In challenging times, customer service quality matters most...

A great customer experience matters now 

more than ever. Here are six reasons why:

1. Customers want to be appreciated

When people buy during an economic downturn they are extremely conscious of the hard-earned money they spend. Customers want more attention, more appreciation and more recognition when making their purchases with you, not less. Customer service quality is simply essential.

2. Customers want value for money

Customers want to be sure they get maximum value for the money they spend. They want assistance, education, training, installation, modifications and support. The basic product may remain the same, but they want more service and higher customer service quality.

3. Customers want guarantees that their purchase was the right thing to do

In good times, a single bad purchase can be quickly overlooked or forgotten, but in tough times, every expenditure is scrutinised.

Provide the assurance your customers seek with generous service guarantees, regular follow-up and speedy follow-through on all queries and complaints.

4. Customers want a great experience

In difficult economic times, people spend less time travelling and “wining and dining,” and more time carefully shopping for each and every purchase. Giving great service enhances the customer’s shopping experience and boosts your own company’s image.

When times are good, people move fast and sometimes don’t notice your efforts. In tougher times, people move more cautiously and notice every extra effort you make. Customer service quality is vital because people will pay attention and remember.

5. Customers want to feel good about you

When money is tight; many people experience a sense of lower self-esteem. When they get good service from your business, it boosts their self-image. And when they feel good about themselves, they feel good about you. And when they feel good about you and your customer service quality, they buy.

6. Customers want to tell others

In tough times, people talk more with each other about saving money and getting good value. Positive word-of-mouth is a powerful force at any time. In difficult times, even more ears will be listening. Be sure the words spoken about your business are good ones by making your customer service quality exceptional!

Business Call Management and Call Centre Services for Large Companies

Managing your phones is an essential part of running any business, but is especially important for larger companies with numerous departments. Missed calls mean lost sales, irritated customers and a bad reputation, so call centre services might just be the perfect option for your business if you're struggling to keep on top of enquiries and orders.

Zoom UK offers a range of call management services for businesses of all sizes, and our call centre services are ideal for larger businesses to enable you to stay on top of marketing campaigns, incoming orders, technical support, and seeking new leads. With Zoom, you can tailor your call services according to your needs, including:

• Telephone answering
• Virtual reception service
• Call centre services
• Sales and enquiry answering
• Order processing
• Recruitment campaigns
• First-level technical support lines
• Non-geographical numbers (0800, 0845 or 0870)
• Brochure/information sending
• Holiday cover
• Tele-marketing and advertising
• Diary management 

Our Zoom operators work with your staff and your company processes to make your business run more smoothly, wherever and however you need us! Your customers will have no idea that you have outsourced your phone answering but they will certainly notice the ease of doing business with you and the polite and efficient manner of your call handlers!

Providing a high quality phone answering service for your company does a huge amount of benefit to your overall company reputation as well as your day to day performance. For sales, we can process orders and take payment details over the phone using your website facilities; for technical support, our operators are your first point of contact for customers, and will gather the information needed to pass them onto the correct advisor; for marketing and advertising, we can collect information and respond to customers making enquiries, passing this data onto you for your reports; for general support and assistance, virtual receptionists and diary planners can help your operations to run seamlessly - even at your busiest times. 

Try our seven day free trial to see how Zoom Answer Call can improve your business performance and make your work life easier! Call 0800 583 5020 and we'll have you up and running in a few minutes.

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!

Business Phone Answering Dos and Don'ts

The way your business handles its calls can make or break your company. At Zoom Answer Call we offer professional call handling and phone management services that can really make a difference to your sales, your customer retention and your business growth.

Have a look at our dos and don'ts for handling your business calls and see how many you achieve and avoid - and if you're scoring more heavily in the 'don't' department, maybe it's time to give us a call!

Business Call Handling Dos:

• Do answer all your calls as quickly as possible, preferably within the first three rings;
• Do smile when you pick up the phone - it's nice to feel like someone is pleased to receive your call;
• Do introduce yourself and identify your company when you answer;
• Do speak clearly and politely; 
• Do repeat and reiterate details where necessary;
• Do keep accurate records of existing customers and refer to their previous interactions so they know you are on the same page;
• Do take accurate messages and act on them swiftly;
• Do transfer calls to the right person or department as quickly as possible;
• Do go the extra mile - customers really appreciate a call that answers all their queries;
• Do focus on the conversation - if you allow distractions or boredom to cause your mind to wander you'll find yourself in an awkward situation or you'll miss a vital piece of information;
• Do follow up any messages or call backs within one business day;
• Do ask before you put someone on hold - it's the phone equivalent of turning your back on someone;
• Do make sure any answerphones provide basic information that callers might need;
• Do offer a consistent approach to phone answering - each operator should handle calls in the same way and in the same manner. 

