Category: Marketing and Sales

Keeping Customers Happy During the Holidays

Keeping Customers Happy During the Holidays

Blog/ Marketing and Sales/ Small Business

56295349The holiday season is coming up! Your customers are shopping for gifts, making this season one of the busiest of the entire year. If your business is not prepared for this season, you can miss out on sales and possibly drive customers away. Follow these tips to keep customers happy during the upcoming holiday season.

Plan for the Season
The holiday season is extremely busy for all businesses. This can put a strain on customer service responsibilities, making it difficult for your customers to find what they need in time. Schedule a meeting as soon as possible to discuss the upcoming season with your employees and come up with strategies for handling the extra work. Hiring a call center is a great way to handle customer service responsibilities without taking away time and energy from other responsibilities.

Check Your Website
A lot of today’s customers research companies online before visiting stores in-person. Many of these customers also purchase online instead of going to stores. A slow or poorly designed website can mean bad news, especially during the holidays. Check your website to make sure it is working properly and is easy to navigate. You should also test the mobile version of your website as many customers will be visiting from smart phones and tablets. Take measures to ensure that your website can handle extra traffic that is likely to come through during the season.

Look at Customer Information
Loyal customers will have purchasing history you can look back at to get an edge this holiday season. This information can help you decide what types of products and services to focus on this season as well as what types of sales to offer. You can also use this data to offer customers rewards or thank you cards as a special touch for the holidays.

Get the help you need to keep customers happy this season with Contact One Call Center! We specialize in customer service, after hours support, secure messaging, and much more. Find out how our services can help you by calling us at 1-800-278-3347.

Keeping Customers Happy

Keeping Customers Happy

Blog/ Marketing and Sales/ Professional Services/ Small Business

134214747As a business owner, your customers are your livelihood. If you want to find success in the corporate world, you must figure out how to keep your current clients happy and how to entice new clients to utilize your services. Use the following tips to ensure that you are paying the proper amount of attention to your customers.

Pay Attention
Sometimes the most important aspect of customer service is taking the time to really listen to the things that they say. It is essential that you and your staff pay close attention any time a customer talks. If you deal with customers in person, you should make an effort to greet them all and try to address people by names. If you deal with customers on the phone, it is important to take the time to listen closely to what they say. You should always make an effort to pay close attention to your customers so you can figure out exactly what they need.

Personalize Services When You Can
Customers really respond to personalized services. If you want to give your clients the best opinion of your business, you should make an effort to personalize services whenever you can. Live chat and answering services are great additions to your customer service model that help you give personal attention to your customer base.

Show Your Appreciation
Another great way to keep your customers happy is to show them how much you appreciate their business. Try to offer some incentives like discounts after a certain number of visits or a gift card for referring a friend. These small gifts go a long way toward showing your customers how much you enjoy working with them.

If you want to improve your company’s customer service efforts, turn to Contact One Call Center. Our order taking, reservation setting, live chat, secure messaging, and answering services help you improve your communication with customers. For more information on our services and how they can help your business, visit us online or call 1-800-278-3347.

Telephone Sales Techniques That Actually Work

Telephone Sales Techniques That Actually Work

Blog/ Customer Service/ Marketing and Sales

A successful business is the sum of its parts, from the owner to the employees to satisfied customers. In order for a business to become a success and grow, sales must be made. Though technology has made calling a business not as necessary as it once was, you must still have a phone line where your customers can reach you for questions, concerns, and hopefully even a compliment or two. An important part of taking phone calls is turning questions into sales, and browsers into customers. Keep reading to learn about telephone sales techniques that actually work.Lady with Phone

Planning

While you might call up a good friend just to chat, your customers are calling you with specific questions they need answered about your company. Make sure your customer service representatives are prepared to respond to the most common questions that come in with specific answers. Not only does this increase the efficiency of the phone call, it makes your business look more professional since your representatives are knowledgeable about your products and services. It is possible to be both professional and friendly at the same time, so consider certain words that will best represent the nature of your business.

Directness

People lead busy lives, and don’t have time to waste on the telephone making small talk. Your customer service representatives should be concise and direct while still maintaining a friendly tone. In today’s fast-paced business world, there’s no time to waste. Make sure your customers get the information they need in a timely fashion from your representatives who can turn a question into a sale in a seamless manner.

