For a good customer experience, good accessibility is essential. If a customer has a problem, they want it resolved as quickly as possible. You don't want the customer to develop a negative association with your company, which could create obstacles in the future. So, it is necessary to be well-accessible, but how do you ensure this?
We all know it: you come home from work in the evening and wonder where your parcel is. Unfortunately, the company from which you ordered is not reachable by phone after 6 pm. The next day, you try to contact them in the morning and then spend minutes in the waiting queue. Good accessibility is important, but in a rapidly changing environment, many companies and institutions seem unaware of what the customer expects from them.
Poor accessibility causes customer frustration
In a world where customers and their needs are central, the last thing you want is a frustrated customer. Long waiting times, no response, or getting voicemail; these are the biggest frustrations of today's customers who want to contact a company in one way or another. For example, sixty per cent of customers disconnect a phone call after waiting one minute and expect an answer to their email within one working day.
A missed call is a missed opportunity
When you receive a call from a (potential) customer with a question, you can respond immediately. You can turn questions into sales opportunities. Thus, you suddenly turn a phone call into a chance for a new customer. You can imagine that when someone cannot reach you, they will look for another company. That is a missed opportunity!
60% of customers disconnect a phone call after waiting one minute.
Responsibility cannot be outsourced
Organisations that manage their customer contact themselves have far more control than those that outsource it to a third-party contact centre. The latter category relies on one or more third parties for compliance with laws and regulations, while being held accountable themselves. The responsibility for complying with the GDPR cannot be outsourced. “I have outsourced it to a specialist” does not apply here. Therefore, it is important that organisations have their instructions, training, and checks in order with external parties. A compliance programme should therefore include outsourced customer contact. Outsourcing can be fine, but with insight and control. This means that the company implements measures and procedures to ensure compliance with laws and regulations. Naturally, this changes the relationship between the client and the contact centre. The standards within the company must also be imposed on the external party and well monitored. In practice, such a compliance programme can indeed strengthen the cooperation between the client and the contact centre.
It's a marketing tool: customers can call when it suits them
Customer satisfaction will increase if your (potential) customers can contact your organisation when it suits them. If they are also assisted quickly, this certainly ensures a positive customer experience. This sets you apart from the competition.
Accessible 7 days a week
Pay only for what you use
More loyal customers
Why is email contact alone insufficient?
Some companies have no phone number on their website, but only an email address or contact form. However, most customers still prefer telephone contact. They want a rapid response to their question or solution to their problem. Furthermore, email-only contact can quickly become impersonal. Customers like to pick up the phone to see if you can help them. If you only offer a contact form, people always have to wait to see if you receive their question at all.
So, it is necessary to be well-accessible, but how do you ensure this? We provide you with three tips.
Increase the accessibility of your customer service.
Many companies are not available in the evenings or early in the morning. You can imagine that this leads to peak times in customer service, such as at 9 am, causing longer waits for customers. When you increase the accessibility of your customer service and are reachable for a longer time each day, you ensure that traffic is spread over a longer period. This results in fewer peak times and therefore shorter wait times for your customers. Interested in this service? Click here.
Create peace with a phone service.
A phone service answers the phone for you with your company name. This way, customers at least get a human on the line who knows when you are available, and they can be transferred to you if reachable, or told when you're not. If you're not reachable, you might receive an email stating who you need to call back and what it's about. This may not immediately solve the customer's issue, but being spoken to quickly and kindly is already a significant plus in the customer experience. Interested in this service? Click here.
Ensure multiple channels.
Due to new technologies and automation, more than half of the Dutch expect companies to be accessible at all times and in all possible ways. Although phone calls still have preference, having only good phone accessibility is not sufficient. Do you offer the option to contact through social media, chat, email, and/or WhatsApp? Then speed and personal contact are also important through these channels.
With the tips above, you can improve your organisation's accessibility. Good and customer-oriented accessibility is crucial for attracting customers and then binding them to your business.
