Why All Your Employees Should Be Customer Service Savvy

Why All Your Employees Should Be Customer Service Savvy

Are your employees customer service savvy? If not, you might be losing business! Customer service is an essential part of every company, which is why every employee should know the basics. Take a closer look of the advantages of training every employee in customer service:

You Never Know When an Interaction Will Occur

Customer service is always important. This is especially true for today’s businesses dealing with the modern consumer. Customers now have a variety of ways to reach out to different businesses, including phone calls and online interaction. That is why businesses must be ready to handle customer questions and concerns at any time. Training every employee on the basics of customer service will give your company a better chance of having a pleasant and successful customer interaction.

Customers Want Information Right Away

Now that customers have so many different ways to interact with companies, they have gotten used to getting information quickly and easily. Both current and potential customers may contact you with questions before deciding to purchase a product or service. If you do not respond quickly, the customer may decide to take their business elsewhere. It is easier to respond to every customer’s inquiry in a timely manner when every employee is trained in customer service.

Poor Customer Service Leaves a Lasting Impression

It is important to make a good impression on customers, as this is what keeps them coming back. Customer service plays a large role in how customers view the companies that supply the products and services they use. If you answer customer questions and listen to customer suggestions, your customer base will be much more loyal. Training every employee can help you make the best impression with every customer that has a question or comment.

Training all employees can improve your company’s reputation with customers. Working with Contact One Call Center can help you provide even better customer service! Discover the benefits of using our after-hours support and answering services by calling us at (800) 278-3347.

Is It Time To Expand? Here’s How To Tell

Is It Time To Expand? Here’s How To Tell

Blog/ Small Business

Every company wants to succeed. But not every company is prepared for the new responsibilities that arise when a company finds success. Growing companies can utilize answering services to help them handle the new responsibilities. Find out if your company can use this help by looking for these signs:

You’re Running Out of Room

One of the easiest ways to tell that it is time to expand is if you are running out of room in your current location. If you have too many employees for your space, it can be difficult for the team to stay productive. If your space is becoming too small for your products or other displays, it can negatively impact customer impressions.

You Want to Hire More Employees

Is your team ready for some new members? Hiring new employees is a sign of success and growth. But hiring new employees also means you might need a larger space or multiple locations. A larger team can help your company build a larger client base, leading to even more success and growth. Providing the right space is essential for motivating your team.

You’re Constantly Playing Catch-Up

When you start experiencing growth, it can be difficult to keep up with customer service responsibilities. Many companies find themselves playing catch-up to get back to customer questions and concerns while spending most of their time catering to business responsibilities. Expanding your company by hiring an answering service can help you build relationships with customers while maintaining growth and innovation.

You’re Interested in Offering New Services

As your company grows, you may be interested in providing new services that correspond to your current ones. Hiring a customer service company and finding a larger location can both help you maintain a successful company while you broaden your services.

Give your business the extra help it needs by working with Contact One Call Center! Call us at (800) 278-3347 to learn about our customer service specialties including after hours support, answering services, and much more.

Your Business Can Benefit From Contact One’s Appointment Setting Service

Your Business Can Benefit From Contact One’s Appointment Setting Service

Blog/ Physicians/Health Care/ Professional Services/ Small Business

Many companies use appointment or reservation setting services to speed up the process for customers. But when business shuts down for the day, these services also shut down. Contact One Call Center offers appointment setting services to help businesses and customers during the appointment setting process:

Integrate With Your Current System

If your business already has an appointment setting or reservation system, you can enhance that system with help from Contact One Call Center. Integrating our service with your system can allow you to provide appointment setting 24 hours a day. This means your clients will be able to set appointments on their own schedules instead of having to take time out of their days to call during business hours. When more customers can sign up for appointments, more products and services can be sold throughout the day!

Assign Appointment Setting Services to One Group

Does your company have a customer service team? This element is important in every company, but not every company has a team dedicated to providing the best customer service possible. Without a specific group to take care of customer service responsibilities, all employees must take time away from their regular responsibilities to cater to client needs. Hiring an outside group to take care of customer service can streamline your company while letting all employees focus on their top priorities. Our appointment setting service is just part of the customer service package.

Encourage Customers to Come Back

Customer service is all about creating loyal customers. It is easier to keep customers coming back when you let them interact with real people instead of relying on a computer system. Our appointment setting service ensures that customers talk to real people when scheduling appointments. This will encourage customers to continue using your service in the future.

Contact One Call Center makes it easier for customers to reach you whenever they want! Read more about our answering services by visiting our website or giving us a call today at (800) 278-3347.

