customer-serviceIt’s not at all that uncommon for businesses not to list a phone number, and say something like:
Looking for a phone number?
We want you to contact us, but we don’t provide a phone number - please send a message using this form and we’ll get back to you within 24 hours.
When does it make sense to list phone numbers?
Be aware that you may be legally obliged to provide your customers with a phone number.
For example, when dealing with European consumers, Article 6 of Directive 2011/83/EU states (emphasis added):
###Information requirements for distance and off-premises contracts###
Before the consumer is bound by a distance or off-premises contract, or any corresponding offer, the trader shall provide the consumer with the following information in a clear and comprehensible manner:
…
(c) the geographical address at which the trader is established and the trader’s telephone number, fax number and e-mail address, where available, to enable the consumer to contact the trader quickly and communicate with him efficiently and, where applicable, the geographical address and identity of the trader on whose behalf he is acting;
…
This Directive has been implemented in the UK as The Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 (see Regulation 13(1)(a) and Schedule 2 sub-paragraph (c)).
My sense is that the older your demographic, the more important it is to have a phone number. I personally have an immediately lower level of trust if I don’t see a real physical address and a real phone number.
Every time someone calls you on the phone, it probably costs your business around $50. Web or app-based self-service costs trend towards zero, with more complex interactions (e.g. servicing free text forms, interacting via web chat) falling between the two. So it’s hardly surprising that not every business wants you to find their phone number.
Startups often have another very practical problem: there may be few if any customer service trained people available to answer the phone at the time and in the language the customer wants to call.
Five years ago, I would definitely have suggested that startups should publish a phone number. Behind that number could be an interactive voice response system - IVR is kind of the web for voice calls - to filter out unnecessary calls and to help route enquiries better. Or it could be an answering service.
But there’s great evidence that as the web, the mobile web and apps have continued to surge, customer preferences have moved from phone to electronic communications for most interactions. So now it’s not just optional, but if you have a high focus on user experience, unless you can deliver that effectively by phone, that channel is best kept closed.
As others have pointed out, there are many good reasons not to list your phone number, unless you are legally obliged. For my business, honestly it’s about avoiding repetitive stress. When someone calls me for the umpteenth time and asks for our prices, when they are already listed in several places on your website, it is very taxing. If you are a small business and fielding those calls yourself, it will drain your enthusiasm very quickly.
That being said, there is one advantage that I can think of: search engine optimization (SEO). You will hear the SEO community talk about NAT, which stands for Name, Address, Telephone. Some experts suggest that having a complete and consistent NAP on your website and across various online listings will help improve your search engine rankings.
Our strategy has been to list a phone number on our website and directory pages, but not to emphasize it. Our website is structured so as to encourage customers to “submit a request”, which walks them through who we are, what we do, our prices, etc. Some people make it a point to find our number in the footer of our website and call anyway, but the vast majority follow our automated request process.
Like all things in business, it’s a carefully balanced strategy.
Whilst it depends on your unique situation and I can understand many of the points listed above, in my experience with marketing for SMEs listing a phone number is always worthwhile.
When you run a business, you want to make it as easy as possible for prospective customers to contact you and therefore make a transaction with you. If a particular person prefers to contact people by phone number, not listing your number could be the difference between a new client and a missed opportunity.
I think it will make most sense for something like a store. But it could just mean an alternatives to email, some companies do it, but you have to be willing to take these calls when they come in. It could get busy, but it may make sense for some people who would rather chat on the phone to a future client than thru email.
Voice or text is one of the common ways customers want to contact businesses. Although it totally depends on the type of business you are running, not having a phone number might mean lost sales.
I had a bad experience with AirBnB and with their bad customer service decided never to host on the site. While hosting a guest broke my fittings and I had no way to contact AirBnb except through their slow email process where I got replies in 24-48 hours and 15 days while they were processing the information. Phone is still the fastest way someone can reach a business and being a startup I don’t think I can afford to loose any customer.
On a different note, you might want to look at customer engagement solution that my firm provides. At Braango, (http://www.braango.com), we have developed communication solutions that meet needs of start ups and are affordable. Feel free to reach out to us to know more.
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