Each generation has its own communication channel preferences. This is an opportunity for proactive companies, but a major threat for reactive ones. Find out why and how to adapt to the different generations to ensure your company’s growth and longevity.

Most customers have a smartphone in their pocket, which they carry everywhere and use to communicate at all times. Their phones enable them to communicate via different channels, according to their preferences. For example, calls, e-mails, text messages and chats such as Facebook messenger and SnapChat. Every generation wants to be served on their preferred channel. That’s why your company needs to adapt its communications to each target audience.

An overwhelming majority of Canadians aged 15 to 44 (96%) said they would have a smartphone by 2020, as did most Canadians aged 45 to 64 (87%). The proportion of seniors who reported owning a smartphone rose from 43% in 2018 to 54% in 2020.

Reference: https://www.statcan.gc.ca/o1/fr/plus/3582-le-telephone-filaire-fait-place-au-telephone-intelligent

Each generation has its own communication preferences

Indeed, each age group has its own communication preferences, which means that companies need to adapt their communication style quickly to remain attractive to each generation they serve. Companies can’t afford to generalize their communications, as they risk driving away certain generations and losing important revenues. The telephone is still attractive to some, but repugnant to others. So we have to be on the lookout and adapt.

Generations in brief

• Baby Boomers – 1945 – 1964
• Generation X – 1965 – 1980
• Millennials – 1981 – 1996
• Zoomers (Gen Z) – 1996 – 2012

Generation Z, also known as Zoomers, hate calls

80% of them say they use social media to communicate via an application on their phone. They also appreciate face-to-face communication.

Millennials / Gen Y prefer texting because phones make them anxious

The report reveals that 88% of Millennials prefer texting to phone calls, and 52% feel anxious when taking a phone call.

Millennials greatly appreciate the non-intrusiveness of SMS communication. According to a hypothesis posed by OpenMarket, if given the choice between an SMS phone and a voice-only phone, 75% of millennials would opt for the SMS phone.

Reference : https://answernet.com/blog-generations-styles-communication/

Millennials / Gen Y like to communicate at their convenience without interruption

Text messaging enables asynchronous communication, giving each party the chance to communicate whenever they want without interruption. 90% of millennials read any new text message within 90 seconds of receiving it.

La Génération X préfère un appel ou un courriel

50% of Gen Xers say they prefer a phone call, and the other 50% of this same generation prefer e-mail to communicate with a company.

Boomers find text messages boring

Obviously, Boomers prefer face-to-face communication or a phone call. However, the Covid crisis has spurred Boomers’ interest in using text messaging to communicate. No doubt Boomers have been forced to adapt to communicating with younger generations. Even so, Boomers find text messages boring.

Every generation wants a personalized experience

Overall, consumers want personalized communications and experiences from brands with which they have a relationship and to which they are loyal. 88% of Millennials share this desire, followed by 87% of Gen Z and 82% of Gen X. At 77%, Boomers also show a strong desire for individual recognition from companies.

Reference : https://www.forbes.com/sites/paultalbot/2021/11/11/how-marketers-can-engage-with-different-generations/#:~:text=In%20fact%2C%20all%20generations%20except,outpacing%20Gen%20X%20at%2053%25.

Your company needs to adapt now

Your company needs to know its customers and their communication preferences. Even today, very few companies offer text messaging to their customers. Most of them still use the telephone and e-mail, which turn off generations Z and Y. This limits their ability to attract and serve younger generations. This limits their ability to attract and serve younger generations. On the other hand, it’s an opportunity for proactive companies who want to capture market share from their competitors.

Is your company ready to adapt to the new generations?
Discover the Fresk Smart Cloud Phone that lets you adapt your communications to every generation.

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The average percentage of missed calls during working hours in dental practices is 30%. The average number of calls per secretary in a clinic is approximately 100 calls per week. This means that during working hours alone, 30 calls a week are missed. The statistical average of people leaving messages today is just 20%. This is largely due to the influence of smartphones, which allow you to text or leave an audio message directly. Dialing a number, then entering a code, then listening to an answering machine to listen to messages, is time-consuming and no longer useful with the evolution of telephones. This explains the low rate of messages left on missed calls. A missed call without a message represents a major risk of loss of revenue and reputation for the company.

