How to Improve Customer Retention

Customer retention is just as important (if not more important) than customer acquisition, and it comes down to how efficient your business process is - especially in sales. If doing business with you isn't straightforward, fast, effective and worthwhile, your customers will go elsewhere. Similarly, if your customers encounter a problem and you are not able to adequately handle the situation, they'll leave with a negative view of your company. 

Improving customer retention needn't mean massive changes to your business - most of the tips you'll find below are basic common sense but will ensure your customers are encouraged to stay a loyal member of your business community and keep coming back to you.

• Use enticing and positive vocabulary that promise good value, exclusivity and novelty. Free gifts, special deals, new ranges, instant service - all these suggest a great deal and encourage customers to make that purchase.
• When dealing with reluctant customers or conservative spenders, reassuring words may help with your sales approach. Re-frame your speech to appeal to thrifty customers and show them how they will be saving money by choosing certain options.
• Always answer the phone with a smile and maintain a polite and professional demeanour throughout your call. Our Zoom call handlers are experts in the art of the business phone call and offer great customer service whenever they pick up the phone.
• Reciprocate and go above and beyond for your customers to show that you are committed to them. If loyal customers are rewarded, they'll continue to give you repeat business. Giving back to customers doesn't need to be costly - small gestures and little personal touches can be more effective than a large deal if you make your customer feel as if this deal is purely for them.
• Personalised service really goes a long way. Collect information on your customers whenever you do business with them and show them that you are keeping track of your business relationship and aren't simply just another name on a list.
• Make sure your service runs smoothly, your processes are quick and trouble free, and your calls are always directed to the right person as quickly as possible. Fast and efficient business does wonders for your customer retention!
• Make it easy for customers to find support when they need it. A dedicated support team is just as essential as your sales team. When customers feel frustrated and ignored, their experience will taint their entire business transaction.

For help providing your customers with top quality service, let the Zoom team help you with your phone management services and watch your customer service retention increase!

What Makes a Great Call Answering Service?

When you call a business looking for information, to make an order or to submit a complaint, what do you look for from the person who answers your call? Most people would include politeness, competence and speed in their list of positive business call attributes. If you think your call handling isn't as good as it could be, take the time to sit down and make a list of everything you want out of a call answering service and see how your own company fairs.

Recognising what your customers want and need is an essential part of providing the best customer service possible. We can help you to identify the most efficient ways to organise your phone answering service or call centre operations, and our professionally trained call handlers are able to adapt to a variety of different situations and requirements, including:

• Call answering
• Appointment making
• Virtual reception services
• Call centre services
• Call diverting
• Brochure sending
• Customer services
• Franchise call answering
• Diary management
• Holiday/sickness/temporary cover

One of the most effective methods of creating a positive call experience is to really listen to your customers' needs and individual requirements and tailoring your response accordingly. Reading from a script does not cater to every situation and can make you appear robotic or dismissive. Personalising your calls is a great way to make each and every customer feel like their call is valued and their query is being taken seriously. Keep good records of names, times, details and previous interactions so that you can refer to them during future calls. Following up calls with a quick check up can be a fantastic way of going the extra mile, too, and having a dedicated customer support team to respond to complaints and issues as quickly as possible is a definite essential if you want your business reputation to stay golden.

At the core of great call answering, however, is the professionalism of your call handlers. At Zoom Answer Call, our expert call handlers are trained to understand customer emotions and handle them appropriately. We tailor our services to the exact requirements of your company so that we become a seamless addition to your business. Our phone answering services ensure that you never miss a call, never leave a query unanswered and never fail to respond to a complaint. Better customer service means a better reputation, which leads to boosted sales and a higher rate of returning customers!

Get in touch with us at Zoom Answer Call for a FREE 7-day trial of our business call handling services and see for yourself!

Improving Your Customer Service - Part 3

At Zoom Answer Call, customer service is one of our greatest strengths - we believe that your customers build your business, and it's important to treat each one as well as possible. If you need professional assistance to help boost your customer service department, our call answering services can help! Or if you're simply in need of a few pointers and tips to raise your customer service game a little, then read on... (You can also read part 1 and part 2 of our customer service series for more advice.)

1. Say "yes" whenever you can. This means finding a way to help your customers no matter what. If you can't do exactly as they ask, then offer a suitable alternative or compensation - the fact that you've tried to accommodate their request will serve as a big positive for your customer service reputation.
2. Know when and how to apologise. Sometimes things go wrong - everyone can understand that, and even the grouchiest customer can be appeased if you handle it the right way. Apologise, admit your error and - most importantly - deal with the consequences professionally and quickly.
3. Make things easy for your customers. This includes finding information, organisational systems, transactions, enquiries, returns and complaints. If your customers can't get hold of you, or become confused and frustrated trying to negotiate your system, website or customer service line, they will either become angry or simply give up. Keep a reliable human element in your business and make sure there's always help at hand for your customers. This may mean implementing a phone answering service to ensure that there is always someone professional and knowledgeable at the end of the phone.
4. Go above and beyond. How can you improve on your competition and give customers more? How can you offer a better and more reliable service? How can you surprise and delight your customers? A big part of this can come down to customer service - customers like feeling like they are valued and respected on an individual basis. Take the time to show your appreciation. Ask if there's anything else you can do. 
5. Train your employees well and include them in the daily workings and development of your customer services. Having happy and knowledgeable employees means that they will pass these benefits onto your customers. Show them the importance of your customer service department and work together to find ways of improving it.

