Powerful Insights Through an Untapped Channel

I recently had the pleasure of meeting Nicholas Pratt from VOCA, a company that has created a system that simplifies inbound lead and call management.

Here is what Nicholas had to say.

The phone will be one of the oldest technologies your business uses. Over recent years, the phone has seen a widespread transition to digital, opening up a whole new set of opportunities to leverage this vital touchpoint.

Despite efforts to encourage clients to book online, Salon and Clinic businesses continue to receive a high volume of client calls every month. On average, over 30% of these calls are being missed which creates a huge operational blind spot. This problem is further exaggerated by the fact that over 50% of these calls are regarding an appointment booking, leading to £1,000s in appointment value being lost each month. Despite this risk to revenue and the client’s experience, calls are still not being managed or measured effectively.

This is Why:

The Reality of Online Booking

In the advent of online booking, which was sold as the catch-all for every appointment booking outside of the front-desk, most Wellness Business Owners and Managers have since realised that this has not been the case and that within this industry, the “Uber” experience is not always a perfect fit, due to the very personal nature of many of the services offered. Furthermore, with new clients often required to create an account before booking, the attraction to call up becomes even stronger. The subsequent conclusion of this, is that for new clients, the phone will likely be the dominant channel.

One great benefit that was borne out of online booking was the ability to capture valuable data around the client journey. The digital nature of this channel has allowed businesses to drill-down and understand the behaviour of their clients and their spending patterns, and adapt accordingly.

The Importance of the Phone Channel

This data analysis is to be encouraged, however, within the Wellness industry the phone channel is typically at least double the size of online booking volume, yet businesses do not know what type of transactions are occurring through this channel. This is further compounded by the fact that there is a human element within every interaction that can potentially alter the outcome negatively. With no ability to analyse and apply critical “micro-adjustments”, this negative client experience will continue unchecked.

Maximising the Phone Channel

In summary, after rebooking on-premises, the phone is the next largest revenue channel, and therefore, your business deserves that same visibility and control around client call behaviour and outcomes, as it has with online bookings. From the moment a client dials your number, they are immersing themselves in your brand. It is vital to have a way to track how effectively you are utilising this communication method with solid data, as opposed to relying on assumptions. By providing your Front-of-House team with the training, tools and processes required, you can motivate them to capitalise on every opportunity to generate more revenue, whilst delivering an exceptional client experience.

Current Common Phone Strategy

If your business is relying on clients to leave a Voicemail, then you are only capturing around 10% of missed client calls. Trends indicate that clients, especially of the younger generation, are increasingly reluctant to leave a message. New clients categorically will not leave a message.

The other option is to be more relaxed and assume that the client will call back. This approach immediately takes the initiative away from the business and places the outcome back in the hands of the client. There is no guarantee they will call back and behave as you assume. This expectance placed on clients to constantly call back due to a busy reception, eventually leads to client frustration, appointment slippage and even total loss of business.

Introducing VOCA

VOCA is an innovative, leading-edge software solution which seamlessly bolts-on to your existing business number(s) in seconds. The web dashboard displays everything in real-time, providing the following benefits:

• A structured call journey for your clients, whether you are open, busy or closed

• A live call list showing all client calls into the business and their status

• A courtesy SMS for those clients that hang-up, to keep them engaged and informed

• A simple process to motivate the team to deliver exceptional service, driven by Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• A complete understanding of why clients are calling and the associated value

• The ability to filter and review specific call types to help improve how the team work

• Total visibility of the £1,000s in appointment value being called-back and recovered

  
  

The Results of a Coherent Structured Call Management Strategy

Our Salon and Clinic clients now have a complete understanding of what is happening via the phone and how well their teams are managing this channel. Each month, they are calling back and recovering £1,000s in appointment value. 

Conclusion

Ultimately, owners quickly realise VOCA is not a luxury, but an obvious necessity which ensures a seamless, 360-degree client touchpoint experience, driving efficiency and maximising revenue.

If you would like a free front-desk consultation, please contact VOCA through the following channels and quote The Delforge Group:

E: info@myvoca.co.uk T: 03300 882291 

W: https://myvoca.co.uk/

I: @myvocauk