Revenue losses due to major missed calls. If the average dental clinic misses 30 calls a week and only 20% of them leave a message, this means that 6 calls will be answered thanks to the message obtained, and the other 24 calls may not be returned.

This has a negative impact on customer satisfaction, and greatly increases the risk of missing out on potential new customers. With the average cost of a dental appointment ranging from $150 to $300, imagine that only 20% of these 24 lost calls represent new customers, for a total of 4.8 customers per week at an average value of $175 each. We’re talking about a loss of revenue opportunities of $875 per week, not counting the loss of existing customers who may call elsewhere out of discouragement. In addition to the loss of revenue, this tarnishes the company’s reputation. Imagine the loss in the case of a specialist dentist such as an orthodontist, for example, where the price of a treatment varies between $8,000 and $10,000. What if we miss a call from a parent with 3 children who need orthodontics? Losses mount very quickly.

Not only are dental clinics suffering from frustrating missed calls, but restaurateurs are also paying the price. The Journal de Québec article mentions that restorers are now faced with a very large number of missed calls on a daily basis. The lack of manpower, competition and low customer tolerance mean that missed calls lead customers to another restaurant. The article mentions that some restaurateurs lose $140,000 a year due to missed calls. It mentions that the Talk Soon tool can handle these missed calls via text message, as can Fresk software.

Most company directors and managers don’t have a view or statistics on missed calls. It’s a blind spot that’s hard to manage, and especially hard to quantify if you don’t have the tools to do so. Fortunately, a number of software programs are now available to counter these notorious missed calls and protect contractors’ blind spots, including Fresk.

Solutions such as Fresk can take care of these missed calls and counter the negative impacts in all types of businesses. IP telephony, the power of the cloud and the use of text messaging in business can limit the vast majority of these financial losses, as well as protecting your reputation.

Fresk software takes care of your missed calls using text messages to minimize friction and keep the opportunity with your company, not a competitor. Fresk software tells the customer that we’re unavailable, asks to set a good time to return the call, or tells them to text the request directly and that the company will respond as soon as possible.

In this way, the customer receives an immediate response from the company apologizing for its unavailability. As the saying goes, “A fault confessed is half forgiven!” It allows the customer to write their request immediately or receive a phone call at their convenience. Fresk immediately reduces frustration, response time and forces a response from the customer, as well as issuing a reminder as soon as possible.

Fresk software connects to your existing analog or VoIP phones, and handles missed calls after a defined number of unanswered tones. It gives your teams access to a text message communication interface to keep track of customers whose calls have been missed.

Fresk allows you to centralize your telephone communications, text messages and e-mails in one place. Don’t lose any more communication history, and make sure all your customers are taken care of on short notice, even if you’re not available.

Try Fresk today to protect your revenue and your reputation.

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Employees who are in contact with customers from the very first contact with your company play a vital role in developing customer relations.

It’s essential to recruit, train and evaluate these service employees to ensure quality of service and customer retention. One false step and your customer leaves for the competitor, not to mention telling his or her network.

 

Generations Z and Millennials are very demanding and do not tolerate any imperfections in the treatment they receive. Companies are walking on eggshells, and must ensure that they respond to this clientele at every moment of truth.

Customer service employees are often overlooked, and experience major difficulties. It’s important to realize that their role is key to the company’s success. A lost customer is very costly. And the price is even higher with the speed of the Internet and social networks, which allow people to express themselves to a

listening audience. The word-of-mouth effect is no longer the same as in previous years.

• 4% of customers openly communicate their dissatisfaction.
• 96% of dissatisfied customers leave the organization without saying a word.
• 91% of these will never return.
• A dissatisfied customer expresses his dissatisfaction to an average of 8 to 10 people.
• One dissatisfied customer in 5 tells 20 people.

Your employees influence customers’ perceptions of the quality of the services your company provides. Knowing the quality of the service you offer is necessary to protect your most valuable asset, your customers and your employees.

 

It’s no more pleasant for an employee to be in conflict or to be treated badly by a customer who is disappointed or frustrated by poor service. This causes fatigue, discouragement and burnout among your employees. The vicious circle begins as you lose manpower, have to recruit new people with no experience, and once again reduce the quality of the customer service you offer. And it’s not the employee’s fault; it’s your responsibility to train, support and evaluate them, to help them progress and achieve their full potential.

