THE DREADED PHONE TREE
So there was a time when most businesses were staffed to handle inbound phone traffic with a friendly live greeting. Of course, as technology advanced and businesses looked to save on payroll, the inbound, the Customer Experience (CX) has suffered greatly. Let’s face it, phone trees are a revenue deterrent. Customers may only be a few questions away from making a purchase decision but hold times and leaving a voicemail is just too much for them to handle so they go elsewhere.
HANDLING INBOUND TEXT LEADS TO SPEED UP THE BUYING CYCLE
So how do we improve access while increasing revenues? The answer is much simpler than you think. What if your auto-attendant simply offered the option to “text us at the same number for faster service.” Better yet, what if all of your CTA’s that said CALL XXX-XXX-XXXX, now said TEXT or CALL XXX-XXX-XXXX. From here the text can be sent to a queue for routing or the customer can choose the department themselves. Once the prospect is connected to the subject matter expert, seamless (NON-HOLD) communication drives more revenue through your door.
CUSTOMER CHOICE DRIVES LOYALTY
Why would you give the last 1000 people who considered your business, only one choice for communication? The fact is you could drive more interest and trust by simply modifying your call to action. “To better serve you, you may TEXT or CALL us at XXX-XXX-XXXX.” Current stats say that 7 out of 10 consumers would prefer a quick text over a voice call. Would 700 text conversations cut down on hold time and phone tag? Would text conversations drive trust and loyalty? Absolutely. The efficiency gained on both sides is unparalleled.