Customer Service Trends on the Rise

Customer Service Trends on the Rise

Blog/ Customer Service/ Small Business

No matter what products or services your company offers, it is important to provide excellent customer service. Customers want to feel a connection and if that connection is not there, they will find it somewhere else. Stay on top of your customer service game by following these trends:

Self-Service

An overwhelming number of today’s consumers are taking control of their searches for information. Instead of waiting for an appropriate time to call with a question, consumers are now going online to find the answers they want as soon as they want them. That is why it is important for companies to provide online sources where consumers can find the information they want.

Proactive Support

Another big customer service trend comes in the form of proactive support. This trend involves providing customers with the best experience possible instead of waiting to provide answers when questions arise. Boost your business by recognizing problems before they become problems. Providing proactive support ensures that every customer gets the most out of his or her purchase, creating a stronger and more loyal client base.

Product Development

Customer service does not only come into play after a product or service is introduced; it can also be a part of the development process. Including client feedback and concerns into the development process is useful for creating the best product possible while also providing clients with the features they desire.

Multichannel Support

Gone are the days where consumers would simply call a business to inquire about products and services. Consumers still rely on answering services and phone interactions, but they also have many other ways to communicate with businesses. Multichannel support is essential for reaching out to all clients. Providing answering services, online chats, and after hours support can help you provide exceptional customer service.

Improve your customer service reputation with help from Contact One Call Center. We offer numerous answering services and amazing after hours support. Call us at (800) 278-3347 to see how we can improve your company’s customer relationships.

Find More Customer Service Tips At These Websites

Find More Customer Service Tips At These Websites

Blog/ Customer Service/ Professional Services/ Small Business

Have you enjoyed our recent blog posts? If you are looking for more customer service and small business tips, then head to these websites. To get help managing your phone calls, appointments, orders, and more, get in touch with Contact One Call Center at (800) 278-3347.

This post on FutureSimple.com shares five ways to provide great customer service, regardless of your title or role.
Find out what Zappos.com did for one customer who travelled to a friend’s wedding without his shoes!
Here are a few tips for handling angry or difficult customers on the phone.
Read this post about 10 legendary customer service success stories.
Forbes.com writes about the winning approach to excellent customer service.

3 Tips For Starting A Business

3 Tips For Starting A Business

Blog/ Customer Service/ Professional Services/ Small Business

Starting a business is a life-changing event that can either bolster or hinder your financial and professional success. Many would-be entrepreneurs have a great idea for a product or service, but become intimidated or uncertain of the details needed to launch their new venture. If you are considering starting your own business, then review these three tips below:

1. Ask Questions and Do Research

The Small Business Association (SBA) recommends that potential business owners ask these 20 questions before starting their business. The questions, including “Will I need a loan,” and “Who is my competition,” prompt potential entrepreneurs to think critically about their funding, marketing, potential customers, and more. These questions will give you a more realistic vision of whether your business may thrive.

2. Write A Business Plan

A business plan is a document that helps keep the business owner, investors, and executive employees on track for the first three to five years. Having a formal business plan can make it easier for a new business owner to receive funding and to share their vision with new hires. The plan outlines in depth how the company will be structured, managed, and funded and how it will market itself and grow revenue. For more information on drafting a business plan, visit these guidelines on the SBA website.

3. Take Care of The Details

Before your business is up and running you’ll need to determine your legal structure. There are a variety of ways to structure a business including LLC, corporation, and non-profit. New business owners will also need to register for state and federal taxes, and obtain a tax ID number plus any state or federal licenses and permits. To handle your finances, you’ll need to set up a merchant account with your local bank. If you plan to accept payments online, then you’ll want to partner with a PCI-compliant vendor who can securely process transactions.

When starting a new business, you can outsource your incoming calls, appointment setting, and even order fulfillment to a trusted call center. Contact One Call Center specializes in supporting small businesses and organizations with top-notch customer service. Learn more by calling (800) 278-3347.

Recruiting Employees for Great Customer Service: What to Look For

Recruiting Employees for Great Customer Service: What to Look For

Blog/ Customer Service/ Professional Services/ Small Business

Hiring customer service representatives means looking for personalities that will shine on the phone. If you are looking to recruit new hires for your customer service team, then consider the following four traits:

A Positive Attitude

Some people will always think the glass is half empty. In customer service, you want to lean toward candidates who have a more positive or optimistic attitude. During an interview or sample phone conversation, note the kind of language the person uses. Look for individuals who can easily re-frame problems in a more positive light.

Friendly and Engaging

Great customer service representatives don’t necessarily have to be outgoing. They do have to be generally friendly, nice, and engaging. These traits can help your customer service representative to be more empathetic and really connect with customers on the phone.

