Returning Phone Calls & E-mails
This week I volunteered to make some calls for my son while he was at work. One of them was to find out about a mortgage program that he keeps hearing advertised on the radio when he goes back and forth to work.
So, I called. What I got was a recording telling me that I should leave a detailed message and they’d call back.
After 2 days, and just out of oneryness, I called again. This time I said “If you want customers, why don’t you return calls?”
A few hours later I got a call back, but you know that after that kind of service my son isn’t going to use that company. No customer wants to beg someone to do business with them!
I really don’t understand this. If it happened only once in a while, I could see that maybe someone just messed up. But any more, when I make a phone call or send an inquiry by e-mail, I don’t really expect an answer.
Other people don’t either. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve returned a call from a prospective client and they’ve sounded surprised to hear from me. When I return e-mail inquiries people almost always say “Thank you for answering me.”
Since being in business means looking for and welcoming new customers and clients, why wouldn’t I answer?
And why do so many companies not bother to answer?
Posted: October 30th, 2009 under customer contact, customer relations, customer retention, customer service, marketing.
Tags: advertising, customer service, marketing