In an episode of the popular TV show Community, one character references another (older) character’s age by saying, “She still uses her phone as a phone!” With so many communication options available—text, email, social media messaging, etc.—it would appear that actual phone calls are obsolete. But while most people today rely almost solely on those aforementioned alternatives, phone calls remain incredibly relevant.
This is especially true for businesses. In fact, 95% of businesses say voice interactions are important for customer engagement and revenue generation. And every one of those conversations contains valuable customer insights. Conversation intelligence software reveals those insights to help improve business processes. Given that information, here are three reasons why voice conversations are still important, especially for turning a profit.
Establish a Human Connection
Although text messaging and emails have become incredibly prevalent, studies show 75% of people prefer speaking with a live person over automated tools like chat. Consumers value a human connection, and this is especially true when connecting to a business or brand. In fact, more people are willing to purchase from businesses that provide live agent assistance. Perhaps this is why many businesses today emphasize that their customers will reach a person, not a machine, when they call.
Resolve Complicated Problems
Most companies offer easy ways to get information, such as an FAQ section on a website, to help people quickly find solutions to common issues. But sometimes customers require more than an online tool when they’re looking for assistance. Talking to an actual person has many advantages when resolving issues.
Human beings understand the nuances of a complicated problem, whereas an automated service tends to create more frustration. Talking to a customer service agent also increases the odds of fully resolving customer complaints. All of this vastly improves the customer experience and increases the odds of turning a frustrated customer into a repeat customer.
Provide Fast and Effective Assistance
People want (and expect) fast and effective help from businesses. The majority of people believe phone calls have the quickest response times, compared to email and chat. Emails are often deleted or go into a junk folder, leaving the customer waiting too long for an answer. Even chat can feel slow at times. However, a phone call reaches a business quickly, and most customers feel that speaking with a live person will increase the chances of getting an answer or resolving a problem.
Clearly voice conversations are still important. And conversation intelligence software tools, such as automated call transcriptions, agent scorecards, and sentiment analysis, enhance each conversation’s value. These features reveal common trends, customer pain points, and agent performance levels within every call. Businesses can then use this data to improve both agent training and the customer experience.
Conversation Intelligence Software for Businesses
Bottom line for businesses: phone conversations have definitely not gone the way of the dodo. They are very much alive and well! And conversation intelligence software can help you make the most of the insights hidden in everyday interactions. Check out CallFinder’s speech analytics features to learn more.
