What with high gas prices and time pressure, your customers and prospects are using the phone more than ever to get price and product information. How you and your staff handle this important means of communication may well determine whether you ever get a chance at someone’s business.
Jeff Mowatt provides an interesting telephone test on the business know-how web site. Questions include how long your phone rings before it’s answered, what you say when you answer it, and how you put a caller on hold, among others.
One point that’s very important is how you juggle a phone call and a customer who is actually in your store. I recently waited several minutes, cash in hand to make a purchase while the person behind the counter looked things up for someone on the phone, never even making eye contact with me. I eventually left and went to the competitor down the street.
You want to turn callers into customers, but you can’t ignore the people who have taken the time to make the trip to your store. It’s a delicate balance, but one that can have a big impact on your business.
[This post originally appeared at Mine Your Own Business on October 2, 2006]
Filed under: Customer Service, General Business | Tagged: Customer Service, small business
