You make more deals when you answer the phone directly.
Not only is Dave's suggestion great for sales, it’s good customer service as well. Making yourself accessible to the customer gives the impression that you will be there for them - like any good friend, right?
I remember trying to call a retail store once, but the phone just kept ringing and ringing. When I went into the store, I told them about it and their answer was, “Well, when it’s really busy in the store, we don’t answer the phone.” There is such a thing as voicemail! I don’t know what’s worse, not answering the phone or waiting on hold forever...
I'm in favor of the rule "First come, first served," in retail. If a customer walks in and the phone rings, the walk-in customer gets the help. There's no reason why the phone's ring tone can't be muted and the caller rolled into voice mail after the third ring.
Why not have some fun with your telephone callers and record a humorous message as opposed to "Your call is valuable to us."
Posted by: Glenn (Customer Service Experience) Ross | October 2, 2006 7:55 PM | Permalink to Comment