The way that a brand communicates with its customers is integral to its ongoing success, yet so many companies drop the ball when it comes to the telephony experiences they offer.
Our experience tells us there are two glaring mistakes that brands make when mapping out their customer journeys – if they’ve taken the time to do it at all:
- They believe the customer experience starts from the moment the caller reaches an agent, as opposed to the moment they dial the number
- They fail to create scripts in line with the company’s Tone of Voice
To highlight some potential pitfalls, here is a list of the top 10 things that callers just hate to hear.
| What you say | What your callers feel |
|---|---|
| Your call is important to us | If it was, I wouldn’t be on hold |
| Sorry for the delay (or any apology) |
I have a right to be annoyed |
| Press number 9 to . . . | How many options?! |
| Beep-beep. Beep-beep. Beep-beep. | What, not even a message?! |
| Please hold. [Cue elevator music] | This music is terrible |
| To speak to an advisor, please pre–[dead line] |
You did not just cut me off! |
| For calls of this nature, visit our website. Goodbye. |
At least give me an option |
| Your call will be answered shortly | You’ve said that 8 minutes ago |
| Jargon, jargon, jargon. | Blah, blah, blah. |
| We have exceptionally high call volumes | Then hire more staff |
A successful telephone journey is one that is short and easy to understand. It should lead the caller to where they need to go on the first attempt, and put them in the best possible frame of mind when the time comes to connect with your agent. Should any of this fall down, then you can be sure to expect some very unhappy callers.
The truth is, nobody likes being on hold, but sometimes it’s necessary. On hold times will always be forgiven, though, providing you can show you have the callers’ best interest at heart.
Want us to rate your telephone journey? Simply [email protected] or give us a call on 03333 220 022 to find out how we can help your business.
