If you’ve ever worked in a call centre, there is one particular sound that you probably got very used to hearing: click. Phone agents working in just about any field are used to hang ups. It comes with the territory. Are you finding that you’re hearing that click sound a little more than you’d like? What can you do to keep customers from hanging up on you?
Stick to your word.
Trust is everything. Without it, you’re not bound to generate a loyal client base. In many cases, your sales attempts will require several tries. Each time you have an opportunity to contact your client, be sure to make a promise you can keep. It can be as simple as shipping out a free sample and ensuring its arrival by a specified date. No matter your promise, be sure to keep it. Your trustworthiness will keep clients listening.
“If you tell a customer you will give them a refund, follow up with your manager, or return their call within a specific timeframe, be sure to stay true to your word,” insists Ion Mae on VoIPReview.com, “Should something happen that will keep you from fulfilling your promise, update your customer immediately and inform them of the situation. Customers are more likely to trust you and come back to you for future services if you keep your word.”
Be respectful of your competitors.
When attempting to push sales, many phone agents fall into the trap of comparing their products and services to those of their competitors. At that point, customers often get their guard up because the phone agents are making what can be considered disparaging remarks about other businesses. Do the opposite. Show both class and confidence. You might be surprised to discover how much this positive attitude will endear yourself to customers.
“Remember to remain fair and neutral,” instructs The Simply Sales Jobs Blog, “Sure, you’re trying to sell your products but did you know that the more you criticize other competitors the less likely you are to make a sale. I guess this is a way of saying, people don’t want to be sold, they want to be guided by an expert in a particular field.”
Use custom hold music.
There are bound to be times when you have to place your callers on hold. But there’s nothing worse for a person on the phone to hear than dead silence. So be sure to not bore your customers as you complete your work. Custom hold music can be an entertaining way to keep the attention of your callers as they wait for you. But, more importantly, it guarantees callers that they haven’t had their lines disconnected.
“Being put ‘on hold’ is definitely every caller’s least favourite part of contacting a business,” says Mae, “To make the ‘on hold’ experience more interesting and less irritating, customize your on hold music. Try playing music tracks your target audience would enjoy. You can also use a combination of music and advertising messages to entertain callers and keep them on the line. Of course, it’s always best to ask the caller’s permission first before placing them on hold.”
At MeloTel, we proudly offer Custom Hold Music as an automatic feature of our cloud-hosted Commercial Phone Services. For more information, please don’t hesitate to contact us at 1-888-MELOTEL or use the Live Chat feature on our website!