Business Call Handling Don'ts:

• Don't allow noise and disruption when answering calls;
• Don't be impatient or brusque - even if you're stressed and busy. If you're finding it hard to politely deal with calls then it's definitely time to call in some professionals to do it for you!
• Don't use slang, overly informal language or 'fillers' such as 'like', 'you know', and 'uh huh';
• Don't use negative language or speak rudely to customers on the phone;
• Don't pretend you know the answer or guess - ALWAYS find out before you give a customer the answer to a question you don't know, even if it means offering to call them back or putting them on hold;
• Don't lose your temper! 
• Don't forget to call customers back if you need to follow up on something;
• Don't keep customers on hold for more than a minute or two, or send them round a neverending cycle of automated button-pressing;
• Don't guess when writing down names and addresses you're not sure how to spell - ask the customer to spell it out for you and make sure it's accurate;
• Don't use a speaker phone - they're hard to hear and sound unprofessional;

Phone answering skills are so important for businesses, whether you're a tiny start up or a multi-national company! Your incoming and outgoing calls are a fundamental part of your customer acquisition and retention, so it's worth making the effort to make your call handling as high quality as possible. If you're finding it difficult to keep on top of your business calls then let us do it for you! Our Zoom operators are experts in customer service and can help your company to run smoothly and efficiently while you get on with managing everything else!

10 Reasons to Rely on Zoom Call Answering Services

We take your business seriously at Zoom Answer Call - every client and every company has their own specific needs and we tailor each of our call management services to suit your requirements. So why choose Zoom for your call handling? Well, here are our top ten reasons why we think our telephone operators are the best in the business:

1. We invest in the training and personal development of every single Zoom operator, ensuring that they achieve levels 1 to 3 in customer service NVQs. 

2. Our operators have specific skill sets that can be applied to different phone answering services such as virtual reception, brochure sending, appointment making, sales, and technical support.

3. We provide our Zoom call handlers with client-specific training so that they can provide seamless services for your company - your customers won't be able to tell the difference! We actively encourage our clients to come and take part in this process so you know your operators are trained in the skills they'll need to represent your  business.

4. We recruit our operators from customer service backgrounds so they have plenty of experience and expertise even before we turn them into high-quality Zoomers and Zoomettes!

5. We have one of the highest staff retention rates in the industry! Our operators enjoy what they do and it shows when they answer your calls with a smile.

6. Our Zoom operators have a great team spirit and are local to our clients, meaning that your company will have a real asset of committed and dedicated additional staff when you need extra help on your phone lines.

7. Zoom Answer Call has grown through our excellent reputation and high-quality service. We started with just two zoomettes (who are still with us, over 10 years later!) and now have served thousands of happy customers, answering over a quarter of a million calls! We won the Action International Business of the Year in 2006 for most improved customer results over one year.

8. We offer a FREE seven-day trial of our call handling services so you can see what an effect our phone management service can have on your business.

9. We have a 24 hour live service, offering your customers the ability to speak to a real person seven days a week, including bank holidays!

10. We don't lock our clients into contracts - they stay with us because they love us and they find such value in our service! 

Ready to start your journey with Zoom Answer Call yet? Give us a ring on 0800 583 5020 or read more about our professional business call handling services and all we've achieved over the last ten years at our website. 

Using Freephone Numbers for your Business

Perhaps you need your company to look a little bit bigger than it is, or perhaps you simply need a non-geographical number that for sales and enquiries - we can set you up with the rental of 0800, 0845 and 0870 numbers for your business as part of our call management services to help you organise your business and drive your performance forward.

Non-geographical numbers are a great way of providing a free or centralised number for customers which also offers your company the appearance of a large, professional organisation. Choose from an 0800 freephone number, an 0845 local rate number or an 0870 national rate number according to your needs and we'll do the rest. Whichever option you choose, any calls will be directed to your unique zoom divert number and answered by our highly trained call handlers.

0800, 0845 and 0870 numbers can be used for a range of purposes, including:

• short-term advertising and marketing campaigns
• temporary numbers while you move locations
• acting as a base of operations if you operate in a number of different locations
• recruitment
• sales and enquiries
• technical support
• customer services

Choose a versatile and efficient number for your growing business and let Zoom Answer Call help you boost your sales with our range of professional and effective call handling services!

Making Life Easy with Call Management and Virtual Assistance

Zoom Answer Call's phone management services aren't just limited to handling calls - we offer a range of useful services to help your business run smoothly and reduce your workload so you can concentrate on the big ideas!

While our call handlers field enquiries and provide customer services for your customers, we can also act as a virtual reception service for your company, or a personal assistant for you! Tasks might range from organising appointments, booking meetings, reminding you of your scheduled events, managing an online diary, looking after clients and new prospects while you're busy, taking reservations and handling recruitment campaigns.

If your company sends out brochures and samples we can help you to keep on top of requests, especially during busy times or when you're out at meetings or travelling. When customers call for information we can handle their requests according to your specifications, from emails and letters to brochures and promotional content sent by post. All these little extras really help your business to run seamlessly and reduce the amount of day-to-day admin for you and your in-house staff, freeing you up for more specialised work.

For more information on all the little extras we offer alongside our professional call handling services, get in touch with us at 0800 583 5020. As always, our services can be tailored to suit your business and your needs, and we even offer a 7-day free trial so there's no need to take the plunge until you've seen how effective we are at helping your company to thrive.