Answering Services: Key Facts & Stats

ImportantFactsandStatisticsAboutAnsweringServices 1920w

With the advent of modern communication channels like live chat and email, you may think your business no longer needs a live answering service. That is far from reality. Answering services are important and relevant for businesses today.

Check out these facts.

Fact 1: Call centres are a growing industry.

The global call centres industry is projected to grow from a market size of US$403 billion in 2020 to US$607 billion by 2027. In Canada alone, the Telemarketing and Call Centre industry has a $2 billion market size, even as it gradually declines due to offshoring activities.

Live answering services helps businesses stay connected to customers 24/7, so there’s no chance of a missed call. With customers avoiding voicemails, having a person to talk to anytime is a game changer.

Investments for live answering services also pay for themselves in due time, resulting in positive ROI.

Fact 2: Live answering services increase customer satisfaction.

Customers crave human attention. In an era when automation happens left and right, no one wants to call a business number only to be greeted by a recording or a robotic voice.

Around 61% of customers feel IVRs are terrible at addressing needs and prefer a live agent to provide immediate answers. Engaging and retaining customers when their calls are answered is also easier.

Statistics show that 28% more customers are retained when they engage over the phone than if they inquire using a web form. Phone calls also result in 10-15x more revenue than web leads. Around 46% of customers will move to a competitor if their calls are repeatedly unanswered.

In contrast, when a customer complaint is resolved within the first call, 99% will gladly stick with the business. When you constantly delight customers, their satisfaction grows.

Fact 3: Answering Services increases revenues.

Sixty-eight percent (68%) of customers call phone numbers for product research. You should ensure that someone’s available to answer those calls. During the pandemic, a study revealed that a third of respondents preferred making high-stakes purchases involving insurance, healthcare, telecom services, and home services over the phone.

Even if you are actively listed in Google, 60% of customers will still call before they decide to visit your location. Some of the industries where most customers prefer phone calls are:

Financial Services: 66% of customers call before making a purchase decision, with 72% of loan shoppers making at least two calls.
Healthcare Services: 76% of healthcare patients looking for nursing homes, chiropractors, and physical therapists call when searching for a reputable provider.
Home Services: An average of 62% of customers call during the purchase journey, with 92% calling for appliance repair, 82% looking for an electrician, and 76% looking for a plumber. Other home services that customers prefer to call are carpet cleaners (68%), house cleaners (67%), HVAC services (84%), movers (70%), roofing services (84%), and pest control services (76%).

If your customers are calling, you can’t afford to miss those calls or put them on hold. Around 28% of customers placed on hold for 5 minutes or less hang up, with only 6% willing to wait longer than 30 minutes.

A Live Answering Service Is Still a Must Today

Interaction with fellow humans will remain at our core even as technology advances. Customers will always value speaking to a live agent over talking to chatbots or corresponding in emails. Customer service representatives provide faster support and tackle various issues more naturally.

As these facts will show, your business would benefit more from live answering services than without them. Get in touch today to see how we can help your business stand out.

At On Call Centre , we deliver exceptional customer support 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year—sometimes 366. On Call Centre has been providing tailored, fluently French/English bilingual answering services and call centre services to small business owners (professionals, trades) and customer support departments (government, high tech, property management, healthcare, emergency clients) serving Ottawa , Montreal and Toronto —and all over Canada —for almost 50 years.