Should You Answer Every Customer Query?

Browsing through the store, you just found an amazing handbag - it's incredibly elegant, with a beautiful design and shape, and that fantastic price! But wait, there's no information about the material. You remember how badly your last polyester handbag ended up, so without thinking twice, you email and ask about the material. Excited, you check your inbox, but unfortunately, there's no reply yet. The next day, still nothing, and the day after, still no response…

Importance of smooth communication

Will someone waiting this long for a simple answer still be interested in this product? Sure, the handbag was great, but what if this person finds a better one in-store, where staff will answer every question in no time?

Effective and clear communication with your customers is crucial for your business's success. It helps them feel confident when purchasing your goods, grants them loyalty to your store or brand, and encourages them to recommend you further. If you lack engagement, the potential client will likely seek their fortune elsewhere.

But how can I communicate with customers?

One of the most common and straightforward forms of online communication between businesses and customers is through forms and emails. Both allow you to respond when you find the time or after you craft a suitable response. However, this means the customer may have to wait an unspecified amount of time for a reply. According to our research, businesses respond most often within 24 hours, but only 46,4% of customers get an answer at all.

Percentage of businesses that responded to the inquiry

Is your inbox ready?

Emails are the simplest form of online communication. Just leave your email address on the website in the appropriate places, and let your clients send their questions. That’s it. But don’t forget to stay on top of your inbox. Our research shows that 63.9% of all the businesses we surveyed provided their email address in some form.

Percentage of businesses contact options

Still using forms?

When thinking about forms, one might assume they are an archaic method no reasonable person uses anymore. However, form as an archaic type of communication is far from the truth. Indeed, many older websites have forms that give the impression you won't receive a response. Even some businesses that think similarly try to encourage communication via forms, creating disguised forms from their website chat interfaces to make them appear more modern and engaging.

However, a significant portion of businesses require forms because they must be filled out with necessary information before they can be submitted. Information can be easily overlooked in an email, leading to less smooth communication when you have to ask for details that need to be included. It's particularly true for service-oriented industries like power washing, where submitting an inquiry with specific details, such as information about the dimensions of the house or the length of the sidewalk, can be crucial. Unfortunately, the sad truth is that, on average, fewer businesses respond to forms than to emails, with only 38.7% responding to forms compared to 49.4% responding to emails.

Percentage of responses for forms and emails

Ready to chat?

As you may have noticed, there was no mention of the chat because it's hard to say much more about it. When using chat, you are expected to answer as quickly as possible, and if you delay, the customer will likely give up very quickly. However, an interesting case is a chatbot that responds based on its knowledge base. It can be a good solution if your knowledge base contains the information the customer needs. The chatbot will respond quickly and won't require your intervention (except for preparing the appropriate knowledge base).

The nature of the service business

Service businesses are designed to assist their clients or do something for them. This underscores the importance of maintaining the best possible contact with them, which has led to the widespread popularity of phones as the preferred method of communication. However, not everyone is comfortable starting with a phone call and speaking with a stranger. Therefore, many businesses have expanded their communication methods to include forms, emails, and even chat services.

Percentage of responses to inquiries from various types of businesses

If you take a closer look, you can find that service businesses were the ones that most frequently responded to business inquiries, with a response rate of 48%. Next was e-commerce, with 34%, and restaurants, where the response rate was only 22%.

Most responsive service businesses

The businesses that respond most frequently to our inquiries are: Event planning (100%), Tour operators (96%), Event rentals (83.3%), Midwife services (80%), and Speech therapy (72.5%).

These are mainly industries that heavily focus on social interactions, where the service provider often engages for more than just one meeting. This results in a greater desire to obtain and maintain appropriate contact.

Most responsive service businesses

Least responsive service businesses

The businesses that respond to our inquiries least frequently are: Chimney sweeping(no responses), Security systems (14,7%), Car mechanic (19,4%), Dental office (20%), and HVAC (24.3%).

On the other hand, services that perform the worst prefer phone contact and often don’t even check their inbox if they have provided an email address at all. It is also worth mentioning that these are usually urgent services where any new request can arise at any moment and will always be a priority.

Least responsive service businesses

Summary

Quick and efficient communication with clients works to your advantage. It helps satisfy your customers, makes them more likely to buy from you again, and attracts new clients through their recommendations. A lengthy response, however, can lead to lost interest, as customers may turn to competitors offering quicker replies.

It's also worth noting that you can attract even more clients in service-based businesses by introducing alternatives to mobile phones, so it's worth considering the various options presented:

• Forms: This lets you quickly gather the information you need about the client and their requirements.
• Emails: Enable clients to reach out to you with their inquiries easily.
• Chat: Allows you to respond instantly to any client concerns. If this is too much of a problem, consider using a chatbot. Why not try ours?

The data and statistics presented in this blog post come from a research study conducted by IKOL between 2023 and 2024. To learn more about IKOL research methodology and explore other findings, visit: ikol.com/research