Why You Need a Small Business Phone Service

As a startup or a small business owner, you have to be very particular about all of your spending. Investing in a small business phone service might seem like an enterprise luxury. However, statistics show that the ROI a small business phone service such as VoIP can offer makes the small upfront investment a financially viable one. The fact is that businesses have been noticing savings between 50 and 75% by switching to VoIP. Dell was able to see a cutback of $39.5 million when they shifted to VoIP. In addition, they decreased their carbon pollution output because they could let its workforce take advantage of telecommuting. It’s not just the big companies that benefit from VoIP usage. Smaller companies have also been enjoying cost reductions and rich calling features since the last decade. In this article, we'll talk about some VoIP statistics that prove you need a small business phone service. Are you a small business owner and not sure where to begin? Check out our VoIP guide for small businesses.

Statistics: customers still like to pick up their phones

Invoca, a call intelligence and analytics company, compiled a report that exposed a lot of revealing VoIP statistics. One of the most striking ones was that around 65% of all surveyed customers still consider calling by telephone to be the best way to contact a business. The survey included situations where a customer can purchase or book online without requiring any human intervention. The report is based on an analysis of over 50 million phone calls. Only 24% of the surveyed people claimed that they were happy with a simple web form allowing them to get their favorite products or subscriptions. Moreover, 63% of the users bought offline after conducting a thorough online search. Invoca's Call Intelligence Index also confirmed that digital marketing channels are the greatest drivers for calls made to companies. Around 70% of the people surveyed made use of "click to call" functions. Mobile search accounts for a whopping 48% of the total call volume. Meanwhile, desktop searches account for 17% of all the calls made. Another thought-provoking finding of the report is that the average call lasted for 4 minutes and 52 seconds. This implies that a majority of the callers were great prospects who were interested in making a purchase.

The importance of phone calls

According to research, on an average workday, a CEO spends a quarter of their time on either public events or phone calls. The research further indicates that they spend the greatest amount of their time in meetings. In the modern world, you can only imagine how many of these meetings are spent on the phone. This goes to show that even though there are many different channels for communication and marketing available, phone calls are still just as important as they were a decade ago. Trust one of our recommended brands, such as Vonage, with your important customer phone calls.

Customers desire phone support

NewVoiceMedia, a cloud services company, conducted a survey with the objective to find the most effective means of customer support in the US. Their statistics revealed that a staggering 75% of all respondents believe phone support is still the best way to get a response from a company. This makes sense. Suppose that your favorite application has stopped working. Of course, you want a fix to this problem as soon as possible. No matter how quick the company’s email response team might be, they can’t emulate the type of responsiveness that can be achieved by being in direct vocal conversation with a customer agent. In this sense, a small business phone service, such as 8x8, is more effective than even an accessible online form. Phone customer support offers a level of importance and effectiveness that can't be imitated. A 2009 study conducted by Forrester proved this fact. Around 69% of respondents claimed that their satisfaction is at the highest when they talk to a support agent on the phone. Respondents were less satisfied when hearing from them via emails or reading FAQ pages.

The power of human care

A study conducted by American Express analyzed varying customer attitudes towards different business customer support efforts. Around 38% of the surveyed people claimed they'd prefer to speak with an agent by phone. They desire this when they have a complex request or inquiry. This would include something like product returns or installation assistance. Moreover, almost half (46%) of the respondents said that they prefer talking to a person for requests, like complaints or disputing a charge. Even with a simple request or inquiry, 16% of the customers still preferred talking to a real person. This is despite the answers being easily available via the business's website. If you want to run a business that values customer satisfaction, you need to have a reliable small business phone service. RingCentral is another great option for those looking to improve customer service with a small business phone service.

Final word

No matter how booming your small business might be, you have to think twice before making an investment. However, when it comes to a top-of-the-line VoIP phone service, the return that you get on the meager upfront investment is handsome enough to convince you to set up a small business phone service. Owning a VoIP solution can go a long way. It enhances the efficiency and productivity of a workforce along with levels of customer satisfaction.