So you have to ask yourself, are my customer service employees well equipped to perform and ensure a good first impression at all times?

In many cases, service staff have an outdated computer with a small screen and a non-ergonomic position. Not to mention an e-mail box full of junk mail, an uncomfortable plastic phone that’s probably analog, and so on.

It’s time to update your employees’ toolbox:

• high-performance computer
• A minimum 26-inch screen or two 23-inch screens.
• Ergonomic keyboard and mouse
• Unified communications software (integrated calls, e-mails and text messages)
• A high-quality ergonomic task chair

Why not check the ergonomics of your workstation with an occupational therapist. This will reassure your employees of your concern for their health and comfort. It’s hard to ask people to perform if you don’t make an effort to equip them properly.

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Find out more about this simple process, which is sometimes slowed down by some telecom companies wanting to slow down your departure.

Telephony tools have come a long way in recent years. A simple VoIP phone is somewhat outdated. Your company needs a much more powerful communications tool to support its growth and ensure its continuity.

What does it mean to “port” or transfer your business phone number?

“Porting” is the act of transferring your business number from one provider to another.
This action allows you to keep your telephone number known to your customers and avoid having to communicate a new number at the risk of losing customers. Also, you don’t have to make any changes to your website, brochures and various directories where your company is listed.

For example, when you want to “port” your business phone number to Fresk, it shouldn’t take more than 3 to 5 days. However, large telecommunications companies can take up to 6 weeks.

You can initiate your transfer request directly through your Fresk account or via our website www.fresk.app.

Do not cancel your telephony service provider, as you will not be able to “port” or transfer your company telephone number afterwards.

Types of phone numbers that can be ported

All telephone numbers can be ported. Under no circumstances can your provider prevent you from porting your number. This is your right, guaranteed by the CRTC and explained here.

Office landline

You can transfer your local landline business number from one provider to another, as long as you live in the same geographic area. This method is called LNP for local number portability, managed by the Canadian Number Portability Administration Center.

The transfer service is free as long as you are at the end of your contract.

• If you wish to transfer a single number, this is a Category A Porting transfer.
• If you need to transfer several landline numbers from local numbers, this is considered a category C porting transfer (“complex porting”). Most companies are in category C.

 

Steps to transfer or port your business telephone number

Find your telephony provider

This can be a VoIP (voice over internet protocol) provider.)
The advantage of VoIP phones is that they allow you to have cloud-based systems and unified communications, which means you can “unify” several communication channels including “phone, email and text message” and sometimes instant video and secure file exchange.

For example, Fresk is a UCaaS, or “Unified communication as a service”, a platform that allows you not only to call, but also to send text messages with your company number, synchronize emails and other instant messaging systems, and send secure documents.

Fresk is a VoIP telephony system that adds a layer of intelligence via cloud-based software that can draw on computing power, artificial intelligence and databases.

You can then communicate from the device of your choice, ranging from a desktop phone, laptop or fixed computer, tablet and mobile via the mobile application.

Gathering your information to transfer your phone

The first thing is to sign the transfer authorization (CA) and authenticate yourself to make sure you are the owner of the phone number to be “ported” to another operator. If you have several telephone numbers to “port”, indicate them in your authorization letter.

Normally, you’ll need to provide your first and last name, the company name and business address, and a list of the telephone numbers you wish to port. – to carry. You must also submit a copy of your telephone bill from your current provider.

• When you call, indicate immediately that you wish to transfer your telephone number.
• When you call your current provider, indicate immediately that you are calling to transfer your number. They will then be able to transfer you to the right department, otherwise your requests will be incomprehensible to customer service.

Request a CSR, your customer service record

Speed up the process by asking your current supplier for a Customer Service Record (CSR). It contains all the information you need for your transfer. Normally, this simplifies the transfer.

Confirm your subscription with your new supplier

Once you’ve done this, you’re ready to choose your new telephony plan with your new provider. The Fresk team is available to help you at any time.

