The global Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services market is expected to swell to$140 billion by 2021 — up from $83 billion in 2015. Mobile VoIP and less reliance on traditional landlines are just two factors fueling this astronomical growth. Now, more companies see the benefits of VOIP for customer service and are investing in VoIP to optimize their customer service processes. This technology lets businesses answer more calls, communicate with customers 24 hours a day and save money.
VoIP Lets Companies Answer More Calls
With VoIP, no calls go unanswered. These systems come with call forwarding technology, which routes an incoming call to the right customer service professional. This allows businesses to solve customer service issues as they happen. Organizations can reduce errors and appease disgruntled customers.
Companies can even outsource customer service functions to a third party in a different timezone. As a result, consumers are able to speak to a customer service professional at any time of the day or night.
VoIP maximizes customer service productivity. As less time is wasted on voicemail and calling back customers, employees are able to answer more calls. Companies with a unified communications solution save 191 hours a day and 49,660 hours a year, according to research.
VoIP Lets Businesses Engage With Customers
Customer service is crucial for any business. By 2020, it will overtake price and product as the number one brand differentiator. In addition, 86 percent of consumers will pay more for a better customer experience.
VoIP helps businesses who struggle with customer service. This technology integrates with customer service software platforms to enhance the customer experience. When a consumer contacts a company, staff can pull up their details and check previous interactions. Employees can update this information in real-time.
Unlike traditional landlines, employees have more information about customers at their fingertips. As a result, staff can resolve problems in a quicker time frame and prevent customer complaints from escalating into major disputes. VoIP lets businesses communicate with their customers 24 hours a day.
It’s not just voice calls, either. With some VoIP services, businesses can communicate with customers through SMS and social media platforms like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger.
VoIP Saves Companies Money on Customer Service Management
VoIP also provides businesses with numerous cost savings. Customer service staff can work from home, for example, something that could save companies thousands of dollars a year. Businesses who let workers telecommute fulfill their customer service objectives and reduce overheads — office supplies, utilities, staff expenditure, etc. — at the same time. Computer technology company Dell saved $39.5 million and reduced energy emissions by allowing their workers to telecommute.
Businesses also save money on expensive telephone bills. Instead of communicating with customers through traditional landlines, companies can use VoIP services to resolve problems and complaints. Sending voice data over the internet is much cheaper than making a call from a landline. Average monthly VoIP costs are just $25, compared to $50 for landlines, according to one study. Moreover, some businesses can save as much as 75 percent when they make the switch from landline services to VoIP.
VoIP is a powerful communication tool for customer service. This technology lets businesses answer more calls, engage with more customers and save more money. To find out more about how your company can invest in VoIP and improve your customer service processes contact us today for a Free Consultation.