In the business world, there are a plethora of tools and resources that you can utilize to give your company the upper hand in your respective industry.
One effective tool you can use for your marketing and customer service efforts is an inbound phone number. Most countries have their own inbound phone number area code, but in Australia, one of the most common ones is called a 1300 number.
This number is a special point of contact that customers use to contact Australian organizations. They’re typically used when customers want to inquire to a company about specific services or other business-related transactions.
Besides its primary function of connecting these two parties, a 1300 number is a wonderful tool that can help boost operational efficiency and conduct marketing efforts.
However, the customer service team undoubtedly benefits the most from this tool. This is due to the 1300 number’s ability to handle a wide range of calls and its insight-packed analytics dashboard.
Need more convincing? We got you! Here are some reasons why getting a 1300 number can be excellent for your customer service operations.
Let’s get into it.
Increases Business Accessibility
One perk of a 1300 number for Australian businesses is that it allows your business to be easily contacted from anywhere in Australia.
With a personal phone number, customers are required to pay additional toll charges if they’re calling from a different territory. On top of that, the longer the call time, the higher the charge.
Melbourne-based individuals will be charged higher when calling a personal phone number from Sydney, and vice versa.
This can discourage them from contacting your business, which can lead to reduced customer satisfaction and engagement. Customers aren’t exactly keen on spending an expensive call rate on most vague inquiries, after all.
With a 1300 number service with Telcoworks or other similar providers, however, you don’t have to deal with that dilemma.
This number allows every phone line nationwide to contact you with a local toll rate. In turn, this can help you increase your customer base substantially, which can lead to increased sales and a boost in revenue.
With more people willing to call your business, you can help resolve more issues and become more aware of customer issues beyond your state. This can lead to improvements in customer satisfaction and a more informed decision-making process when the time comes to make new business decisions overall.
Looks Professional
It’s reasonable to believe that customers feel more at ease when dealing with businesses that are credible and reputed in their local community.
Besides possessing the standard business documents that legitimize your company, having a 1300 number can also give the impression that your business is an upstanding and serious one.
This can be a good differentiating factor for customers weighing multiple options in their pool of possible contacts.
If your competitors don’t have a 1300 number while you do, this can be a massive advantage that can tip the scales your way.
Similarly, if your competitors have the number code while you don’t, having one keeps you competitive if customers do decide to contact you via phone line.
In short, a 1300 number can give a professional impression of your business. This reinforces a good image of your company to your customers, making them more likely to contact your business and look at it with high regard.
Easy to Remember
Customers want convenience in all forms, and having a hard-to-remember phone number can be quite inconvenient. So much so that they may just take their business elsewhere.
With a 1300 number, you’re doing away with the hassle of a jumble of numbers. This can be done through utilizing a vanity number, or a number that doubles as a word or phrase.
For instance, your bouquet creation services can be spelled as 1300-FLOW-ER4U or something similar.
You can see whether such a number is available by contacting a provider. If it’s not, they’ll be pleased to give you a list of potential alternatives that are available.
In making your phone number easier to remember, you’re helping your business become easy to remember. This not only makes it easier for them to type it out when first prompted, but it can also put your business at the top of their mind if ever they need your product or service.
Provides Insights on Customer Data
Customer data is crucial for businesses to know who composes the bulk of their main revenue sources.
This can help them create better marketing materials that can resonate with this particular demographic, as well as develop better products and services that may help these people even more.
A personal phone number’s information is limited to just a phone number, the caller’s location, and the call length, more often than not. This is nowhere near enough to make something out of.
On the other hand, a 1300 number has vastly more robust features. It contains detailed analytics on customer behavior, such as their location, past call logs, and the caller ID name.
But most impressively, the call management features of 1300 numbers also log the call record of previous calls. This allows the team to track and note common patterns and trends among customer inquiries. These data points can also be visually presented to you through insight reports.
If you want to get a good grasp of your ongoing customer base, you should get a 1300 number, and stat. This can give you informative insights into who your customer persona is, which your team can leverage to provide better customer service and products at large.
Tracks Individual Agent’s Performance
The call management software built-in to 1300 numbers isn’t only for tracking your customers. They’re also good for gaining insights into your customer service’s performance.
This software offers detailed metrics on agent’s individual performance. These metrics include average call duration, first-call resolution time, call volume, average response time, call abandonment rate, and many others.
These quantitative data points help you gauge a customer agent’s performance and compare it against expected measures. If there’s a trend of underperformance or overperformance, your team can act appropriately to handle it, whether by rewarding them or providing new training sessions.
With a 1300 number, you’ll have substantial evidence of your team’s ability to carry out their designated task. This can foster a culture of good standards and continuous improvement, which can make customer experiences more likely to be a positive experience.
Scalable According to Business Needs
Another neat aspect of a 1300 number is its unique scalability.
Your business can expand and take in more calls (at a higher rate) or downsize when they see fit with relative ease. This is all done through the software itself. The provider can accommodate these changes easily, no questions asked.
This is simply not possible with a personal phone number, as you’re likely tied to an annual contract with rigid conditions.
The added flexibility is great for companies to remain financially robust and adaptable. This can allow you to expand (or downsize) your customer service team’s numbers with minimal friction on the technological side of things.
Scalability isn’t only about growing your team. You can also answer calls from anywhere with this number.
You don’t need to be glued to that telephone line in your office. A 1300 number can be configured to allow you to pick up calls from anywhere in Australia, even if your caller is thousands of miles away.
It also allows you to hire CS teams from different geographical areas and just need them to connect to your line. This makes scaling a business and tapping into the best talents all the more possible.
No Downtime
Enjoy being hung up on? Or being met with a busy line when calling someone? Yeah, us neither.
If you’re using a personal phone number, you’re limiting the operating hours to your and your phone’s availability. So if you so happen to be in another room while the phone is ringing, or if you’re in another call, then you could very well miss out on an opportunity to retain a customer.
With a 1300 number, this won’t be a problem. You can reroute this phone line to multiple customer service agents, ensuring that all answers are being handled on time and with complete focus. With it, you’ll no longer experience operational bottlenecks, which can help you improve your customer service delivery and your reputation in general.