Creative and Bright

Creativity and out-of-the-box thinking are vital for success in this position. Customer service superstars have to multitask and think on their feet. They must find creative solutions to help people solve problems. Look for bright candidates who can succeed even with an unusual call or request that strays really far from the usual script.

Patient and Good Listener

When customers call upset or angry, you’ll need someone who is patient and calm and can focus on the problem at hand. The right candidates should be able to actively listen to customers and allow customers to vent if they are angry about a problem.

What does your organization look for when hiring customer service representatives? To get help managing your inbound calls, appointments, order taking, and more, get in touch with the experts at Contact One Call Center. Call us at (800) 278-3347 or visit our website to learn more about our call center and live chat services.

Tips for Managing Anger in Customer Service

Tips for Managing Anger in Customer Service

Blog/ Customer Service/ Professional Services/ Small Business

When you’re dealing with an angry customer, it can be challenge to remain calm. Sometimes when conversations get emotional or hurtful, our instinct is to respond with even more anger.

Don’t let anger harm your customer relationships. Instead, practice the three tips shared in this video for reducing and managing your anger in professional situations. The video walks through the difference between expressing yourself assertively versus aggressively. You can also learn how to use calming techniques to minimize your own anger. For example, pausing and counting to 10 before responding or taking deep breathes to let go of your anger.

Watch the full clip to learn how to respond to customers clearly and without any destructive emotion or hurtful language. For more customer service expertise, get in touch with Contact One Call Center by dialing (800) 278-3347.

How To Deal With Difficult Customers

How To Deal With Difficult Customers

Blog/ Customer Service/ Small Business

When something goes wrong with a customer’s order or appointment, that customer can become angry. The customer has spent time and money to get their product or service from your company, and when things don’t work out, the customer may feel cheated.

Enter the call center representative. Many times receiving a phone call from a customer means dealing with an upset or difficult person. The best customer service agents realize that the customer simply has a problem and they are getting in touch looking for a solution. Here are three tips to deal with difficult customers and help them find the answers or solutions they are seeking.

1. Listen Carefully

Let the customer explain their problem, complaint, or question fully. Don’t interrupt and really hear what they are saying. Try to hone-in on the root of the problem so you can eventually offer a solution. Ask any necessary questions to get the information you need to help that customer out.

2. Clarify the Problem or Request

When the customer is done describing the problem or question, clarify what they said by repeating it back to them in your own words. Say something like, “Let me make sure I am hearing you correctly,” or “I want to be sure I understand you,” and then rephrase their request. This gives the caller an opportunity to provide more information or identify the outcome they are looking for.

3. Apologize and Empathize

Demonstrate empathy by offering a sincere apology for the customer’s negative experience. Let the apology come from you directly and not the company by using “I” instead of “we.”

4. Stay Calm
When a customer is raising their voice, talking quickly, or talking over you it helps to remain calm. Do not escalate emotions by also raising your voice. Remind the customer calmly that you are there to listen and offer help.

If your organization has trouble responding to customer calls in a timely fashion, then enlist the services of a professional call center. Contact One can help your business offer top-notch customer service experiences with their Live chat services and call center services. Find out more by calling us at (800) 278-3347.

Surviving and Thriving in an Unstable Economy

Surviving and Thriving in an Unstable Economy

Blog/ Small Business

An unstable economy showing sluggish growth can be disheartening for small business owners. While you may feel pessimistic about your outlook for growth in 2014, there are a few strategies you can use to strive in a down economy. Below we’ll discuss a few ways to thrive in the coming year:

Focus on Repeat Customers

Work on keeping existing customers loyal and don’t worry as much about acquiring new customers. According to a study by Bain and Co, it costs about seven times more to acquire a new customer than to keep an existing customer. Moreover, increasing customer retention by 5 percent overall may increase your profits by 25 to 95 percent! To retain more customers, be sure to offer excellent customer service and reward loyal return customers with discounts and special offers.

Address Fixed Costs

An unstable economic time is a great opportunity to analyze your fixed costs like rent, supplies, and subscriptions. Are there ways to cut down on any of these montly costs? Maybe you can sublet part of your unused office space to an independent contractor or suspend your water delivery service for a few months. These extra savings can help improve your bottom line.

Beat the Competition with Amazing Customer Service

When times are tough, consumers may tighten their purse strings and only spend money for goods and services that they perceive as valuable and necessary. Maintaining excellent customer service in a down economy can help differentiate your business from the competition and gain more market share. If customers have happy, inspiring interactions with your organization, they will come to you before the competition, even in a down economy.

What are your small business goals for weathering the 2014 economy? Contact One Call Center is here to help. We provide answering services, appointment scheduling, order taking, and live chat to keep your customers happy. Find out how we can partner with your organization by calling 1(800)-278-3347.