Let’s face it, no one wants to lose customers. But without them realizing it, many businesses are often scaring away them away by making small mistakes. Our recent research into communication trends among US consumers, shares five terrifying tales of the biggest errors businesses are making right now…
The death of the voicemail
Voicemail may have been a lifesaver in the past, but the reality in 2023 is that it’s on the way out. Businesses who are die-hard fans of the voicemail are becoming victims of missed calls, as over half of American consumers believe leaving a voicemail message doesn’t guarantee them a callback and they wouldn’t leave one. This means lost opportunities!
The burial
When it comes to buying online, quite often encouraging the browser to call is an important step in the customer journey. Our research shows that 47% of businesses don’t clearly signpost their contact number online, and instead usually bury a link to a contact page in a cobweb-strewn footer – a trend ¾’s of American’s find frighteningly frustrating!
Making customers crazy
Social media, live chat, email, WhatsApp – there are so many options for your customers to choose from when getting in touch with your business. Our research shows that when a customer picks up the phone, it’s usually because their query is urgent or complex. With this in mind, it’s worth having a think about how it will make them feel when they’re faced with a line that rings out… Enough to drive them crazy – not to mention, leave them with a bad first impression of your business.
A nightmare reputation
A bad review can be difficult to recover from, and with 26% saying they’d leave a negative review following a poor call experience, bad phone service could be the critical one wrong turn in ruining your business’s reputation.
The eerie silence
A quiet incoming line is never a good sign. The phone remains the American consumers’ most popular communication channel, but a bad call experience will cause 46% then to go elsewhere. Get this right by prioritizing the importance of your calls and never leaving them to ring out.
Thirsty for more? Read our full Customer Communications Trend Report for more tips and tricks on how to keep the monsters of lost business away and deliver great CX. Plus, our team are always here to help – give them a call on 866.202.0005 today.