Tone of Voice

Have you ever called a company with a question and been greeted by a voice that sounds young, unsure, or nervous? If so, there’s a good chance that affected the rest of your interaction. Rely on a call center of professionals who can speak in a clear, assured manner to give your customers confidence in your company.

There are telephone sales techniques that still work, and Contact One Call Center can make sure they’re incorporated into your business. Give us a call at 800-278-3347 to learn what we can do for your business to increase your sales and efficiency, and to improve your customer relations.

An Inside Look at the Small Business Community

An Inside Look at the Small Business Community

Blog/ Customer Service/ Marketing and Sales/ Small Business

178372995Do you own a small business? If so, you’re not alone. There are approximately 23 million small businesses in the United States, and that number has been growing in recent years. It takes a great deal of hard work and dedication to make your small business a success and compete with big corporations. Providing outstanding customer service is an important part of making your business last in a competitive environment. Whether you are thinking of starting your own small business or you have owned one for years, keep reading to learn more about the small business community.

Small Business, Big Community

You might be surprised to learn that small businesses account for more than half of all sales that take place in the U.S. Though your business might be small, the community of like-minded small business owners is quite large. As shopping local becomes more popular, your small business can benefit greatly since customers are looking for an experience in which they are treated as individuals rather than numbers. Check in your area for meet-ups with other business owners, and don’t forget to look online for resources to help you learn about running a small business successfully.

Economic Impact

You don’t have to sell expensive products to have a major impact on the country’s economy. 55% of all jobs in the country are provided by small businesses, which means your business can benefit the community in more ways than one. Approximately eight million people across the country are employed by franchised small businesses, an especially important figure given the recent economic downturn.

Growth

Small businesses are here to stay, as the number of small businesses in the U.S. has increased 49% since 1982. Big corporations have eliminated four million jobs since 1990, but small businesses have added eight million positions during the same time span. Americans are turning away from relying on corporations, and instead are looking closer to home for jobs as well as products and services.

Running a small business can be challenging, which is why Contact One Call Center is here to help you with a broad range of customer service options. Contact us at 800-278-3347 or visit our website to learn more about the services we provide to businesses just like yours.

 

 

Essential Technology for Every Call Center

Essential Technology for Every Call Center

Blog/ Customer Service/ Marketing and Sales/ Small Business

In order for call centers to operate successfully, a number of technological features are required to streamline service and make the process more efficient for operators. Most small businesses are not equipped to house call centers of their own, because all of the pieces of technology are essential for daily operations. Therefore, many small businesses rely on dedicated call centers to provide around-the-clock customer service with help from these technologies.

CRM Solution

With CRM solution on-hand, operators can look back to earlier information in the call or see previous outcomes of customer calls. This helps avoid repetition in the customer interaction and find the source of the problem faster.

Call Recording

Quality-assurance is a must for call centers, because operators represent a valuable section of the customer service experience. Call recording helps operators identify their strengths and weaknesses in speaking to customers and offering solutions. This results in more positive customer experiences in future calls.

IVR

While it is important for customers to have live representatives to speak to, there are some elements of over-the-phone business that do not require a person to person interaction. The IVR covers these areas to allow customers to manage their interaction with voice response for self-service.

Workforce Management Application

Call center staffing needs to be determined by projected calls within a certain timeframe, and these are calculated with workforce management. With this application in place, call centers can ensure that representatives are readily available when they are needed, but that the center is not overstaffed, which drives up the cost of services.

Contact One Call Center is equipped to take on your telecommunications needs with the excellent customer service that you expect for your small business. To learn how we can help you manage your presence outside the walls of your business, visit our website or call us at (800) 278-3347.

How Small Businesses Can Build Their Brand Personalities

How Small Businesses Can Build Their Brand Personalities

Blog/ Marketing and Sales/ Small Business

As a small business owner, you might have challenges creating a brand and selling it with your web presence. You may be so overwhelmed with the day-to-day operations of your business, that it is hard to develop a personality for your brand that really engages customers. Below is a look at the ways you can rethink your brand personality to build a presence that works for you.

Show your brand in action

Your business’s website and social media pages will speak volumes about the personality of your company, and the items that customers see first will be the most impactful. In addition to an easy layout and pages that can be navigated intuitively, customers will want to see pictures of your business in action. Whether you are showcasing a product or service, you should show images of real people (not stock photos) who represent the clientele you want.

