We’ve all been at the end of a phone call that seems to never run out of automated responses. No matter what we do, we keep getting a computer to tell us their lines are busy, which feels like their customer service representatives would rather do something else than help with our queries. Some of us have an endless thread of patience, others not so much. While the former leads to business or profits, the latter leads to losses, and companies are losing a lot of money due to customers just hanging up out of frustration. In this episode, I discuss how your robotic call handling systems may be costing your company significant amounts of money. I share the best and worst practices when it comes to utilising a call handling system and explain how to make sure your customers don’t end up feeling frustrated by the time they reach a representative. I describe some of the reasons why scripts should be thrown out the window and why you should train your agents to respond like actual human beings. I also share the risks of setting up a call centre overseas and why I don’t recommend playing music over the telephone. "Never compromise on the quality of a call."Julian Treasure This week on the Sound Business Podcast: ● Why the telephone loses more business than any other in the world● The best and worst ways to hang up phones● What call handling systems are and why are they generally bad systems● How to give people genuine service to let them feel ‘looked after’ during a phone call● Why call handling systems should always offer a human alternative● The ideal call handling system every company should have for their clients● The problems that can happen when a company uses a call centre overseas● Scripts and why you should train people to respond off-script instead● Why playing music over the telephone is a bad idea Boosting Business Success with the Power of Sound Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Sound Business. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts. Be sure to share your favourite episodes on social media to help us reach more listeners, like you. Be sure to share your favourite episodes on social media to help us reach more listeners, like you.