How Customer Service Has Changed Over the Years

Customer service is the foundation of any successful business. Without it, you cannot build a strong customer base that helps you succeed in your industry. Learning how it has changed over the years can help you find the best way to serve your customers. Keep reading to learn more about the evolution of customer service:

Phone Calls to Talk to Representatives

Before 1995, customer service was only handled on the phone. Customers called a company if they had a question or concern and talked to a representative who would attempt to find a solution. Although there are a variety of other methods of contacting a company today, many people still prefer to call and talk to a person when they need something.

Emails and Web Help

Once the Internet became a worldwide phenomenon, people started turning to other venues for their customer service needs. Email became a popular facet starting around 1996 and remained a major aspect of customer service until about 2000 when more people started using websites for their service needs.

Chat Help

Around 2005, companies turned to live chat services to give them another edge in the customer service industry. Live chat services enable customers to reach out for assistance without even leaving a business’ website and they are still used today.

Mobile and Social Media Services

Since 2008, companies have taken advantage of the fact that a majority of their customers have smart phones by creating customer service apps. Social media websites like Facebook and Twitter have made it easier than ever for customers to contact businesses.

Contact One Call Center is here to help you improve your relationship with your customers by offering answering services, after-hours support, and live chat help. Take your customer service efforts to the next level by taking advantage of these services. To learn more about how we can help you interact with your customers, visit us online or call 1-800-278-3347.

The Ins and Outs of Managing Growth Successfully

Any business owner is excited when his or her company grows, but they are not always prepared to handle it. If you want to keep gaining success in your industry, it is important to figure out the best way to manage this growth. Use this guide to ensure that you handle your new success well enough to keep your business growing even more:

Figure Out the Best Way to Manage

One manager in charge of a small team might suffice when your business first starts out, but it does not always work when it starts to grow. If you want to continue to find success in your industry, it is important to find a new management model that can encompass the new size of your business. Whether you have to hire more managers or create more departments, this new management plan can help your business grow even more.

Keep Up with Your Customer Needs

As your client base starts to grow, it is important to find new ways to cater to your customers. Improving your customer service efforts is one of the most important elements of managing growth success. Instill new venues through which your customers can interact with your business so they always can talk to someone when they try to contact your company.

Pay Attention to Your Numbers

If you want to continue to succeed, it is important to stay on top of your business statistics. Maintain control over decisions relating to your sales numbers and financials so you have a say about the direction in which you want your company to go.

No matter the size of your business, Contact One Call Center is here to help you improve the way you talk to your customers. From answering services to disaster preparedness, we are here to give you the assistance you need when your business starts to grow. To learn more about our customer service resources, visit us online or call 1-800-278-3347.

Small Business Success Story: WRAPPED

Small businesses that have succeeded in their industry give other startup companies hope. WRAPPED is one of these successful businesses. Keep reading to find out how this paper goods company has managed to stand out in their industry:

They Do what they Do Best

WRAPPED founders Ryland Arnoldi and Sam Seidman have always had a passion for art. Although they were both on the path toward big careers in the financial industry, they wanted to create products that combined artistic appeal with a natural edge. By combining their efforts, Arnoldi and Seidman managed to turn this passion into a business that creates beautiful, artistic pieces of wrapping paper and paper goods.

They Maintain an Active Role in the Business

Instead of leaving all of their business decisions to others, Arnoldi and Seidman worked together to maintain an active role in their company. By taking control of these important decisions, they were in charge of everything having to do with their business. If you want to find success as a small business, it is imperative to retain a controlling stake in the decisions that affect your company.

They Found a Niche for their Product

The founders of WRAPPED were smart enough to choose a product that spoke to a wide range of potential investors. Instead of compromising and molding their product to the market, they went out and found investors who wanted to give them money for the products they wanted to create.

If you want to achieve success in your industry like WRAPPED has, it is important to focus more attention on your customer service efforts. Contact One Call Center has resources like answering services, live chat, after-hours support, and disaster preparedness to help you open the lines of communication with your customers. With our help, you can build a bigger client base to bring your business to new levels of success. To learn more about our services, visit us online or call 1-800-278-3347.

Small Business Success Story: Healthsense

Although it might seem like big chains rule the business industry, small businesses can still achieve great success. Keep reading to learn more about Healthsense and how they conquered their industry:

They Found a Business Need

One of the key factors of Healthsense’s success was their foresight. The company’s founders, Brian Bischoff and Bryan Fuhr, noticed that there was a lack of senior care that allowed older adults to maintain their independent living situations. By creating products like eNeighbor that comes with sensors to call for help in the case of an emergency, Healthsense now helps seniors safely stay at home longer. Products like these are extremely attractive to seniors who want to stay in their own homes for as long as possible.

