last thing they need is a support rep that is disinterested. It happens all the time when I call my phone company!

Barb A.

Why do you enjoy customer service?

I feel that I can truly help someone’s business by providing great customer service! Most of our clients are small businesses and they rely on our answering service. If they are having a problem, they need to know that there is someone who can help them in a timely manner so they can focus on running their business. I like being able to help someone and I know that they appreciate it!

What makes you great at customer service?

I owned a small business and I know how important it is to provide good customer service!

Jessica R.

Why do you enjoy customer service?

I love solving problems and making a difference!

What makes you great at customer service?

I have the patience of a Saint and I love to practice active listening.

Mollie W.

Why do you enjoy customer service?

I enjoy customer service because every day is different. You never have the same day twice and that’s exciting. Knowing that you’re coming to work and going to have new experiences is reassuring. If you have a bad day one day, you know the next day will bring new opportunities!

What makes you great at customer service?

Patience. Sometimes there are customers that are less than thrilled, but the way you handle it and the way you talk to them makes a world of difference. Patience and understanding are two important qualities that I think customer service reps must have.

Kelly D.

Why do you enjoy customer service?

I enjoy being able to help others who may have questions or problems with their accounts. I always wanted to work in a field where I made a difference and was able to help at least one person a day. Being able to help people by answering questions, solving script issues or looking into their calls for them truly makes me feel like I was able to make someones day a little bit easier.

What makes you great at customer service?

I love interacting with people. Being able to talk to someone on a personal level makes the caller feel that they are important, and their issues are being heard. I am a problem solver, so I will try and figure out any way to make a situation better, no matter how big or small the issue is.

Alex S.

Why do you enjoy customer service?

It allows me to work with customers to problem solve! There is nothing more satisfying than struggling with an issue and then having the solution come to you in a bolt of clarity.

What makes you great at customer service?

It allows me to think creatively. No two issues are ever the same and no two people are ever the same, so each new case is like trying to find the pieces to complete the puzzle.

Sheila F.

Why do you enjoy customer service?

I enjoy customer service because I help people and it feels good. Every issue is different and I enjoy troubleshooting to come up with the answers.

What makes you great at customer service?

I know a lot of ways to get to the bottom of what the client needs/wants. I am very patient and I know the systems well.

Danielle V.

Why do you enjoy customer service?

I am able to come up with creative solutions that genuinely help businesses grow.

What makes you great at customer service?

I would say that I’m really good at empathizing with our clients when it comes to misunderstandings, and resolving issues quickly.

Kaila H.

Why do you enjoy customer service?

I enjoy talking to people and taking their complex problems and solving them. It’s rewarding when someone has an issue and you’re able to think of multiple solutions.

What makes you great at customer service?

I think having the ability to multitask and think of multiple different ways to solve a problem makes me good at customer service. If you let the customer feel in control of the outcome, your response is usually better.

The post What Makes a Great Customer Service Representative? appeared first on Specialty Answering Service.

Whether you’re trying to make an appointment with your doctor, or you’re trying to reach Comcast’s customer support because there’s a movie that you definitely didn’t order on your bill, chances are you’re going to wait on hold for what probably feels like forever.

Specialty Answering Service hates waiting on hold as much as the next guy or gal, which is why we’ve employed over 300 professionally trained operators to monitor the phones 24/7. So, out goes missing calls and leads, and in comes happy customers and more business!

The post Video of a man spending 100 years on hold. appeared first on Specialty Answering Service.

While the basic tenets of good customer service remain the same across generations, the way millennials communicate is what’s really changing the customer service game. Preferred channels of service aren’t just telephones. They’re phones, and texts, and chats, and Twitter, and Facebook – pretty much just about every channel your small business is probably not engaging in right now.

So how can businesses that have developed their customer service strategies around Baby Boomers change gears to hook up with millennials? How can you achieve customer retention while millennializing your customer service? We’ve put together 7 tips your company can start putting into play today!

Tip #1: Social Media

Use of Social Media: As social media continues to evolve, millennials are evolving with it, which means you have to, too. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat are all free apps that millennials love, and that businesses can use to keep in touch with their customer base. 55% of people aged 18-34 stated that they have used social media to praise a brand on it’s customer service. Similarly, 50% of people in the same age range stated that they would also refer to social media to complain about a bad customer service experience. Oh no! If you’re not using at least some form of social media to engage with your customers, you’re dropping the ball.

