Does your phone loose your customers?
What does your phone tell your customers about you or your business? When someone searching for your services call you the first time, are they impressed or scared away?
Do you have your phone set up so that it is answered by a recording or with music? Over the past couple of years it seemed to my team that more and more companies were trying to look “LARGE” by have the phone answered by a recorded message to allow the caller choose from 3 or 4 departments.
The team wondered how much phone made a difference to new customers. During the last 3 focus group we held, we spent time testing this phone practice with 3 different groups of people.
What we found amazed us!
We tested regular customers calling for estimates from companies. We chose an equal number of companies that used automated phone messages and those who answered the phone with a live person. The focus groups did not know what we were testing for. Their instructions were to call from a list of businesses we provided to find the best price on a product.
By the end of the test, over 60% of the companies that used the messages resulted in hang-ups when the customer called those numbers.
Later, when asked, most callers thought that it was an answering machine telling them that the line was busy. They didn’t stay on the line long enough to know that they would be connected to a live person nor did they wait to leave a message. They quickly hung up to go to the the next number to get the information they wanted.
(This also tells us that if you only have one line and are using it when a call comes in, you may loose a potential customer).
We even had one recorded message that started right off explainingnot to hang up, someone would be with them within 5 seconds. That recorded message also received over 60% hang ups.
The bottom line is avoid using automated phone messages. I personally use Vonage for my phone system because I get a second number for $5.00. If I am on the phone, instead of receiving a voice mail message, my other phone rings and I can put the first call on hold and answer the second call.
Unfortunalty this does not work the way I like when I am out of my home office and using my cell phone. All my calls forward to my cell phone, but if I am on a call, it goes to voice mail. But I minimize voice mail as much as I can!
Global Marketing Plus was started to help small businesses compete on the same level as large corporations but for a lot less expense.
January 3rd, 2011 at 9:14 am
The findings make sense to me. I hate having to go though several menus just to take to a person. Whenever possible I will choose a company where I can take to a person right away. My time is valuable, I do not like to waste it by having wait on the phone.
January 3rd, 2011 at 11:10 am
Great to know. Thank you for doing that research, and sharing it.
Most of my business is done online. When I get calls, I usually do answer them, but I am not always in my best “business mode”.
Now that I think of it, though… even though I am embarrassed and apologetic (sometimes even frazzled) if I start out in “non-business-mode”… those calls very often turn into nice conversations and good orders… perhaps because of the extra “relationship building”. Not only did they speak to me… they “caught me with my hair down” so to speak.
January 3rd, 2011 at 12:26 pm
I don’t like to be on a phone call and someone put me on hold to answer another call. Would it be better to just call the second caller back when the first call ends? Great information in this post!
January 3rd, 2011 at 12:27 pm
What an interesting post. I am so glad to have found you through the challenge. Not only did I read this post, but I just kept reading and reading. I am impressed with the way you put real meat into such a small amount of verbage. You’ll definately stay on my list!! Thanks
January 3rd, 2011 at 1:54 pm
Hi Cindy,
Thank you for the question! I understand how you feel about it.
However, how often when you are on the phone with a receptionist at a real company does she say “That’s ok, I’ll just let it ring”?
However, if she says, “Could you wait a moment while I put that other call on hold?” I understand and it is no big deal.
Tomorrow’s post will cover this more from what we learned in our focus groups. check back!
January 3rd, 2011 at 6:30 pm
I am so with you - I use a 888# with vmail so I can return the calls when I am in the business-mode, as my kids get a bit older, I will rethink this.