marketing

5 Free Ways to Immediately Improve a Customer’s Phone Experience

Building a new account often requires over 40 interactions, but a single negative experience can turn a customer away for good. Customer experience is all about building relationships and investing in the people we serve.

Today, I lost a significant amount of time navigating an organization over the phone. I experienced a common problem many customers face today -a poorly designed phone system that placed me in an endless loop of frustration.  I was initially relieved when I was finally routed to a live person who listened to my problem. However, they immediately placed me on hold. After waiting 25 minutes, the call was transferred to an automated “offer” track. I then had to call back and spent another 20 minutes trying to find the “right” person and re-explain everything.  The resolution took 2 minutes of their time. The representative mentioned that they spend much of their time apologizing for the system, but frankly, that is not acceptable.

A truly customer-centric company would not just cause employees to apologize for the system’s flaws but would actively work to improve them. Additionally, they’d provide training that involves positioning employees to improve the customer’s experience at every touch point.

Here are some basic tips for positive phone protocol that will make a huge difference in improving customer experience and bonding.

  1. Ask for permission to place someone on hold: This small but important step shows respect for the customer’s time. It also helps set expectations right away. It gives the caller a chance to voice any concerns about being put on hold before it happens.
  2. Set clear expectations for wait times. Communication is key. When customers are informed that they’ll be on hold for a certain amount of time (or that they’ll receive a callback), it reduces anxiety and makes the wait feel less arbitrary. Plus, it shows that the company values the customer’s time and is not just ignoring them.
  3. Check in with the customer periodically if the wait is longer than expected. This is a great way to maintain rapport with the caller and show that the company is actively trying to resolve the issue. If the wait time is longer than expected, a quick “We’re still working on it” call can go a long way.
  4. Use warm transfers whenever possible to ensure the customer is properly handed off. It’s incredibly frustrating to be passed from one person to another, especially when you’re explaining your issue all over again. A warm transfer, where the customer is introduced to the new person, can prevent this and make the experience feel more seamless.
  5. Call back if the call gets disconnected. This is a huge one. The fact that companies sometimes don’t call back after a disconnect shows a lack of empathy and accountability. If they’ve verified the number, there’s no reason they shouldn’t make the effort to reconnect, especially after investing time in solving the customer’s problem.

By implementing these simple protocols, companies can significantly improve the customer experience and show that they truly value their customers’ time. Also, they cost nothing.

Proactively Manage your Communication

Timely Response is Key to Building Strong Relationships

When we fail to address a customer’s need promptly, the need doesn’t vanish — but the customer might.

Building strong relationships requires us to act as consultants, truly understanding and responding to the customer’s needs with value and support. This means communication must be proactive. We should ask questions, set clear expectations, and manage progress by providing and requesting updates as necessary.

Often, we hear that bottlenecks in communication are caused by someone else’s unresponsiveness. For instance, a new customer thanked me today for quickly providing lead time information for a product and suggesting a similar stock item. He explained that his usual supplier had copied him on an unsuccessful email to the manufacturer. Frustrated with the delay, he turned to me because he felt valued.

In contrast, one of my employees recently lost an order after spending hours coordinating with the factory and distributors to fulfill a customer’s urgent request. Although we had the product in stock, we focused too much on the original request and failed to fully understand the customer’s broader needs. This could have been avoided with better consultation.

These experiences highlight the importance of timely responses. Customers often need quick resolutions, and finding solutions gives us an opportunity to demonstrate our commitment and strengthen our relationship with them.

To manage communication more effectively and build stronger relationships, here are four simple steps:

1. Understand the Customer’s Needs

Ask specific questions to clarify urgency, decision-making timelines, openness to alternatives, and willingness to pay for expedited services. This reduces ambiguity and allows you to make better use of your time.

2. Set Expectations

Set clear expectations with both customers and colleagues. Ask when they need a response, when you should follow up, and communicate deadlines to those you’re waiting on. This creates a clear timeline and minimizes frustration.

3. Follow Up

If the agreed-upon time has passed without a response, follow up. A gentle reminder can draw attention to your request. Use this as an opportunity to update the customer on your progress, showing them that you’re invested in their needs and keeping them informed.

4. Change Your Approach

Don’t rely on one form of communication. If emails aren’t getting a response, pick up the phone or try another method. If you’re unable to reach someone, try a different contact. Adapt your approach to get results.

Ultimately, customer needs are opportunities to strengthen relationships. Treat them as valuable and seize every chance to demonstrate your commitment.

Earn Loyalty from Customers – Differentiate the Relationship

I want to share some of my takeaways from Masters of Loyalty by Duane Sparks (sequel to Action Selling).  The best start I could think of was to introduce you to Mary-Ellen Berg. For the past 5 years, she’s been one of a few people in my personal life who calls me on the phone with regularity. She asks what is new in my life, what projects we’ve worked on around the house and how my parents are doing. We share a love of family, Disney and our dogs. I cried when she lost her dog and she’s supported me on Facebook as mine continues to decline. I consider her a friend and I tell people about her all the time. Mary-Ellen Berg is my realtor, a real-life Master of Loyalty.

She delivered a beyond-exceptional experience to friends of mine and then to me upon their referral. She sold my first house at asking price, in 3 months, during the recession. She’s knows what she’s doing, she’s good. She’s also dedicated – she stayed with us on our 9 months home search through 45 on-site visits during snowstorms, mud season and one hot, humid summer before we found the home that met our somewhat unique needs. With that time investment, I would not have faulted her for ending the relationship or minimizing time with us. Instead, she continued to make us feel like we were her only client. She consulted us, counseled us out of negative situations and ensured we were in the best position with the best resources through the sale. She maintains this status by keeping our relationship warm and staying aware of any shifts in our needs. In addition to the phone calls, she also sends monthly snail-mail letters and for her more local clients, sometimes leaves little gifts like a plant on their doorsteps.

Mary-Ellen Berg is an excellent introduction to Masters of Loyalty because she exemplifies a lesson that Sparks highlights – if you differentiate yourself once, you make a sale, but if you consistently differentiate the relationship, you can create a loyal customer. A loyal customer is someone who isn’t simply satisfied, it is someone who has stopped shopping and cannot be tempted away.  Loyal customers aren’t responding to fancy marketing or flash sales, they respond to the relationship a representative built with them that they consider too valuable to give up.   

Sparks cites the following figures:

  • 75% of customers leave a supplier due to lack of a relationship (20% will provide this reason)
  • 10% of customers leave because their needs have changed (Salespeople think 1/3 leave for this)
  • 25% of customer say they left for a better price (Salespeople believe this is 50% of the reason)
  • 75% of customers who left say they were satisfied or very satisfied when they left.

These stats highlights a gap: on average, representatives don’t engage with their customers enough. At the same time – they demonstrate an opportunity. Action Selling teaches us how to best engage customers, but learning to be a Master of Loyalty causes us to take that practice a step further.  After we did the work to develop a relationship and close a sale, we can differentiate ourselves by planning to continue engaging these customers by reaching out to them long-term with sincerity. A commitment objective can be as simple as gaining agreement from the customer that he or she is more than just satisfied with the experience we are providing.

How many people in your personal life or professional career have made you beyond satisfied and achieved loyalty? There is one in mine. One. There is room for you to stand out in your world.