What do the Apple Watch, Amazon Alexa, and Google search engine all have in common? Well, they have two things in common, actually: They come from the most successful companies in the world, and they’re personalized.
They’re following the biggest trend in the consumer marketplace, which is assisting people through individualized responses. Instead of mindlessly blasting out generic answers, they give custom results every time. Is your company doing the same?
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2019: The Year of Personalization
People love personalization – and they’re starting to expect it. Today everything from their smartphones to their coffee pots can call them by name.
Consider these statistics from a new study on the importance of personalization:
- 81% of customers want brands to understand them better – including how NOT to approach them.
- While 77% of marketers think personalized service is important, 60% struggle to provide it consistently.
- By the end of 2018, more than 50% of companies will be redirecting their budgets toward innovations that improve the customer experience.
Consumer spending experts are predicting that 2019 will be the year of personalization, a shift in thinking where consumers simply expect customized experiences. If companies can’t provide personalized help, consumers will just turn to the internet and find a competitor.
How Personalized Are You?
As 2019 dawns, it’s a good time to take a hard look at your customer service and see if it has a personal touch. When people reach out to your company, how personalized is the service they receive?
Many small business owners assume their service is more personal than it really is. They figure they have a good reputation and a loyal following and don’t give much thought to the actual messages people hear from them.
For example, what do people hear when they pick up the phone to call you? Is it an automated voice? If so: Uh-oh. That’s not good.
People hate hearing automated voices. A study by Consumer Reports found that a staggering 72% of consumers will hang up as soon as they hear an automated message starts to play, no matter what it says.
What do these frustrated customers do next? Most likely, they seek out a competitor. But if they’re determined to contact your company, they’ll usually go to your website. Hopefully, you have an email address or contact form front-and-center.
Humans: The Tried-and-True Solution
Personal service – the kind provided by real-life humans – is what most customers really want. When they call, they need to hear a person on the other end of the line. When they send an email, they’re looking for a genuine response.
A remote receptionist can provide this kind of personalized service. These professional receptionists might not be located in your office, but they offer seamless interactions with your clients. Every customer is greeted with a warm human voice, every time.
Connect with Reliable Receptionist to find out why a remote receptionist is your best bet for 2019: the year of personalized service.