Orlando, FL -- (SBWire) -- 02/26/2013 --A Courteous Communication has released shocking new statistics to warn business leaders about the false efficiencies in voicemail and automated prompts. The company, an award-winning provider of 24-hour call-answering services, order taking and telemarketing for the past 40 years to both large and small clients, warns that 7 out of 10 callers are lost when the voicemail system kicks in! This is incredible when one considers that a company typically invests 94% of its marketing budget in persuading prospective customers to make that initial call. In comparison to automated responses, most consumers report higher overall satisfaction rates when communicating with a live operator for assistance.

A Courteous Communication’s figures show that 90% of US consumers favor resolving their customer service issues using the telephone. However, 75% prefer it to be carried out face-to-face and online options fall way behind, with the company website or email options accounting for just 67% of consumers. 47% use online chat help, with 22% relying on both text messaging and social media sites.

A disturbing statistic for businesses is that 34% of callers who hang up, never call back. No surprise, then, that $83bn is lost annually by US-based enterprises as a consequence of shoddy customer service (the average annual value of a customer relationship wrecked in this way is judged to be around $289). 86% of customers even claim they are willing to pay more, for an improved experience.

“These statistics demonstrate well why it’s so important to have an effective customer retention strategy in place, but also to make a strong first impression,” says Doris Primicerio, President of CourteousCom. In a world where 70% of calls are placed on hold, she says, there is much room for improvement. 89% of consumers recall a poor customer experience before embarking on a new relationship with a company. “It’s time for businesses to pay closer attention to the full package,” adds Primicerio. “There is no point attracting new prospects with a polished marketing drive, if you fall down at the first attempt at building customer rapport. It’s the biggest mistake to assume that voicemail automatically equals cost savings.”

For more details on A Courteous Communications and all other CourteousCom services, please visit: http://www.courteouscom.com/

Follow CourteousCom.com on Twitter: https://twitter.com/acourteous

Catch up and connect with CourteousCom.com on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/a-courteous-communications

Contact CourteousCom.com free of charge on 800-713-4750 or (407) 896-4800. Stop by our office at:

A Courteous Communications
2810 East Robinson St.
Orlando, FL 32803

Alternatively, get in touch the customer support department at Cust_support@courteouscom.com

About CourteousCom.com
CourteousCom is a 24 hour, 7 day per week answering service and call center. We provide outstanding telephone service through a combination of professional, experienced employees and state-of-the-art technology. Our call center services and business answering services will help you to maintain good customer service while staying within your budget. We offer an array of services to meet your business needs. CourteousCom can provide you with a toll free or local phone number. Otherwise, may use your existing phone number.

CourteousCom.com’s services are available in the United States and Canada.