Virtual Answering Service Is Directly Linked With Your Customer Success Story!

By Author: Eliza Garran
Total Articles: 142
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When your customers are calling your customer care department they are looking for a pleasant, human conversation. They are looking for instant “human interaction.” When their calls get answered and their queries solved, they feel that they have been able to put forward their views. This is crucial and significant for them. If their call goes unanswered or there is no effort from your side, your customers will lose interest and will not be interested in purchasing your products or availing your service anymore. Hence, if you are planning to opt for services like virtual answering, you need to make sure that you hire a service provider who can ensure this “human” aspect through the virtual calls. It should not be mechanical or recorded. Rather it should be live and prompt.
Things that a reliable virtual answering service provider do:
Below are some of the crucial aspects that you should look into when opting for the virtual answering service:

They should use warm greetings. The first thing that your customer hears is how they are greeted over the phone. ...
... When it is a warm and positive greeting, they feel instantly connected and they look forward to the conversation. On the other hand, if the greeting is mechanical or boring, there will be a disconnect. They will be immediately disappointed and their opinion about your company is going to get adversely affected.

The virtual answering service provider should be active listener. A communication is successful when the message gets conveyed properly. And this is possible when one is an active listener. If the virtual receptionist cuts the customer between their speech or shuts them down while they are conveying their opinion, they will feel offended and will get hurt. They will lose their interest in your company. But when the virtual receptionist pays attention to what the customer is saying and is an active listener, the atmosphere automatically changes. It builds a sense of comfort and loyalty which is hard to beat.

The service provider should maintain constant and consistent business representation and brand stewardship. It is very crucial that the virtual receptionist portrays the positive image of your company in order to develop a solid brand. The aim should be to ensure the customer that you are there for them, and that the company will take all the required steps to do the necessary things.

The service provider should ask targeted questions. Once the customer conveys the purpose behind the call, the service provider should ask specific questions so that they are able to collect all possible details about the problem. Asking targeted questions shows that you are interested in offering genuine solutions to your customers and that you don’t follow the one-size fits all approach in case of your customers. You believe in offering personalised solutions.

It is crucial that the service provider focuses on caller success. This will help to develop a sense of loyalty amongst the customers. After the call, your customers should feel supported and optimist. And this is possible only when the experts manage caller expectations. The best part about working with professionals is that they will ensure that your customers get the desired service.

By the end of the call, the customer should have a clear idea about how to follow up and find out whether their problem is resolved or not. The virtual receptionist should make it easy to follow up. It should be a seamless solution and not something that they dread or avoid to do.

And finally, they should be able to understand the needs of the caller. Although this is the most basic element of this service, yet many business organisations tend to overlook it. Always respect the caller’s time and be prompt with your replies. The service provider should encourage them all the way.

Final words
When you are checking out the virtual answering service providers you need to ensure that the points discussed above are duly met. If any one of these is missing or after your conversation with the service provider, if you feel that they lack the skill or don’t seem to offer the right solution then don’t hire them. The market is full of numerous service providers. You don’t need to hire the first one that you come across. In these matters it is best to take time, do your research, do enough background check, compare, consider the pros and cons before you make the final call. There is no need to rush.
Keep in mind that once you hire the service provider, they are the ones who are going to handle all the customer calls. If they are not good at what they do, it is directly going to affect your company reputation and brand image. Do you want that? You are hiring an expert to manage the calls on your behalf and they should better be good at what they do. Always work with the best, even if that means shelling out more money. Your customers are the backbone of your company. If they are not satisfied then there is no future of your organisation.
About the Author: If you would like to know more about the Virtual Answering Service then please take a moment to read the contributions made by Eliza Garran.