In collaboration with CallCare
When I phone up a business nowadays, there’s often a distinct lack of human interaction. Instead, I find myself navigating through an automated phone system. I’m sure you’re equally familiar with having to key in numbers for different options, which can be a slow process and sometimes futile when none is relevant to your query. Often, it would just be nice to speak to a real person!
Whether you are a customer, a small business owner or you work for a larger business, I’m sure you’ll agree that customer satisfaction is one of the most important things for any business. Genuine human interaction is a vital part of this. Let’s take a closer look at the importance of human interaction in business phone services.
Why Human Interaction is Important in Business Phone Services
It builds rapport with your customers
Having a real, human call answering service will make people feel more connected with your company. A friendly, helpful and personal phone conversation will hopefully leave people smiling and in a good mood. On the other hand, when does anyone feel particularly cheered up by an interaction with an automated phone system, even if it does provide the outcome they need? Talking to a real person on the phone will in turn give the impression that the company is real, warm and relatable rather than cold and robotic.
It’s better for the elder generation
It’s a reality that the elder generation often struggles with technology. For the majority of an older person’s life, calling and talking to a person on the phone was the norm, not pressing buttons for automatic options. It can be a real struggle to get to grips with something new at a late stage in their life.
Over time, this won’t be such an issue as the younger generation grow up with technology as a norm. But for now, it feels almost discriminatory to force a system on the elder generation that many people will struggle with. Instead, my advice to businesses would be to keep human interaction in your phone services. This will build your reputation as a business that is accessible for all ages and technical abilities, and you’ll find that that demographic will choose you over other companies.
It gets queries dealt with more efficiently
It’s understandable that many businesses would switch to automated phone systems as a way to cut costs, staff and time. However, it’s important to think of the customers’ experience too. After all, you could have the most smooth-running business, but if your customers are not happy, efficiency counts for nothing. From the customer’s point of view, it’s more efficient and straightforward to solve a query by talking directly to a real person, rather than having them go through an automated system that will help them slowly or even not at all. Ultimately, if a business offers good customer service, it will gain more customers which will offset the extra costs involved in a human phone service.
My advice to businesses…
If you own a small business or even a large one, you’ll want to strongly consider having real human interaction in your phone services. It will inject warmth and personality into your company that could not be achieved by an automated phone system. Your customers will thank you for it!
I absolutely LOATHE the “Press 1 for X, 2 for Y” syndrome. I get that businesses are trying to save time but you’re absolutely right, this comes at the expense of their frustrated customers!
Same here! And it’s often unclear which option is even the right one for your query. Thanks for reading and commenting!
A human interaction is always a key to the relevant questions and great solution.
Awesome tips..
Human interaction is definitely the best way to get things sorted properly!
So true I use to do this.
Allie of
http://www.allienyc.com
One of my pet peeves is not being able to speak to anyone! Or even email! It’s all automated things these days!
Corinne x
I’m totally with you on that! Thank you for reading and commenting.
Nothing is worse that having to talk to an automated service to get information! Love this post and it’s so true, human interaction is always needed.
I agree with you! Thanks so much for reading and commenting.
I much prefer speaking to any actual person rather than an automated voice/technology. Thank you for sharing.
Lauren
I totally agree with you! Thanks for reading and commenting.