Offer tips with an on-site blog

To boost traffic to your website and connect to customers on a more personal level, you might start a blog related to your small business. This does not have to offer advice directly related to what you do, but it should tie into your own services and boost your credibility as a brand and authority within a certain field. When you do write blogs (or outsource them), you will want to make sure that the language is friendly and approachable rather than relying on corporate ad speak.

Think up a great motto

A simple motto can give your business a memorable identity that stands the test of time. Even as web design trends and customer demands change, a great company motto will hold up and represent a brand that customers will keep coming back to.

With the expert guidance of Contact One Call Center, you can find the marketing approach that works for your small business and back it up with excellent customer service around-the-clock. To contact us for a look at our services, visit our website or call (800) 278-3347.

Finding an Alternative to Cold Calling

Finding an Alternative to Cold Calling

Blog/ Marketing and Sales/ Small Business

Cold calling is parallel to door-to-door soliciting in the world of marketing; it is largely unwelcome and considered an antiquated way of generating new sales leads. Unfortunately, many business owners and sales managers are unaware of the modern solutions for new business relationships, leaving them to rely on the methods of the past. Read on to discover the better alternatives you might use to build relationships and find new prospects for your business.

Social media tracking

Social media has replaced many facets of business—including networking. Using social media update trackers such as Google Alerts and HootSuite will allow you to see valuable information about your prospects so that you open new opportunities for marketing.

Social media relationships

While social media can be significantly helpful in observing trends and tracking potential leads, it is also beneficial for direct interactions. You should reach out with personalized messages through social sites to connect with prospects in a welcome way. Just be careful not to overdo it with social media, sending out high volumes of messages and blasted messages with no personal touch.

Web presence management

Aside from social media, you should keep a strong social presence on your business’s website and blog. With regular updates that engage your existing customers, you may actually attract the attention of new prospects without any extra work. You will be doubling up your marketing efforts in this way, because you are reaching out to your clients and maximizing your exposure in your industry simultaneously.

For a closer look at modern solutions in marketing and customer service, check out Contact One Call Center. We serve businesses across the country with answering services, ecommerce, and more helpful solutions that can be personalized to your unique needs. To contact us, visit our website or call (800) 278-3347.

These Links Provide Information About How We Can Help Your Business Grow

These Links Provide Information About How We Can Help Your Business Grow

Blog/ Customer Service/ Marketing and Sales/ Professional Services/ Small Business

Discover tips to help boost your business on these helpful websites. Contact One Call Center offers many business-boosting services, including answering services and chat support. Call us at 1-800-278-3347 for more information!

Why Customer Service Should Be A Top Priority

Why Customer Service Should Be A Top Priority

Blog/ Customer Service/ Marketing and Sales/ Professional Services/ Small Business

Your customers are the foundation for your business, making customer service the most important area of focus in your company’s day to day operations. Even if most or all of your business comes from e-commerce, your customers will still have high expectations for phone, chat, and email support that may enhance the Web shopping experience. Here is a closer look at the impact that an investment in customer service can have on your business.

Negative customer experiences can drive away new customers

When customers have a negative experience with any business, a common response is to tell others about it. These stories about negative customer service experiences could easily keep away potential new customers, particularly because people are more likely to discuss negative shopping experiences than positive ones. Therefore, steps should be taken to increase customer satisfaction during every interaction a customer may have with your company.

It is less costly to retain customers than to attract new ones

Returning customers are an incredibly valuable asset to your company, because the cost of bringing an existing customer back is much lower than the cost of marketing strategies necessary to draw in new customers. With a large base of loyal customers, you can also rely to an extent on word-of-mouth marketing to bring in new customers at a lower cost.

Customer service keeps your customers connected to your business

If a customer contacts your business through a customer service representative on the phone or via live Web chat, that customer will have a deeper connection to your company that will help to promote their continued patronage.

To improve the customer service you are able to offer to your patrons, call Contact One Call Center at 1-800-278-3347. We provide answering services, secure messaging, and after-hours customer support that can help your small business maintain strong customer relations without the added cost of hiring additional personnel. With locations in Seattle, Los Angeles and Arizona, we are ready to start the conversation with you today!

E-Commerce Tips for the Holiday Season

E-Commerce Tips for the Holiday Season

Blog/ Customer Service/ Marketing and Sales/ Small Business

With more people heading to their computers instead of shopping malls to take care of their holiday shopping, it is important to maintain a strong web presence while offering superior customer service online. There are several ways to facilitate a better online shopping experience for your customers that will drive more business to you this holiday season and keep your business going strong well after the holidays are over. (more…)