Confirm your phone number transfer with your new provider and initiate the transfer

To have your phone number ported, you need to make the request. Your letter of authorization and invoice allow your new provider to initiate the request with your current provider.

Normally, the transfer should not cause any interruption in telephony service if your Fresk devices and accounts are already installed and operating with temporary numbers. Once the transfer is complete, Fresk automatically takes over, your new devices and accounts start ringing, and you can make calls via Fresk too. Your teams have also been trained in advance by Fresk experts.

Fresk’s 24-hour transfer team – number porting

As soon as your number is ported, our satisfaction team calls your team for immediate follow-up within your business hours.

Call to make sure your account is closed

Your previous provider will automatically close their service with you. It’s important to contact your former provider to make sure everything is canceled to avoid charges.

Maintain the contract with your former supplier to spread the load

If you wish to maintain payment of your contract, simply request another number and pay your service charges until your contract expires.

The Fresk team is available to support you throughout the porting process. There are no associated costs.
We look forward to counting you among our customers, and to offering you a tool that’s far more powerful than a simple desk phone.

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It’s important to remember that your customers are your main source of income, and this is essential to the long-term survival of your business. Meeting your customers’ requirements is the key to your company’s future. Responding quickly to your customers makes them feel important. If your customers are important to you, then make sure you respond quickly!

 

It’s very important to respond quickly to potential customers, otherwise they’ll move on to the next supplier on Google. If your company is able to provide fast answers, the potential customer won’t take the chance with the competitor, and you’ll avoid losing new potential customers. Are you quick to respond to your customers?

 

A study by Super Office shows that :

• Nearly half of customers (46%) expect companies to respond within 4 hours.
• 12% expect a response in 15 minutes or less.
• 90% of customers consider an instant response to be crucial or very important when they need customer service assistance. Of these, 60% consider an instant response to mean a reply in 10 minutes or less.

Knowing the average response time (ART) you offer your customers is key to determining your ability to meet these consumer demands.
Once you know this measure, you’ll be able to understand your company’s effectiveness in responding quickly to its customers. You’ll then be able to gradually improve and increase customer satisfaction to be more successful and stand out from your competitors.

 

How do you calculate your ART or average response time? 

First, focus on obtaining an average response time for all your contacts, whether customers or not.

AVG = average
SUM = sum

This means knowing the exact date and time of all missed calls and returned calls for each one.

Average time for returned calls = AVG(SUM(Returned call – Missed call))
A= Returned call = 12-19-2023:14:00
B= Missed call = 18-12-2023:10:00

B – A = Call return delay = 28 hours (non-business hours).
B – A = Call return time = 4 hours (business hours).

B – A = Call return time = 28 hours (non-business hours).
B – A = Call return delay = 5h (working hours according to opening hours).

Then do the same for all calls in the desired period. It is possible to calculate for each communication medium.

• Average return time for answering machine messages = AVG(SUM(Returned call – Answering machine message ))
• Average delay e-mail returns = AVG(SUM(e-mail answered – e-mail received))
• Average time text messages returned = AVG(SUM(text message answered – text message received))

 

IMPORTANT: Each communication has a specific date and time.

Finally, it is possible to know the average return time for all our communication media :

Average return time for all channels = AVG(SUM(Unanswered communications – Answered communications))

This can then be calculated for both business hours and total hours to assess your speed of response to customers. Finally, it’s worth filtering for contacts (not customers), new customers and existing customers to optimize your response efficiency.
All these calculations are difficult to make and maintain if you don’t have customer communication software. Discover the Fresk dashboard that calculates all this for you at every moment.

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Numerous studies have established a direct link between poor customer service and loss of customer loyalty.

 

But what is poor customer service?

It manifests itself in unjustifiable delays, such as long response times to messages or e-mails, interminable waits, missed calls that are not returned, or even the simple oversight of a waiting customer. Attitudes, such as not smiling during exchanges, not respecting schedules and so on, are also part of the problem. When your customers discover a more satisfactory service from your competitors, they invariably head there.

 

What is the cost of a lost customer?

Let’s turn the question around: how much does it cost to acquire a new customer? It can cost up to 25 times more to find a new customer than to retain an existing one. So it makes financial sense to invest in customer service quality. Not to mention that quality customer service confers a significant competitive advantage. What’s more, a loyal customer who warmly recommends your company pays off handsomely. In a tough economy, guaranteeing quality customer service is crucial to your company’s longevity.

