The short answer is this: At least 32 percent of our sales result from answering the phone after hours. Can you afford to let this much business slip through your fingers?
Just answer it
People frequently ask why our store is so busy. That’s easy: We answer the damn phone. In person, not with a recording or an automated system. After hours, calls are forwarded to one of our cellphones.
Phone companies and others will tell you that by adding an automated phone system — the kind that asks callers to select from a preset menu — your business will appear more modern and technologically savvy. They will tell you this will attract customers. We find the opposite is true.
Potential customers who call you do so because they researched your business first. In so doing, they decided it was worth their time and effort to call. We owe it to them to have a live human being answer the phone.
Doing this has had a huge impact on our business. It tells customers we are:
- Available.
- Interested in assisting them.
- Eager to foster an immediate sense of trust.
It further lets customers know we are there to:
- Answer their questions.
- Give them sound advice.
- Make their purchase one they won’t regret.
When asked to choose between a competitor who makes them play the automated-phone-line game and a friendly voice who answers the phone quickly, the choice is easy.
“I’m sorry. I will call back.”’
Customers who call after hours frequently tell us, “Oh, I didn’t realize you were closed. I didn’t mean to bother you. I will just call back tomorrow.” Let’s think about this.
- Your customer called when they did because that was when they had an interest. Capitalize on that interest and you will gain customers. Ignore it and you will lose sales.
- My response is always the same. That is, “You didn’t bother me. I have all calls forwarded to my phone when we are closed. This is so I can answer questions from customers like you and help them make the right decision for their diving needs.”
Saying this changes the conversation every single time. The customer doesn’t feel defensive about a purchase just because the store is closed.
In our experience, these customers respect the time you spend with them. It makes their decisions easy.
- You took the time to answer questions after hours but didn’t force them to make a purchase.
- Competitors simply closed the doors, turned on the answering machine and didn’t start caring again until they were on the clock.
A customer’s initial perception of your business is hard to change. It is up to you to make it a good one.
“I can’t wait…”
Answering the phone after hours almost always ends the same. That is, “Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions. I can’t wait to call or come in tomorrow and make a purchase.”
This is the kind of response you want. Of course, just because a customer says he will call back tomorrow doesn’t mean he will. Prospective customers can get busy, forget or change their minds. How can you prevent this?
- First-time customers are usually interested in classes. We tell them they needn’t wait. They can sign up and pay for any class we offer on our website 24/7. You should be able to do the same.
- If the customer says he will come into the store, ask him what time. Let them know you will be ready and waiting for him.
- If a customer says he will call tomorrow, offer to call him instead and ask what time is most convenient.
Whatever you do, don’t hang up until you get either a phone number or email from the customer. Otherwise, they can be lost forever.
Grateful customers? Priceless.
When you take the time to answer after-hours calls, you create grateful customers. These add value to your business. They are more open to your guidance regarding what gear to purchase and what future classes will make them better divers.
These customers also are walking advertisements for your business. Any time a friend or loved one mentions they are looking for classes, trips or gear, your customers will refer them to you.
All of this because you took ten minutes out of your day to answer the phone after the shop was closed.
Kary L McNeal III is the owner of Aquatic Ventures, a small, low-overhead dive center in Fort Lauderdale that nevertheless manages to certify more divers every year than just about anyone else in South Florida. His sales reflect this, too. In our estimation, Kary must be doing something right