Your receptionist is quite often the first point of contact for callers and visitors. So your receptionist is essentially the face and voice of your organization. Your receptionist’s social competency and sales acumen play a major role in the conversion rate of callers to paying clients. Receptionists are expected to provide exceptional phone service that will give customers a positive impression of your business. But your receptionist could be driving away potential customers and ruining the reputation of your business. But how do you know if your receptionist is taking advantage of you and hurting your bottom-line? While you can’t take or monitor every call, here are some tell-tale signs.
Multiple Missed Calls
Is your receptionist answering the phones after 1-2 rings or letting the phones ring without taking any action? Whether it’s a potential or current client, not every person has the patience to hold on and wait for the receptionist to pick up the phone. Missed calls make an impact on revenue. If there’s no connection, there’s no sale. And that’s not the way to survive and thrive. And missing phone calls is also poor customer service, which can cost you revenues and hurt your brand. Best Call Center virtual receptionists always answer phones promptly and will never let an opportunity slip through the cracks.
Extended Hold Times
Your receptionist should be able to take your customer’s calls promptly, answer their questions, and address their concerns in a timely manner. When your receptionist puts your callers on hold for extended periods, it creates the impression that your company is understaffed or disorganized. Extended hold times are repulsive to users and expensive to businesses. If your receptionist does not recognize this, callers will feel devalued and may never call again as they expect to be treated just as badly in the future as the previous time.
Multiple Transfers
Callers feel upset when they ask to speak to a specific member of your team, and your receptionist automatically transfers the call to a voicemail box or the wrong department. If the person the caller wants to talk to is unavailable, the receptionist should ask for the caller’s permission to send them to voicemails, or just inform them before transferring the call to another related department. Otherwise, random transfers will make your business look disorganized and poorly run.
Gives the “I Don’t Know” Answer
Typically, callers don’t mind if the first person to whom they contact does not offer the solution they’re seeking. What matters most to them is finding someone who can help with their issue in a convenient and timely manner. So, a receptionist who categorically declares “I don’t know” is not good for business.
Rude Service
When all a caller has to go on is the sound of a voice, a not-so-sweet tone just won’t cut it. Short, curt, and rude receptionists drive away business as customers look for a pleasant and professional calling experience. Don’t allow customers to take their business to the competitor because of a grumpy receptionist. Let a trained and professional Best Call Center virtual receptionist with a friendly disposition provide a pleasant experience that will leave every caller satisfied.
Incomplete Details
You get back from a meeting, and your receptionist gives you a message from a potential client. With much eagerness, you return the call hoping to win a new client only to learn that your receptionist got the wrong number. A receptionist who fails to get all the important details or confirm caller information is doing you a diservice.
If you’ve received complaints or have performed mystery calls and realized that your receptionist is driving away potential business, it’s time for action. The Best Call Center can come in and act as a relief for your current receptionist as you put him/her through additional training. Give our answering service a call at 800-385-4656 or visit our website to find out how our live answering services work.