They Found the Right Market for their Products

Another important factor of Healthsense’s success was their marketing prowess. Instead of focusing advertising efforts on seniors, they directed them toward caregivers and senior organizations. By finding the right audience, they were able to create more successful marketing efforts.

They Know their Field

Healthsense understands the market in which they work, which allows them to continue to offer their clients the products and services they need. People use Healthsense technology in about 265 senior living communities and 1,000 private residences, which gives them access to more than 20,000 customers. They continue to do research and acquire new companies to help them create new products that keep their customers coming back. By truly understanding the needs of their industry, they guarantee their success in the field.

If you are looking for ways to grow your small business, Contact One Call Center can help. Our answering services, after-hours support, and disaster preparedness help you improve your customer service efforts so you can optimize your success in your industry. We give you the services you need to give your customers access to round-the-clock attention. To learn more about our call center and our services, visit us online or call 1-800-278-3347.

Customer Service Nightmares

Customer service can make or break a company. In order to maintain an active client base, a company must find the right way to handle their customer service needs. Keep reading to learn about some customer service nightmares so you can be sure to avoid them in your own business:

An Inability to Contact Someone

One of the most frustrating times for a customer is when they cannot reach a customer service representative when they need one. As a business owner, it is important to give your clients easy access to a variety of venues through which they can reach a representative when they need help.

Rude Customer Service Representatives

Customer service representatives are supposed to do whatever they can to keep clients satisfied. If a company employs representatives that do not make the effort to help customers, however, they might be alienating a large percentage of their client base. Focusing on your customer service efforts and taking advantage of resources like call centers gives you the opportunity to ensure that your representatives are ready and prepared to handle any of your customer’s needs.

No Movement toward a Solution

Just because a customer service representative is kind does not mean they will do anything to offer the client a solution for their problem. If you want a really successful customer service department, it is important to train your staff on how to offer clients solutions that solve their issues. Improving your customer service department can help you grow your client base and offer your customers the help they need while improving your business image.

Contact One Call Center is here to help you make the most of your customer service efforts. From secure messaging to live chat services, we provide resources to keep you in touch with your customers so you can do everything you can to keep them satisfied when they have questions or concerns. To learn more about our services, visit us online or call 1-800-278-3347.

Important Steps for Handling Customer Complaints

Customer service is an essential aspect of any business. If you have a uniform method for handling customer complaints, you can create an organized system that helps you maintain positive relationships with your clients. Consider adding the following steps into your own customer service model to improve the way you handle customer complaints.

Take the Time to Listen

No matter what kind of complaint you receive, it is important to listen to what the customer is saying. There is no way to find a solution for the customer’s problem unless you really understand why they are upset. If you take the time to really listen to your customers, they will feel like you are making an effort to help them.

Apologize Without Making Excuses

It can be infuriating for a customer to complain about something and feel like a company is trying to put them blame back onto them. Even if your company is not at fault, you should apologize for the customer’s inconvenience. Do not try to make an excuse for why the issue occurred. Instead, move on to more positive topics like trying to find a solution that works for everyone. If you can avoid placing blame or making excuses, it helps you keep up good relationships with your customers.

Give Everyone the Power to Work Toward a Solution

If your staff has to go through a chain of command to rectify a problem, it can be frustrating for the employees and for the customer. Anyone who manages an answering service should have the ability to solve a customer’s problem without having to jump through a lot of hoops to do it.

If you want to improve your business’s customer service capabilities, Contact One Call Center can help. From answering services to after-hours support, we make it easy to maintain clear communication with your customers to ensure that they feel like your business is looking out for them. To learn more about our services, visit us online or call 1-877-959-0158.

Challenges Facing Your Small Business

Although small businesses make up a significant part of the American economy, there is a certain amount of risk starting one of your own. With the right information and resources, you can get past these challenges and find success in your field. Keep reading to learn about some of the risks that you face with your small business.

Too Few Clients

If your entire profit margin depends on a small amount of clients, your business could be at risk. When you are a small business, it is important to diversify your customer base so you are not completely dependent on just one or two customers. Do everything you can to entice new customers to utilize your services to keep your business safe.

Poor Customer Service

Customer service is essential for your small business. As soon as you start your company, customer service should be one of your main focuses. The better your customer service capabilities, the likelier you are to build a strong client base that helps your own business grow and thrive in your industry.

Overworked Employees

As your business starts to grow, it might be hard for your staff to keep up with the new demand. Keep an eye on your staff to make sure no one is getting burned out while trying to handle all of the increased customer service requirements. It might behoove your business to look for outside help to handle the increase in your customer relations. Answering services, after-hours support, and live chat can help you maintain communication with your clients without overworking your employees.

Turn to Contact One Call Center to get the help you need to ensure that your small business finds success. Our call centers bring you qualified help that can maintain the kind of customer service you need to make a name for yourself in your industry. To learn more about our services or how you can utilize them, visit us online or call 1-877-959-0158.