Timely engagement: the key to great customer support

These days, customer expectations are higher than ever; consumers today don’t just want good service and fair prices, they want speed - and that comes into play right from the first interaction.

There’s a lot you can do to increase visibility and attract new customers, but if you aren’t available when they need you, they’re likely to move on to their next best option. A study conducted by MIT found that the difference between waiting 5 minutes and 30 minutes to contact a lead can decrease your odds of converting them to a customer by 21 times! In such a competitive world, minutes can make the difference between success and failure.

Why timely engagement is essential

With so many options available to them, consumers are increasingly focussed on convenience when making a choice. Adjusting your business to the ever-changing expectations of your customers is crucial to success; you’ve put a ton of time and energy into establishing and growing your business - don’t let something like response times undo all of that hard work.

Being available and quick to respond can help you stand out from your local competition while demonstrating your commitment to the community you serve. However, you aren’t just competing with other local businesses - you’re up against huge companies with seemingly endless resources. They’ve got entire teams dedicated to customer service and social media, and they’re dumping resources into these teams because they know that increased availability can be a huge competitive advantage over smaller businesses in the industry.

The good news is that consumers overwhelmingly prefer supporting local businesses to big chains. A recent study from Red Egg Marketing found that an astounding 83% of consumers would rather support a local business than a large corporation - and that they’d even be willing to spend more money if they knew it was going to a local shop. On top of that, the Covid-19 further strengthened the bond between communities and the local businesses that serve them - a survey conducted by Funding Circle found that 54% of UK residents were introduced to a new independent business during lockdown. It’s clear that consumers are more inclined to support local businesses now than ever before.

Unfortunately, it’s not always that simple. Imagine coming home to find that the pipe under your kitchen sink has burst. You might want to support your local plumber, but if you cannot get a hold of them quickly you’re likely going to move on - after all, you’ve got a problem that needs fixing, and time is of the essence. Availability is vital to the success of your business - even a couple of minutes can make the difference between a new customer and a missed opportunity, and in a competitive marketplace, those missed opportunities add up quickly.  While consumers might prefer to support local businesses, at the end of the day they are looking for a solution to a problem, and typically, the faster they can find that solution, the better.

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Here at Fuzey, we believe that local businesses are the bedrock of our economy, and we’re set on helping them compete in a world where customer expectations are always changing. Our all-in-one inbox gathers all the messages you receive via text, WhatsApp, and your various social media channels - and puts them in one place so that you never have to worry about missing an opportunity. With desktop and mobile versions, you’ll always be available when your customers need you most!

Discover our platform at www.getfuzey.com or book a demo with our team to see Fuzey in action.

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