 

Remember that :

• Only 4% of customers report their dissatisfaction to the company.

• 96% of dissatisfied customers leave without returning. Of these, 91% will never return.

• Your dissatisfied customer informs between 8 and 10 others.

• 1 in 5 of these dissatisfied customers will inform up to 20 others.

Finally, even if sometimes your service isn’t perfect, by quickly correcting the problem, 95% of people will be ready to continue working with your company and will tell 5 people favorably about it.

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Pandemics, teleworking, wars and economic fluctuations are driving up cyber attacks. Companies are prime targets for hackers. Unfortunately, very few employers make employees aware of this threat. And yet, one of the most important breaches of information systems remains the human being. Discover some simple strategies you can implement today to reduce your risk of fraud or theft.

 

Screen incoming calls

Use call filtering services to block potentially fraudulent or unwanted numbers. Software solutions such as Frsk can identify and block these calls before they reach your employees.

 

Caller authentication

Implement authentication procedures for sensitive calls or requests for confidential information. Establishing a caller verification process can prevent phishing attempts.

 

Call recording

Call recording can be useful for documenting important conversations, especially those involving financial transactions or sensitive information.

 

Use of internal or protected numbers

Encourage the use of internal numbers or direct lines for internal communications and with trusted partners. Limiting access to external numbers can reduce risks.

 

Telephone security training

Integrate specific training modules on telephone security into the security awareness program. Include examples of telephone phishing techniques and measures to counter them.

 

Call monitoring

Implementing monitoring tools to detect suspicious call patterns or unusual behavior during telephone conversations can be very useful in spotting fraudulent activity.

 

Uspicious call response policy

Establish clear procedures on how to handle suspicious or potentially dangerous calls. Encourage employees to report any calls they find suspicious.

 

Telephone system updates

Ensure that the company’s telephone systems are regularly updated with the latest security patches to avoid exploitable loopholes.

By implementing these specific strategies to strengthen the security of telephone communications, a company can reduce the risks associated with phishing attempts over the phone and protect its sensitive data.

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Good customer service is essential to customer satisfaction and business success. Indicators of good customer service may vary according to industry and specific customer expectations, but here are some key indicators commonly used to assess customer service quality:

 

1. response time

The time it takes to respond to customer requests is an important indicator. Customers appreciate a quick response to their questions or concerns.

 

2.customer satisfaction

Customer satisfaction surveys, comments and evaluations are essential means of gauging customer perception of service quality.

 

3.First contact resolution rate

Measure how often customer problems are resolved on first contact, without the need for further interaction.

 

4. waiting time

The time customers spend waiting for help is a key factor. Excessive waiting times can lead to frustration.

 

5.drop-out rate

The percentage of customers who abandon their service requests due to excessive waiting times or difficulties in obtaining help.

 

6.customer loyalty rate

Measure how many customers return to make further purchases or use your company’s services again. Good customer service contributes to customer loyalty.

 

7.net promoter score

Il mesure la probabilité que les clients recommandent votre entreprise à d’autres personnes. Les clients satisfaits sont plus susceptibles de recommander votre entreprise.

 

8. Resolution rate

The percentage of customer service requests that are resolved satisfactorily. A high rate indicates good customer service.

 

9. Quality of communication

Effective communication, including clarity, courtesy and understanding of the customer’s needs, is an important indicator.

 

10.Rate of claims or disputes

The number of complaints or disputes filed by customers may indicate potential customer service problems.

 

11. training and staff de

Ongoing training of customer service staff can have a direct impact on service quality.

 

12.customer service employee retention rate

A high staff retention rate generally indicates a positive working environment, which can translate into better customer service.

 

13. Follow-up on recurring problems

Identifying and resolving recurring problems reported by customers can improve service quality in the long term.

 

14.Meeting deadli

If your company promises specific deadlines for deliveries or services, it’s important to meet these deadlines to keep customers happy.

 

15. Analysis of comments and suggestions

Analysis of customer comments and suggestions can help identify areas for service improvement.

