Customer Experience: 3 Compelling Reasons to Pick Up the Phone vs. Sending an Email
Who actually uses their phone, as an actual phone? Do you find yourself leaving voice texts when you could have just dialed someone and had an “actual” conversation with them? Does your desk phone just sit on your desk, collecting dust, while your keyboard clacks away as you send out copious amounts of emails and await their replies? Listen, we know that the way people do business these days has changed, but we think that using the phone, as it was designed, is a bit of a lost art; but one that’s not lost on us. Let’s look at 3 compelling reasons to pick up the phone vs. sending an email.
But first let’s look at some interesting statistics:
- Phone calls are 10x more likely to lead to sales (according to BIA Advisory Services)
- Research by UCLA psychology professor emeritus Albert Mehrabian found that 7 percent of a message was derived from the words, 38 percent from the intonation, and 55 percent from the facial expression or body language.
- Americans spend about 26 minutes a day texting. That compares to spending about six minutes a day on voice calls.
Here are 3 compelling reasons to pick up the phone vs. sending an email
When you’ve made a mistake
We all make them. We hate to, especially in business, but it happens. If you or your company has messed up, pick up the phone and call your client. Own it. Get real with them over the phone. And most definitely have a solution. Be sure of what you’re going to say to them before you pick up the phone, know what your solution is, and then take a few deep breaths. Making a human connection about something so human as a mistake helps to foster a better relationship with your client in the end.
When you know there will be a lot of questions
If there is something that you know your customer will have a lot of questions about, or that you have a lot of questions for your customer about, then most definitely have a phone conversation. You could spend 30 minutes to an hour in intentional dialogue with them over the phone vs an entire day or more going back and forth asking and answering questions. And by all means, if what you thought was an easy conversation to have via email but it starts to suck the life out of you (and most likely your customer) go ahead and ask to take it offline and if you can give them a call. You’ll both breathe easier.
When you’ve taken too long to respond
It happens to the best of us. You get an email. You briefly read it but don’t have a chance to reply in the moment. So then we mark it unread, and there it sits, underneath all the other emails that have come in. The next thing you know, you’re getting that punched in the stomach feeling because you remember that you haven’t replied to the unread message from 3 days ago. It most definitely makes sense at this point to pick up the phone and connect with the sender. It shows them that they are a priority and that it’s important to you to address their needs.
Superior service often means picking up the phone
As a general services contractor for trade shows and events, we are managing several aspects of the show for our clients all at the same time. There are so many balls up in the air at the same time that we HAVE to be on our toes. Often, we don’t have the luxury of waiting for an email reply in order to keep things moving. We most definitely rely on phone calls to get quick answers, dig deeper into complex issues or challenges, and to ensure that our clients are doing alright and feel taken care of.
If you want to find out more about what it’s like to be supported by us at your next event, give us a call today!