I can’t understand why companies pay to advertise and either don’t answer the phone or don’t call the customer back.
Everywhere you call these days there’s another automated customer service system taking the call. Either that or you get an answering machine and are asked to leave a message so they can get back to you. Does anybody take pride in customer service anymore? All businesses start with customer service. This is the first impression for any business, so it should be something a customer will remember.
The most successful companies are the ones who are known for their excellent customer service. Usually when a customer calls a business and receives an answering machine, they’ll contact the next company and the next until they get a human on the phone. Generally the company who answers the phone will be the first choice for the job as opposed to the company who relies on an automated system or answering machine. When a customer has a swimming pool leak or structural crack, they usually don’t know where to begin so they ask their pool maintenance company, friends or neighbors for a recommendation. The pool company that cleans the pool and maintains the chemicals is just that, a maintenance company. Friends or neighbors will usually refer a company that has great communication.
You and I both know that great customer service starts with communication. How can you communicate with a customer when you have an answering service or machine answer the phone? Another method of communication is email. On the Caltech Pools website we have a form for our customers to email us with questions. If they’ve provided a phone number, we call them back as quickly as possible. If there’s no phone number, we contact them back via email as quickly as possible. It’s all about prompt communication. When a customer calls Caltech Pools during normal hours, a human being answers the phone promptly, courteously and professionally. We know that as a consumer you don’t know what to expect and that’s why when any customer calls our office, we always provide a question and answer session to find out as much as possible about the situation. In turn this informs the customer that we’re knowledgeable and giving them our undivided attention. Can’t get that done right the first time with a machine. Customer service needs to be done right the first time which in turn helps to turn out a good business relationship.