How your company can use social media to engage with millennials: Just being accessible on social media is a great customer service strategy. Millennials are always on their phones – so you have to be there too.

• Setup Social Media Channels: At minimum, make sure you have a Facebook and a Twitter page setup, with text on the page letting customers know they can DM you for support requests.
• Post Regularly: We recommend posting regularly to show your customers that you’re up to date, engaged, and ready to communicate. Even if you’re just owning a Twitter troll because they talked smack on your beef, at least you’re posting something, and millennials know you’re there.
• Make Sure Customers Know Where They Can Contact You: Traditional support channels like logging a support ticket on a website may not be adopted, where accepting support requests on channels millennials already use can be. If millennials know that they can send a direct message via Twitter or Facebook, instead of logging a formal support ticket, or calling a support line, they are more likely to reach out to you when issues arise, which means you have the ability to resolve their problem quicker. Make sure you have a place on your website letting customers know all the million+ ways they can contact you for support. And so you aren’t checking those million+ places every day, make sure all requests and messages funnel into a single email to easily triage requests.

Tip #2: Unified Communications

Unify Your Communications: Millennias have been exposed to the internet from infancy. That means data is always delivered in real time and on-demand. You need to have the right tools and technologies for seamless integration and a smooth flow of information across multiple channels. A millennial may expect to carry out a transaction online and call your contact center agent to verify when the shipping can be expected. Also, messaging and communication need to be consistent. Your website, your email marketing, and your contact center agents all need to speak the same language. Advertising a special when your answering service rep has no idea what the caller is talking about – that’s a super ‘No No’.

How your company can maintain consistent customer service with millennials: To really kill it, you need to be everywhere at once!

• Use One Customer Service Team: Phone, email, and live chat support should all be handled by the same team of people. That way if someone who was using chat decides to call in for more assistance, they won’t have to explain themselves all over again.
• Unify Your Software: If customer support isn’t able to be handled by the same group, we recommend looking for software that is able to integrate with other channels. For example, for your helpdesk software, look for a product that integrates with your CRM, POS, ordering platform, and billing system. For customers who are trying to get assistance, it can be frustrating when they are tossed around from person to person, especially if that person is not in the same location as the support rep they were just talking to. Consistency and teamwork are key in maintaining long lasting customer relationships.

Tip #3: Human Touch

The Human Touch: Despite their comfort with self-service, millennials still prefer the human touch when it comes to complex inquiries. They also want human interaction to be available on every channel – primarily to offer contextual and personalized service. So, out goes your static FAQ page and in comes web chat from an agent who knows which page you are browsing! Be sure that your agent is knowledgeable, can communicate well and is empowered to make decisions. 32% of millennials stated that working with a representative who does not have the ability or knowledge to resolve their issue is the most frustrating aspect of their customer service experience, and 63% have stopped doing business with companies due to a poor customer service experience. Millennials prefer an informal, honest, solution-oriented approach. Human agents must be available for them to contact at their convenience, and not because other service channels are sub-optimal.

The best way to provide 24/7 live support for millennials: Live support rocks! Make sure you’re offering it.

• Hire a Virtual Receptionist: Outsource calls to a 24/7 virtual receptionist service so that your customers can receive assistance even after you’ve closed up shop for the day. Generally speaking, if millennials reach an answering machine, they will not stay on the line to leave a message. So, you’ll want to make sure you have around the clock coverage to field any incoming calls.
• Make Sure the Virtual Receptionists Do Everything You Can Do: You’ll want to be sure that if someone calls at 2:00 PM and reaches you, and then they call at 7:00 PM and reach the answering service, that the service has the same capabilities and access to information as you. Many answering services can act as an extension to your business by screening calls, dispatching urgent messages, scheduling appointments, etc. In addition, you can save money by hiring a virtual receptionist as opposed to an in-office receptionist, who you’d have to pay a full salary and benefits. Many services, Specialty Answering Service included, even offer a free trial so you can make sure they are a good match!

