The Importance of Effective Phone Customer Care
Customers do not call your business simply to have their personal details or data entered into a system. Unfortunately, in Australia, poor phone customer care is still prevalent, leading to potential customers being mishandled and ultimately deciding not to spend their money with your business.
Phone Call Traffic Remains Strong Despite Technology
Despite advancements in technology with virtual assistants like Siri, Alexa, Cortana, and quick internet searches via Google Maps, phone call traffic to businesses remains strong. However, the nature of these calls has changed. Today, customers call businesses because they have specific questions, need immediate assistance, help with scheduling, or are close to making a decision to book or purchase.
Why Customers Are Still Calling Your Business
Customers typically have already conducted online searches before they make the decision to call. There are three main reasons why they pick up the phone:
- Ascertaining Trust: Customers want to confirm that what they’ve seen online, such as your website or social media presence, is accurate. They want to ensure that your business is what they believe it to be and that it’s safe to proceed.
- Seeking Permission to Engage: They may be looking to take the next step, such as making an appointment or exploring options that best suit their needs.
- Obtaining Immediate Answers: Customers often have immediate questions regarding service inclusions, referral requirements, rules of engagement, travel, location, attendance flexibilities, or delivery details.
Healthie:)Reception: Elevating Phone Customer Care
At Healthie:)Reception, our team members, like Carer Laura, are trained to be present and provide informative responses to phone inquiries. An inbound reception or virtual representative must be able to read and understand a knowledgebase guide about your business and apply it to live conversations. Unlike scripted responses, live verbal exchanges require adaptability, as the caller does not know or care about your script. Providing comprehensive answers to questions, even when asked in different ways, is crucial.
Exceeding Caller Expectations
At Healthie:)Reception, our goal is to convert business guide information into conversations that exceed the expectations of the caller. When callers feel heard, your service business is better supported, which is evident in the number of appointments, orders, or bookings. Customer feedback and retention of existing business are also strong indicators of success.
Investing in Proper Training and Tools
Having years of reception experience is not enough if customer care is not at the forefront of each interaction. Ensure that you or your reception team have the proper training and tools, without assuming that they should just know what to do. If managing reception employees is proving too difficult or you’re missing important, paying calls, Healthie:)Reception is here to help.
Call to chat with our proactive Australian Healthie:)Reception Carers, who work seamlessly within your client systems. We strive to exceed the quality of any in-house reception team at your practice.