By the end of this decade, we’ll be saying the same thing about voicemail. In fact, many are saying it now! Try leaving a message at JP Morgan or Coca-Cola… Oh wait, you can’t. Why? Because they, like countless other major corporations, realized it just doesn’t work anymore– so they killed it already!

It’s time for you to do the same at your place of business because it’s costing you much more than you realize. That’s why we put together these Top 5 Reasons to Kill Voicemail (before it kills you!):

1. No one leaves messages anymore. Forbes reports that 80% of callers hang up on voicemail. So if 5 people called you today to buy non prescription viagra find out about your services and went straight to voicemail, that means you lost 4 of them. It’s tough to grow only capturing 20% of your opportunities.

2. Customers don’t want to wait. InsideSales reports that 35-50% of buyers choose the vendor that responds first. That means if you answer the phone live, you immediately have the best chance of securing the business. Pretty simple, right? If you’re wondering how in the world you’re going to make sure all calls are answered live around the clock, give YesTrak a try– we’d love to answer phones for you when you can’t!

3. Machines are frustrating. American Express reports that 67% of customers have hung up the phone out of frustration they could not talk to a real person. Voicemail boxes, endless menus of options, voice recognition, etc., none of it’s what your callers want. A human being is what they want. Automation may be easier for you, but it certainly isn’t easier for your customers– and they are what matters most.

4. Phones are now smart, your voicemail isn’t. According to Pew Research Center, Two-thirds of the American population now owns a smartphone. That means people can browse the web morning, noon and night, find businesses, click blue links to reach vendors, and then post about their bad experiences within seconds. bid ask spread On the other end of the spectrum, your voicemail box plays a greeting saying you are away and then asks the caller to record a message. Do you see the difference in intelligence here?

5. Voicemail is not part of a rapid-response cycle. The New York Times reports that 30% of messages don’t get checked for at least three days, and 20% of voicemail users never even check for messages. No wonder people are sick of saying, “I left a message but never heard back!” All good businesses understand the need for rapid-response cycles in delivering excellent customer service. As they say, showing up is half the battle– and the same holds true in your customer service plan. Don’t disappoint your customers by sending them to voicemail…It is 6-7 times more expensive to acquire a new customer than it is to keep a current one (Source: White House Office of Consumer Affairs). So make sure you do what is necessary to service your existing customers, because always looking for new ones is an expense that will kill any business!