Today, there are more than enough ways to connect with customers. Whether it’s via email, live chat, social media, or even online self-service, businesses are using the latest tech to keep up with customers’ increasingly flexible ways of seeking support.

Yet none of these communication tools can match the magic touch of a VoIP phone call. While virtual platforms can be a quick and convenient way to resolve issues, phone calls are still the best way to maintain a strong relationship with customers.

Let’s examine the reasons why business VoIP telephony is still the most important communication device in your customer service toolkit. At a glance, these are:

1. Establishing trust
2. Providing empathy
3. Solving problems quickly
4. Obtaining valuable call insights
5. Catering to non-tech savvy customers

Establishing trust

Every business relationship is built on trust. As humans, your customers naturally want to meet and interact with the people they are doing business with. A VoIP phone service offers an authentic way for customers to get to know you, especially at the start of a customer relationship when trust has not yet been established. They may not be able to see your customer service representatives, but hearing their voice is as close as it can get.

Providing empathy

We tend to forget that empathy plays a major part in customer service. It is not just what your customer service representatives say, but how they say it. Tone of voice is immensely important in winning over customers and this is lost when they interact through email or live chat. With VoIP, it’s easier to convey emotion and understanding, which can be an effective means to connect with customers’ feelings.

Solving problems quickly

When there’s an urgent matter to resolve, many customers prefer to pick up the phone. Not only do they get information much quicker that way, it’s less likely that they’ll miss important details that may have been left unsaid in emails. While live chat also provides immediate support, it is less personal than a phone call.

Obtaining valuable call insights

One useful feature of VoIP phone systems is call logging. This allows you to view the entire record of your incoming and outgoing calls, analyse the data, and learn from metrics such as number of calls, length of individual calls, and how many calls are answered or missed, among others. The call log is a great feature for measuring progress and performance to help your employees deliver better customer service.

Catering to non-tech savvy customers

Many customers are not comfortable or familiar with modern communication technology. This is particularly true for senior citizens or older industries like law firms and banking. In such instances, there’s still a heavy reliance on telephone and fax lines. Giving them an option to call your business, in addition to digital channels, will ensure you don’t lose customers by not being inclusive enough.

• RELATED POST: When you should use VoIP calling instead of email

While it’s great to adapt your customer service to the digital age, the benefits of VoIP should not be underestimated. There are elements of phone calls, particularly the many features of VoIP, that digital tools simply cannot replicate. These elements can have significant impacts on customer relationships and future sales.