Tip #4: Convenience

Convenience: Millennials take it for granted that your business will have a website, an app, and a contact center, not to mention a physical store front – all of which they will use depending on  convenience. So you can no longer shy away from multiple service channels.  They also prefer proactive engagement – reminders on bills to be paid, flights to be caught etc., rather than responsive engagement, like outreach on a payment after the due date has passed. It is important that you first obtain permission to call, text or email them, personalize the message, keep it accurate and relevant, and offer something actionable.

How to make your customer service channels convenient for millennials: You need to adopt texting into your customer service strategy.

• Encourage Texting: Make sure your customers know they are able to text you if they need help.
• Unify Your Numbers So They’re All Text Enabled: If you have numbers that aren’t text enabled, resporg them to a service that will allow texting.

Tip #5: Speed

Speed of Service: This one is universal, but especially relevant for millennials who are great at multitasking. Their service expectations are influenced by the instant gratification that they are used to from online experiences. No one likes to be kept on hold – especially so, the millennials – who are likely to abandon the queue faster than the Boomers. One way to overcome this is to offer self-service options such as an IVR or app-based service delivery.

How to speed up your customer service channels for millennials:  Create an internal SLA for responding to customers.

• Set A Support Timeframe: Instant gratification is king. If your millennial customers reach out to you and they don’t hear back quickly, they are going to take their business elsewhere. Set a time frame within your company and try to stick to it as best you can. For example, maybe your goal for email replies is 30 minutes during business hours, and 2 hours after hours.
• Use Technology for Confirmations: If you’re using a helpdesk, you can easily setup an automated email that goes out as soon as you receive an incoming ticket that just lets the customer know you’ve received their request and that they will be hearing from you soon. If you’re using email to handle your requests, setup an autoresponder. Either method assures customers that they are being heard, which makes them more likely to stick around for the resolution.

Tip #6: Self-Service

Use of Self-Service Channels:  78% of millennials agreed that they have a more favorable view of brands that offer a mobile-responsive customer support portal. Ideally, easy and straightforward transactions such as balance inquiry and password reset can be self-service while complex interactions are best left to a live agent. Also, it is important to provide confirmation of a successful transaction. Otherwise, millennials are likely to call back to verify if the transaction did actually go through – defeating the entire purpose of having self-service in the first place. This would be considered poor service.

The best way to provide self-service customer service options for millennials: Help your customers help themselves.

• Invest in Web Based Technology to Connect Your Systems: Generally speaking, if millennials know that they can make a change with their order or account without having to speak to someone, they will do it on their own. Giving your customers access to an online portal that allows them to manage their settings at their leisure can help reduce phone calls and increase customer satisfaction. You’ll want to make sure the portal is user friendly and that the people using it aren’t able to make any drastic changes, like accidentally deleting important information.
• Develop a Help Desk: Articles are awesome. Make sure to create an online library where customers can go to for answers to their questions – and make sure you update it regularly. You’ll find that this will cut down on your support costs while keeping your customers uber happy.

Tip #7: Quality

Quality of Service Delivery & Service Recovery: Consumer activism is high among millennials. They take action as a response to perceived service quality, whether it is good or bad. They talk about their service experience online in social media and in chat forums, are quick to recommend a good service provider to friends and family, and equally quick to warn them about a bad one. In fact, their tolerance for bad service is lower than other generations, and therefore companies need to work on improving quality of service delivery and speed of service recovery in the event of an unsatisfactory incident. In other words, if something goes awry, apologize and take corrective action straightaway.

How to improve the quality of your service for millennials: Make sure you’re taking feedback at every opportunity.

• Send A Survey After Every Issue You Resolve: Send out an email or text after every resolved issue asking your customers for their feedback. Giving them this option to tell  you directly how you did can help deter them from bad mouthing you on social media. If their feedback was positive, you can then follow up by asking them to post a review online. If their feedback was negative, work with them to resolve their issue and analyze the entire thread so you can improve the process for next time.
• Look for Patterns And Be Proactive: Analyze your support requests each week to look for trends. For example, if you’re seeing an escalation in support requests for new customers, maybe you need stronger on-boarding procedures.

While generations differ in how they interact with the businesses they patronize, their expectations are essentially the same – they want good customer care, and they want their problems to be resolved in as little time as possible.

The post 7 Simple Ways To Adjust Your Customer Service Strategy for Millennials appeared first on Specialty Answering Service.