Not Answering the Phone is Killing Your Photography Business
It’s surprising how many photographers don’t pick up the phone. We get that you’re busy and you’re only one person, but how much business are you losing because you’re not picking up? It also doesn’t help that the photography field is so saturated, so if you can’t perform, there will be 5 other people lined up to take your place. Yes, that other photographer may not emulate your art style, but if the client needed a photographer tomorrow, you think that customer is going to wait for you to finish that 6-hour wedding you’re shooting?
Studies have shown that when a call reaches your voicemail, 70% of people will hang up. Unless they’re a creditor, they’re not leaving you a message, let alone call you back. You’re losing out on 30-40% of potential business that you could have been reaping.
It’s one thing to have a gorgeous portfolio, but if you can’t perform sales, you don’t have a business.
Let that sink in: if you can’t generate sales, you don’t have a business.
You’re not Facebook nor the US government that you can get away with poor customer service. We understand that you’re only one person doing everything, but you’re hurting yourself in the long term. You could lose out on a 4-figure package from that customer you blew off.
Here are some repercussions:
• You’re creating a poor reputation with your customers.
• You’re not producing leads that convert to photoshoots.
• You don’t develop a recurring relationship with your customers.
• It can generate bad word-of-mouth (especially if they leave a negative review on your Google My Business page).
• You’re sending a terrible message that you don’t care about your customers.
Especially if you’re shooting locally, word spreads fast in your neighborhood. In this study, 39% of people who had poor customer service avoid the vendor two years later. That’s a punch in the gut!
So Why Does This Happen?
• There are multiple reasons, but here are some examples:
• You’re overwhelmed by your workload
• You’re too reactive in your business. You focus on answering emails and putting out fires rather than prioritizing.
• You don’t focus on business calls (get rid of your business number if that’s the case and stick with emails).
• Your customers are calling after hours.
In the long term, the cost of miss calls is hard to calculate, depending on your pricing structure and your location, but what if that customer has valuable feedback? They can tell you what works and what doesn’t work that sometimes wouldn’t translate well into an email. They can share their grievances with you and will tell you what they’re looking for. This is huge! Don’t waste any valuable feedback!
Solutions to Fix your Call Problems
Get a Virtual Receptionist
They’re cheaper than you think, you can give whatever hours of operation you want them to work on, or maybe you want them to answer the phone outside of your work hours! You also have more time shaved off for you to be doing other things like booking or editing. It also improves your customer service (especially if you teach them your package system, they can even help you sell your services!) There are many ways to hire one, but you can either pick one up through freelance sites such as Upwork or a dedicated call center. Prices vary depending on where you live, but if you go with a call center, you can use services as low as $20 per month. It’s all preference, but doing a little research pulls you a long way.
Get a Business Number
You don’t have to break the bank by getting another number. We love using FlyNumber ($2.95 a month) in combination with Groundwire ($9.49 onetime purchase, both for IOS and Android.) Their customer service is exceptional, and the setup is straightforward. The downside is that there’s no two-way texting, but the fact that you can receive texts on a budget is fantastic! There is a learning curve if you did a phone set up before, but again, their customer service is very responsive.
Call Forwarding
Especially if you have another number, but you don’t have the budget for a receptionist. You can forward those calls to your cell phone that way you don’t leave money on the table. Or you can forward it to another teammate! You can also record calls so you can improve your sales process as well!
Setup Voicemail Options
If you can’t answer the phone, this is a godsend. Yes, we mentioned a customer might not call back a second time, but having voicemail options increases the chances of a second callback, especially if you organize the type of voicemail you have. If you’re starting, your regular voicemail from your business number is fine. Otherwise, you can set up your voicemail setup through a voice menu for things such as, “Emergencies,” “Inquiries,” and so forth. That way you’re not mingling your voicemail with your business one (make sure you follow up promptly though!)
Set Up Caller ID
Over the past couple of years, the spam calls are out of control. Even if you call back your customers, they might not even pick up with all the robocalls they get. Have you ever wondered how some businesses have caller IDs? There are multiple ways to do it outside this article, but with Groundwire, it’s easy as going to the “Advanced Options” of your account ID and scroll down until you see, “Caller ID.”
At Photo Marketing Services, we can help you with your phone woes. If you’re dealing with customers who want to spend 4-figures on your packages or maybe you’re terrified of answering the phone, we can help simplify the process! Fill out the form below if you want a custom quote for this service or you need help managing your photography business’s marketing!