By monitoring these indicators, a company can assess the quality of its customer service, identify potential areas for improvement, and strive for greater customer satisfaction.

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Serving customers isn’t always easy, especially in difficult situations. Nevertheless, it’s always possible to serve customers well. Here are a few tips to help you today.

 

1. Smile at all times

• Greet customers with a warm smile, whether in person, on the phone, by e-mail or even by text message.
• Use professional and respectful language.
• Respond promptly to customer requests to show that you value their time either, if possible, within the same day and even within an hour if possible.

 

2. Master communication

• Ask customers questions and listen carefully to their answers.
• Make sure you understand their expectations by repeating what you’ve identified as expectations and thus validating your understanding.
• Communicate clearly and concisely, and avoid technical jargon when you don’t have to. Don’t forget to put yourself in the customer’s shoes and adapt to them, not the other way around.
• Keep customers informed as soon as possible. People hate unexpected surprises, especially negative ones.

 

3. Avoid unattainable promises

• People like to be reassured, but if the promise isn’t delivered, the disappointment will be even greater.
• Promise less and deliver more. It’s better to lower expectations and deliver beyond promises than the other way around.

 

4. Get organized and take notes

• Memory is a faculty that forgets, so we need to help it.
• Keep a notebook in paper or virtual format so you don’t forget anything. À
  Write down the day’s date to remind yourself and know the deadline
• Review your notes from the previous day every morning.
• Use a calendar to plan appointments and tasks.
• File and archive documents so you can find them quickly if you need to.
  Prioritize tasks according to importance and urgency.

 

5. Be responsive and available

• Respond promptly to phone calls, e-mails, text messages and appointment requests.
• Ideally, identify a maximum time frame within which you must respond to your customers to ensure efficient service.
• If you can’t answer immediately, make sure you respond to the communication within a reasonable time.
• Be flexible with schedules to accommodate customer needs whenever possible.

 

6. Cultivate patience and problem-solving skills

• Handle customer complaints or concerns calmly and professionally.
• Look for solutions to problems, rather than simply pointing out obstacles. Even if you don’t have a solution, stay positive – customers appreciate it and keep their spirits up too.
• When you can’t solve a problem right away, be sure to follow up and keep the customer informed of progress.

 

Things to remember

Customers appreciate it when you make every effort to meet their needs. In most cases, customers understand that not everything depends on you. One thing’s for sure: if you keep calm and smile, customers appreciate it and do the same.

A smile may not change the world, but it sure helps!

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Customer service is essential to customer retention in any business. We need to ensure that our teams adopt the right behaviors when dealing with customers. Here are 10 behaviors to adopt at all times.

1. Positive attitude: Customer service representatives must be friendly, polite and welcoming. A positive attitude creates a pleasant experience for customers and fosters constructive interactions.

2. Effective communication: Customer service professionals must be able to communicate clearly and concisely, using customer-friendly language. Active listening is also essential to understand the specific needs of each customer.

3. Responsiveness: Good customer service involves responding quickly to customers’ questions, concerns and requests. Delays in response can lead to frustration.

4. Technical competence: Customer service personnel must have in-depth knowledge of the company’s products or services in order to effectively answer questions and solve customer problems.

5. Empathy: Understanding and taking into consideration customers’ feelings and concerns is essential. Empathy shows that the company truly cares about its customers.

6. Problem solving: Customer service professionals must be able to solve customer problems effectively and proactively. This may involve finding solutions, coordinating with other departments or providing accurate information.

7 Follow-up: Following up on customer problems or requests is important to ensure that their needs are met.
This involves keeping customers informed of progress and ensuring that promises are kept.

8 . Personalization: Tailoring service to the individual needs of each customer can boost satisfaction.Companies should seek to offer personalized solutions wherever possible.

9. Availability: Being available at convenient times for customers, whether by phone, e-mail, online chat or in person, is crucial to meeting their needs in a timely manner.

10.Training and continuous improvement: Companies should invest in training their customer service staff and encourage a culture of continuous improvement to maintain and enhance service quality.In short, good customer service is about more than problem resolution.It’s about creating a positive experience for customers, responding to their needs effectively and empathetically, and maintaining lasting relationships that benefit the company and its reputation.

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