The modern office is evolving fast, but one thing that never changes is customers’ desire for excellent service. Every year, $1.6 trillion is lost by U.S. companies due to customers switching providers after receiving poor service.
In fact, as the marketplace has become more crowded and tech-focused, consumers have begun to value customer service more than ever before. By 2020, service is projected to outweigh both price and product in terms of U.S. consumer preferences.
This is why reception services remain so important for companies that want to make customers the highest priority. Is your company is keeping up with the biggest trends in reception services? Here’s what’s coming for 2019 and beyond.
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Seamless Experiences
Today there are more channels for customers to contact companies that ever before. In addition to phone and email, customers can reach out on social media platforms, comment on your online videos/photos, leave Yelp reviews, use chatbots, and much more.
These savvy consumers want your company to provide smooth, consistent responses regardless of the platform they use to connect with you. Fully 75% of them expect to receive exactly the same type of response whether they contact a company by phone, message, or social media.
For reception services, this means your customers desire a warm and helpful greeting each time they call you. Inconsistent service will drive them away. It’s worth your time to provide the best reception services possible.
Fully Branded Communication
We live in a world of branded messages. The average person sees 4,000 to 10,000 brands each day, from looking at their iPhone the minute they wake up to watching YouTube videos before bedtime. Everything is branded.
If your reception services don’t match your brand, your customers will notice. Generic, automated responses make them think you’re too old-fashioned to be branded like everything else they see.
Ensure your receptionists are fully trained to incorporate your brand – along with any important mottos or service habits – into every interaction. Every little detail matters and should be on-brand.
Fast Responses
It’s no longer good enough to answer a customer’s question within 2 business days. In fact, it’s not even good enough to call them back later the same afternoon. They want instant responses.
Customer service research shows consumers expect certain things in quick succession when they call a company:
- A quick answer without excessive hold time
- A warm, friendly greeting
- Fast responses to simple questions
- Reliable, knowledgeable follow-up on complex or unresolved issues
If these things don’t happen within the first 2 or 3 interactions, 92% of customers will completely give up on a company. This is why you must reliably provide fast customer service or lose customers forever.
Your Competitors Aren’t Your Only Competition
If we have learned anything from the latest U.S. Customer Service Expectations Survey, it’s that today’s consumers have extremely high expectations. We live in a global marketplace. Competition is fierce.
Your customers aren’t just comparing you to competitors in your neighborhood or industry. They’re comparing you to EVERY company in the world. They’re holding you to the same standard as the best company they’ve ever interacted with.
So the question is: Does your company meet the challenge? Take a close look at your reception services in 2019 and make sure you’re at the top of your game.
Connect with Reliable Receptionist to ensure every customer has a world-class experience.
