No one likes waiting on hold. It’s frustrating, boring, and a waste of time. If your customers are experiencing long wait times on hold, it’s not good for their experience or your business.
Most people prefer to be helped immediately by a live human customer service representative. Then, they can best communicate what they want and receive quick assistance. If you cannot provide that for your callers, outsourcing your inbound calls to a customer service call centre like CommAlert is a cost-effective solution.
Here’s putting people on hold is bad for business:
Customers don’t want to waste time.
The biggest frustration about being put on hold is the feeling of wasting time. Sometimes, people can spend hours on hold trying to find technical support for a product or do other tasks like submitting a warranty claim or changing a flight. No one wants to put their life on hold for these things. When they’re forced to do so, they will have a negative experience, which can tarnish your brand, cause missed sales, and deter customer loyalty.
They’re more likely to hang up!
Plus, people are more likely to hang up when put on hold. A study showed that nearly 60% of callers will hang up after being on hold for one minute, and 90% will hang up after five minutes. That means businesses with long hold wait times could lose 60 to 90% of potential business.
Uncertainty creates frustration and worry.
A significant reason why we hate waiting so much is the uncertainty. How long will this take? Will they be able to help me when I finally speak to someone? Will my call ever be answered, or is this a complete waste of time?
Frustration and worry are not positive feelings for potential and current customers when dealing with a business. Being made to wait also makes people anticipate a bad customer experience when they finally speak to someone. It’s more difficult to offer someone a positive customer experience when they feel anxious and irritated.
Long hold times indicate disorganization.
We’ve said it once, and we’ll say it again—no one likes to wait on hold. If your callers have already had to wade through a confusing automated phone system menu to reach an agent and then be put on hold, they’re going to think your business is disorganized. As mentioned, it indicates a poor quality of service, and it will not meet expectations.
Waiting reinforces terrible customer experiences. This is especially true in today’s fast-paced digital world, where people expect information and service quickly and around the clock. If they’re upset on hold, that will translate to the agent. Then, your team will be dealing with angry or frustrated callers more often, and that’s not good for morale.
The solution?
Outsourcing your inbound call management
Outsourcing your inbound call management to CommAlert can solve all those problems. Customers will never have to navigate a complicated automated phone system or be put on hold. Instead, every customer will be greeted by a warm, professional, and efficient customer service agent. Their inquiries will be answered quickly, and friendly customer service will result in positive customer service.
Call answering services will help you with the practical task of managing those calls. But it will also help boost your brand’s reputation, customer retention and loyalty. That’s better for your bottom line.
