One minute. That’s how long a majority of customers are willing to wait on hold. While phone wait times are often seen as a necessary evil, they’re worthy of a second look. Understanding customer expectations can help business owners develop strategies to combat frustration and build loyalty.
In the time it takes you to finish reading through this infographic, another minute will have passed. Will you be ready to meet the demands of your customers?
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Your Number Is:
46 – The number of seconds callers will wait before dissatisfaction begins to set in.
13 – The number of minutes a customer will stay on hold before hanging up the phone.
34 – The number of days the average person will spend on hold throughout their lifetime.
Now Serving:
6 billion – The number of cell phone calls made each day in the United States.
65 – The percentage of consumers who prefer to contact businesses via phone.
OH, NC, KT, WV, NY – The states where the most impatient callers are located.
Strategies to Try:
- Manage expectations. Keep customers in the loop by explaining how long their wait will be.
- Identify delays. Check into the sources of delays to prevent extended wait periods altogether.
- Educate customers. Prevent unnecessary traffic to your line by displaying answers to the most frequently asked questions online.
- Ongoing training. Continue to train your customer service team so they can operate at maximum efficiency.
- Invest in a call center partner. Skilled customer support specialists are always standing by to assist callers.
How a Call Center Partner Helps:
- Call overflow coverage. Roll excess calls over to your call center partner when your team gets busy.
- 24/7 availability. Offering round-the-clock coverage instead of the traditional 9-5 allows people to dial at their convenience which helps spread out calls.
- Capture data. Identify slowdowns in service by looking at big picture trends.
- Target issues. Zoom in on specific call details to pinpoint how complex conversations derail productivity rates.
- Eliminate wait times. A good call center partner can help you drastically reduce and essentially eliminate call wait times to ensure superior customer experiences.
Here are more infographics you might be interested in:
How Much Does Poor Customer Service Cost Your Business? [Infographic]
Online Brand Reputation and the Impact of Reviews on a Business [Infographic]
