Deploying an Answering Service to Solicit Customer Feedback

The adage “ignorance is bliss” may be applicable in some situations, but when it comes to customer service, the sentiment could not be further from the truth.

As account sales expert Tom Searcy relates in a recent article for Inc.com, he was once flying first class on an airplane when the captain came over the intercom to tell the passengers how important their comfort was to the airline. He then provided a series of paper, electronic and in-person outlets for customers to file issues and grievances.

After hearing the announcement, Searcy remembers that he felt like he would be taken good care of on the flight, that the airline valued his happiness and that if there was an issue he could resolve it right then and there without having to file an angry complaint.

As such, the crux of Searcy’s story is that businesses cannot just wait for consumers to tell them how operations can be improved. By contrast, they must proactively go out and seek feedback from customers to facilitate optimal satisfaction and loyalty.

One extremely cost-effective way to execute upon this notion is hiring a certified third-party answering service. With a large and adaptable staff of customer service representatives, an answering service can be trained to solicit specialized feedback in every customer correspondence whether it’s through a phone call, text message, fax, e-mail or other channels.

Consequently, businesses that deploy this tactic will be able to successfully relay to customers that they have an open-door policy, and will go above and beyond to ensure that the customer has easily-accessible channels to make suggestions and see their feedback being mobilized into action.

Moreover, because answering service clients only pay for time actually spent fielding inquiries, processing orders and relaying messages, this option is far more cost-effective – especially for small businesses – than an in-house service staff.