Posted on

Communication is Key to Customer Service

It feels like it’s been six weeks since I had a normal day in the office. Literally.

First there was selling a house. Then there was finding and purchasing a new house. Then there was selling a house again (long story). In the midst of that there was also planning a wedding and getting married. Oh, and don’t forget moving out of my apartment and helping my fiancée move out of her house.

Renovations… now there are renovations!

Yes, it’s been a long summer so far, and there’s been nothing normal or routine about it.

Yet, despite spending more time out of the office than in, and even after having spent all about 3 seconds on marketing efforts since the middle of June, my voice over business hasn’t really dropped off much.

Why?

Good communication!

Communication is Key to Customer Service

One of the most annoying things in the world is calling a customer service line and immediately being put on hold.

While you’re on hold you’re listening to a perky voice tell you repeatedly, “Your call is important to us, thank you for holding.”

Meanwhile, you’re thinking to yourself, “If my call was really that important to you, you wouldn’t make me keep waiting!!”

When we want great service, we want it now; and if we can’t get it now, we want to be clear on when we can get it so we can plan accordingly.

Since the middle of June, I have kept in constant contact with all my regular clients letting them know how the wedding and moving was progressing.

  • They knew exactly what dates I’d be gone for my wedding.
  • They knew exactly what dates I’d be moving.
  • They knew exactly when my internet service would be hooked up at my new home.
  • They knew exactly when I’d have my temporary studio back up and running.

My clients are used to getting VO’s delivered fast. If there was a chance for any kind of delay for them, I wanted to make sure they knew exactly how long the delay would be. I also made it clear I was happy to work with them in anyway I could to accelerate timelines if necessary.

If you’re going to have an extended absence from the studio, let your clients know!
Tweet Quote

Despite all the insanity of the month of July, I didn’t miss one job or audition opportunity from a client.

They knew what to expect and I was committed to delivering it!

As an added bonus, the regular communication also kept me top of mind and even lead to some new opportunities with clients I hadn’t worked with in several years.

If you’re going to have extended downtime for any reason, (like getting married or moving!) make sure your clients are in the loop. It shows them respect. It shows that you’re committed to providing them with excellent service.

And one last night; don’t stress. When you treat your clients great, they’ll return the favor. I have the best voice over clients in the world, and they were all more than understanding and accommodating! That took a ton of pressure off me.