In today’s fast-paced 24/7 world, customers have come to expect a quick response when they contact a company. In fact, 84 percent of customers expect a response within 24 hours.
For the majority of customers, a timely response is more important than efficiency and knowledgeable agents.
As a result, the main distinction between companies with loyal customers and those who struggle with customer retention is customer response time.
Here we explain why good customer service means fast customer service, and how a quick response time is the key to securing customer loyalty.
Provide Fast and Personalized Responses
Your customers want to feel confident that your company is there for them. That means being available to respond to their emails as soon as possible.
You might think that automatic email responses can help to placate customers who contact your company outside of normal business hours.
But for many customers, these automated emails only serve to show that you’re not there for them when they need you.
Customers don’t just want to know that you’ve received their email. They want to know that you’re already dealing with their problem, especially if it’s time-sensitive.
Setting up inbound email processing can help you ensure a quick and personalized response every time, and anytime.
Show Your Customers That You’re Listening
The best way to show that customer response time is your priority is by offering 24-hour support.
With this kind of support, your customers never have to leave a voicemail message and wonder if anyone heard it.
Or wait until the next day to try and speak to someone at 9 am, when they’re meant to start work themselves.
By providing a live human being to answer your business calls at all times, your customers will know that you share their values. And they’ll never feel like their problems are being put on hold when it comes to you and your company.
Reassurance and Professionalism
Many customers contact companies while they are still in the research phase of the buying process. They may even contact several companies to check terms and conditions, or to request more product information.
This first contact is your time to shine. Show that you’re there to help resolve your customers’ problems fast, even before they’ve bought anything from you.
And an offsite receptionist is the perfect way to do this. This service ensures that all your calls are answered in a prompt and professional manner.
The receptionist can deal with simple customer queries immediately. And he or she can pass other inquiries to the right department.
As a result, while your competitors are listening to last week’s voicemail messages, you’ve got yourself a new and very satisfied customer.
Make Customer Response Time Your Priority
Fast and efficient customer support is an essential part of building a loyal customer base.
Your customers want to know that you’re there for them, ready to listen and offer a solution to their problem as soon as possible.
For more information on how to cut your customer response time down, contact us today.