We hope these tips have been of help to you and your business in improving your customer services. If you need practical help with customer service management, call answering services, a virtual reception,  seasonal cover and more, get in touch with us at Zoom Answer Call.

Improving Your Customer Service - Part 2

Does your company's customer service need a boost? At Zoom Answer Call, customer service is our first priority and we strive to improve the customer experience for every business we work with. If you need a few pointers on how to raise your reputation and polish your customer service skills, you'll find some tips below. You can also read part 1 of our customer service series here.

1. The moment you pick up the phone or are approached by a customer on the shop floor, give them your undivided attention. Distraction and preoccupation are the enemies of good customer service! Your customers need to feel as though they are genuinely being listened do, and you need to pay attention so that you are clear about their enquiry or problem and can help them appropriately and effectively. If you are unable to set aside time for this kind of focus, consider employing a phone answering service to do it for you. 
2. Anticipate potential problems or additional needs. Communicate with your customers during and after sales to find out if there's anything else they would have liked from their interaction with you, or if there are any follow-ups you should be carrying out. Anticipating what your customers want from the overall experience with your business helps you to provide a better service, boost your reputation and reduce complaints.
3. Treat customers as individuals. Ask for their name and use it. Always make a note of any information they give you so that you can refer to it later and show them that you have been listening and taking in what they're saying. One size does not fit all in customer service - what one customer is happy with, another may find insultingly lacking. Determine how best to resolve an issue on an individual basis and tailor your customer services to each customer you deal with.
4. Be sincere. There's nothing worse than knowing that someone who is supposedly trying to help you is being fake. Customers value sincerity and a genuine effort to make them happy. Even if you can't fix their problem, approaching it from a sincere and apologetic starting point can pave the way for a positive interaction. Our Zoomettes are trained to answer each call with a smile and handle every enquiry with professionalism and genuine care.
5. Say "thank you". Remember that your customers are what keep you in business! Thank them for their time, their business and their enquiries. Customers remember bad customer service and they remember excellent customer service - make sure you're on the right side of that coin!

For more tips and tricks to boost your customer services, keep watching our blog for part 3 - coming soon. For customer service management and call answering services, Zoom Answer Call can help you to ensure your customer services is always of the highest quality and professionalism. 

Improving Your Customer Service - Part 1

As a professional call answering company, we know the importance of good customer service - it's built into everything we do, every call we take, every customer we speak to. Whatever your industry, customer service is a necessary and integral part of your day to day business. Whether you work B2B or B2C, your customer services sets you apart from competitors, strengthens your reputation, and assists with new customer acquisition as news of your good deeds spreads via word of mouth. So long as your reputation is positive, of course...

If you need to improve your company's customer services, the following tips might help. In the first of a 3 part series, we're looking at some simple ways to revamp your approach to customer services:

1. Dedicate time and effort to your customer service department, no matter how small. Relegating customer services as a secondary responsibility means you will never stay on top of your enquiries or complaints. If you genuinely don't have the time or manpower to prioritise customer services, think about employing a call answering service to do it for you! Having a service like Zoom Answer Call means you never have to worry about a missed call or a forgotten enquiry. We have services to suit every style and size of business, and we offer a great range of additional benefits to help the day to day running of your company.
2. Know what your customers want. Invest in market research and tailor your products and services to really suit your customers' needs. The better you adapt your company to the specifics of your target audience, the better service you will provide. In turn, it will be easier for your customer services to respond to customers' requirements.
3. The customer is always right, and customer services are always polite. Remember that mantra, especially when dealing with a difficult customer! Even the most negative complaint or problem can be rectified with swift and reasonable customer services. The most important thing is to stay polite, stay calm and stay objective - if a customer is angry or irritated, don't take it personally. Try to see it from their point of view and imagine what you'd like to hear as a response. At Zoom Answer Call, our Zoomettes are professionally trained to handle all sorts of difficult calls and enquiries, and can help you to smooth problems and resolve issues in your customer service department.
4. Make yourself available 24/7. High on the list of customer service bugbears is not being able to get through to a representative, or getting stuck in a never ending labyrinth of automated responses. If you can't provide comprehensive customer services for your company, a call answering service can allow you to offer round-the-clock customer service to your clients and give you assurance that your business will always accessible.
5. Listen to your customers! Whenever you receive a customer call or enquiry, make sure you clearly understand what they are telling you. Identify their tone of voice and respond appropriately. Make a note of any information you are given so that you can easily refer to it later if necessary. Try not to make assumptions about what they want - instead, repeat back the core of what they've said to you to ensure you've got the message right. Good listening is the first step to genuine and effective customer service. After all, if customers don't feel like you've listened and understood them, they're going to end up frustrated and irritated.

For more tips on improving your customer services, stay tuned to our blog and we'll post part 2 and part 3 in this handy series soon.