9 reasons to use live call agents

By Ruby. 

While it may sound old-school, the benefits of having live call agents far outweigh any automated system.  

The digital era has made it easier than ever for word-of-mouth to travel, which is great when customers say good things about your business. But it’s a double-edged sword and can become frustrating and damaging if they have a less-than-perfect experience. Research shows that 74% of consumers consider and want to switch to a different competitor after a single bad phone experience. With the stake this high, a single phone call can change whether or not you get a bid.  

At Ruby we know that the responsibilities of running a contracting business often make it hard to take the time on each and every call. But a missed call is also a bad call experience and might mean a missed opportunity. This is why it is crucial to put resources and time into having efficient call management and live answering. This means specifically picking up the phone for a person-to-person interaction each time someone calls. This might seem inefficient but research shows that people respond better to this method.  

Consumers want a personalized touch. Always have, always will. That’s why Ruby’s virtual receptionists are so popular (with 15,000+ small businesses served and counting). As live call agents, we’re on standby 24/7, 365 days a year to ensure no call—or opportunity—is missed. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg, so let’s run down 9 tangible benefits of live call answering for your business! 

1 - Increased customer satisfaction 

Human connection. That’s the key to customer satisfaction. Roughly two-thirds of customers will hang up when a business doesn’t pick up with a live person on the other end or they get put on hold.  

Guess what they do next? They dial your competition and never look back. That goes for existing customers, too (at least sometimes). Everyone calling your business wants (and deserves) fast, responsive, personalized service from a fellow human being. Don’t you?  

That’s why virtual receptionists (IVR) ensure callers get what they want—to be heard and valued. IVR, on the other hand, sends a bad signal that callers aren’t important enough to spend time on. Only personalized attention boosts customer satisfaction, which can transform a routine inquiry into a loyal customer relationship. It boosts customer satisfaction, bolsters your reputation and drives business growth.  

2 - A better customer service reputation  

In our automated, digital world, you’d be forgiven for thinking word-of-mouth marketing is dead. However, you’d be wrong.  

Approximately 72% of customers share positive customer service experiences with friends, family and even strangers! Therefore, for every caller who reaches a friendly, capable representative of your business, that’s one more volunteer cheerleader you potentially just added to your squad.  

But the same goes for negative experiences. If a caller can’t get through—or reaches an unhelpful program instead of a person—you can bet they’ll complain to everyone about that, too.  

Fortunately, it’s not hard to avoid that fate, as long as you can provide the people you serve with responsive, human customer service. 

3 - Collecting call information  

Wouldn’t it be great if you could capture all the details of everyone calling your business—their names, contact information and reasons for reaching out? With IVR, voicemail or other automated systems, you’ll never capture that valuable lead information from the bulk of your callers.  

In fact, if a live person doesn’t answer, most callers won’t leave a name or bother to call back. But a human agent? Well, now we’re talking!  

At Ruby, our trained professionals collect those juicy details so you can take action accordingly. We can even offer help with basic queries, respond to FAQs, screen spam callers and develop leads. We’ll make sure no opportunity for personalization, follow-up or sales is missed.  

4 - More business opportunities  

What fuels customer loyalty and business growth better than live call answering? Okay, yes, there are the great products and services you provide. And pricing is important, too.  

But customers will become repeat buyers based on positive phone experiences! So clearly live call answering should be on your top three list of business priorities.  

It’s not just about service, though. It’s about seizing every single opportunity for growth, with no call going to waste. To drive home the point, check out these two notes from Outbound Engine:  

• “Acquiring a new customer can cost five times more than retaining an existing customer.”  
• “Increasing customer retention by 5% can increase profits from 25-95%.” 

In other words, a little investment in providing better experiences for your existing customers can lead to serious savings and lucrative opportunities for your business. 

5 - Standing apart from the robo-crowd  

Despite the clear benefits of live call answering, 85% of companies are using or plan to use interactive voice response (IVR) systems or other automated solutions. They’re literally doubling down on a system known to annoy and inconvenience callers.  

Sadly, most of them will never realize how much business they’ve driven away.  

But don’t feel too sorry for them, because they’re handing you a gift with a bow on it. You have the chance to stand out from the pack, offering your business as an alternative to automated calls we all wish would just go away.  

When you focus on delivering extraordinary customer experiences over the phone, you’ll delight callers, improve your reputation and make more money.  

The best part? You don’t have to do it yourself or manage calls entirely in-house. With the right virtual receptionist solution, you get a top-rated team of customer service professionals ready to represent your business over the phone—at a fraction of the cost of a full-time employee.  

6 - Faster customer intake  

It’s not just about answering. Virtual receptionists can also help streamline your customer welcoming process. They can gather essential information swiftly and accurately while maintaining a professional, courteous manner that makes a strong first impression for your business!  

At Ruby, we go even further. Our team members are so efficiently integrated (thanks to our industry-leading proprietary software and training), callers will never even realize they aren’t speaking to someone at your workplace. 

7 - Better payment processing  

Now, don’t get us wrong. There’s a time and place for automation. Payment processing, for instance, is ideal for automation—and with an effective virtual receptionist solution in place, businesses can facilitate smoother transactions directly over the phone.  

How? At Ruby, we do it through a combination of tech integrations and customized call handling. Our virtual receptionists can guide your callers through payment using the tools you choose, reducing delays and improving cash flow! 

8 - Easier scheduling  

Scheduling appointments should be fast and painless… but sometimes customers want to chat on the phone, and a 30-second task can turn into five, ten or more minutes of back-and-forth. Over the course of a month, that can add up to several hours of lost time and productivity. 

Enter live call answering. Virtual receptionists can keep calls on track while managing your scheduling, ensuring appointments are hassle-free and off your plate. This saves your business both time and money by freeing you up to focus on work. 

9 - 24/7 service  

The best virtual receptionist solutions have real people ready to answer 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. That’s exactly what we do at Ruby. With us on your team, you’ll never miss a call or an opportunity to connect a real person with a potential customer or client.  

Consumers still expect to reach live representatives when they call. We say: give the people what they want! 

Original article source: Ruby