Missed Phone Calls: How They Hurt Your Business
by Arina Smith Small Business 28 April 2018
Ever since the first telephone call was made by Alexander Graham Bell on March 10, 1876, the phone has been a universal staple of the modern world. It connected people in a way that was previously unimaginable and has since become the primary tool by which we navigate our day to day lives.
Even though the smartphones of today are unrecognizable next to the archaic devices of the late 1800s, one unchanging constant is the phenomenon of missed phone calls.
Missed phone calls are understandably a major turn off for most consumers. It turns out that a huge amount of folks aren’t even willing to be put on hold. So you can surely imagine that not even answering your phone has even more dire consequences.
In today’s world of high tech communication, it might seem easy to write off the phone call, but the fact remains that most companies still do most of their business over the phone. Here’s a short list of ways missed phone calls can seriously hurt your business.
1. 80% of Communication Occurs Via Phone :
As mentioned above, a huge majority of incoming communications to businesses still take place on the phone. With numbers like that, it should be self-evident why answering your phone is a very big deal.
Whether you have 10 customers or 10,000, missing out on 80% of potential new communication with those customers can create a sink or swim situation for any business.
2. 85% of People Won’t Call Back :
Of the massive percentage of people referenced above, a whopping 85% of them won’t ever call back if their first call is missed. There’s no need to elaborate too extensively on why that’s bad. It’s clear that a significant swath of potential business is destroyed by not answering a potential customer’s call.
Though it may be anecdotal, I’m sure it’s not hard to recall an instance where you’ve done this same thing. Putting yourself in someone else’s shoes may be a cliche, but it’s never a bad idea when trying to craft a good customer service experience. Empathy goes a long way.
3. People Remember Bad Service :
Studies show that people remember negative events much more readily than they do positive ones. Unfortunately, that’s just how the human brain works. This means that even though your positive efforts may not be particularly well-remembered, your negative ones definitely will be.
I may be discouraging, but it’s also useful info to have when developing a well-rounded approach to customer service.
Good service is good practice, but bad service can hurt you worse than almost anything. Hint: Missed phone calls count as bad service.
4. People Talk About Bad Service :
It’s also a fact that people are far more likely to tell their peers about bad service than they are about good service. So, even though your best efforts will be rewarded with some word of mouth good faith, talk of bad service will spread like a virus.
Even if they don’t feel equivalent on the surface, being negligent can be just as impactful as being blatantly rude. People don’t like negligence, and they certainly won’t hesitate to tell their friends and family about yours.
5. It Costs You Money :
This should be obvious considering everything else that’s already been discussed. If you’re missing out on 80% of new customers, you’re also missing out on 80% of new money. Good business habits need to be established early on, and answering the phone should be a foundational part of those habits.
That said, if you’re a new business or even an old one experiencing an influx of new customers, it’s very easy to neglect one thing while trying to focus on another. If that means you can’t keep your office organized, get a cleaning service. If it means you can’t answer the phone, maybe try an answering service such as alldayPA.
Nobody can do everything at once, but don’t miss the forest for the trees. There are plenty of tools to ensure you can meet all of your needs simultaneously.
6. 60% of People Will Go to Your Competitors :
We already discussed the fact that missed phone calls will result in 85% of your customers not calling back, but that’s not even the worst part. Overall, 60% of people will choose a competitor over a business they feel has bad service.
It should be clear by now, but just to reiterate, missed phone calls are bad service. On top of everything else, putting money in your competitor’s pocket is just the awful icing on a really disappointing cake.
7. It Costs You Business :
This is more a summary of every previous point than anything else. If you’ve noticed one recurring theme throughout this list, it’s that the overwhelming majority of people view missed phone calls in an incredibly negative light. This shouldn’t come as a shock.
No matter what you do, your business aims to make money, and customers are obviously the way to achieve that goal. Alienating them by missing their calls or sending them to automated service is a great way to make sure you don’t have any.
Missed Phone Calls Clearly Matter :
Owning a business is hard. With a seemingly endless list of demands, it’s incredibly easy to get overwhelmed trying to maintain a delicate balancing act.
But at the end of the day, that’s no excuse for bad service. It doesn’t just hurt your business, it’s also more rewarding personally to know you’re providing your customers with the best possible experience. A guilty conscience and a failing business is a horrible combination.
Even though the phone has morphed into a Swiss Army Knife of sorts, the good old fashioned land line remains one of the seemingly untouchable aspects of business communication that will persevere throughout the ages.
Whether it’s by hiring a 24/7 live phone call answering services CallNET or simply being more attentive, there’s no better way to guarantee you’re maximizing your customer service than by just answering the phone. But, of course, there’s a lot more to running a successful business than that. If you’re interested in more useful tips to help you on your entrepreneurial journey, read on!
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