Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Crazy idea = “Wow” customer service!

Despite my best efforts to answer every phone call, I have missed a couple of calls since my last blog (Let it go to voice mail. No big deal, right? Think again!).

I used to think that a missed call with no voice mail obviously wasn’t very important. If it was important, the caller would have left a message, right? But, after the RentLinx study revealed that 80% of people who get voice mail hang up, I started rethinking my assumption. How can those 80% of missed calls not be important?

So, I got this crazy idea. What if I called the person who just hung up? I checked our phone log, looked up the caller’s number, got ready to dial and --- I hesitated. Would I be met with hostility? Indifference? Irritation? After all, this person hadn’t left a message.

I took a deep breath, dialed the number, and said: “Hi, this is Amanda from RentLinx. I’m sorry I missed your call a few minutes ago. May I help you?”

Guess what? She was thrilled that I had called her! Thrilled! I answered her question and she said “Wow, what great customer service!”

I’ve done this a few more times since, and every time, I get the same reaction: “Wow!”

Try it! Call someone who hung up without leaving you a message. Then, let me know what happens!

Amanda Schneider

2 Comments:

Blogger Dick and Carole Schneider said...

I couldn't agree with you more. Even if they leave a message, by the time you get back with them, another firm may have already provided the service they seek. I love your idea. Wish we had had caller ID in modis days! To this day, I can't intentionally let a call go to voicemail! Have fun in NOLA.

Carole

3:18 PM  
Anonymous Tim Norris said...

Nice idea, Amanda! Hope all is well at RentLinx, by the way...

12:01 PM  

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