6 Ways Online Chat Solutions Can Help Your Catering Business Grow

Running a catering company means planning big events, managing deliveries, and contributing to a memorable event for your clients through delicious food. In this fast-paced work environment, it can be easy to forget one of the essential building blocks of any company: customer service.

Did you know that 50% of customers will avoid a company after just one bad experience? Here are a few reasons why more companies are using online chat solutions to boost customer satisfaction.

1. Online chat solutions are always courteous

A catering staff always has to be "on" to make the most memorable experiences for their customers. A catering company is often hired to help celebrate major milestones, such as weddings or reunions. Still, your staff is only human and you only have 24 hours in a day

It's the busy season, you've had a lot of deliveries that day, and your employees might not be as cheery as usual. As a result, they might be less enthusiastic about helping customers during a particularly stressful day. 

That's never the side of your staff that your customers should have to see! Fortunately, a chatbot doesn't have to deal with the fatigue of its human counterparts. It's always enthusiastic to greet customers at all times of the day, even after normal business hours!

2. Online chat solutions are never intrusive 

When the consumer thinks about a "bot", it's usually associated with negative things like spam and robocalls. Customers can become incredibly frustrated when they're trying to browse a website and a chatbot keeps interrupting them. It sometimes makes your website entirely unusable, meaning that customers will close the window and never return.

Fortunately, there are chatbots like Amy designed to only pop up when the customer needs them and meet the specific needs of small businesses. When customers want more information, the chatbot icon eagerly awaits them in the corner of the screen. It works with the user every step of the way, meeting their needs and delighting them in the process!

3. Customers get their questions answered in real time

A whopping 75% of customers believe that it takes too long to speak to a live agent. We understand that it can be difficult to get real humans on the phone or online in such a hectic business! Fortunately, most of the questions brought up by customers can be easily handled by a chatbot.

Small businesses especially benefit from a chatbot's efficiency in drawing in customers. Even when you're off the clock, a chatbot can schedule appointments and open up more event opportunities. What's better than coming into work after fretting about sales and already having three new potential events to plan?

4. Online chat solutions have huge memory banks

Many businesses worry about using chatbots because they're sometimes associated with cold, monotonous responses. Even after repeated interactions with customers, some chatbots never seem to learn what your visitors want. Customers thrive off personalization, and 33% of customers will abandon a business that doesn't offer that.

The first thing Amy asks is your business type, so you can hit the ground running and leverage a template built just for the catering industry. It uses all the data from its conversation logs to remember the best solutions for every customer. All the while, it provides empathetic and warm words that are never generic!

5. Get more positive reviews

For an up-and-coming business with a small customer base, positive reviews are crucial for continued success. The average internet user takes online reviews as seriously as they would from friends and family. When a customer researches your company and can't find any reviews, they're less likely to trust your business.

To inspire customers to leave their feedback, everything from first contact to the day of the event should run smoothly. A chatbot can do a lot of this work for you, providing initial planning details and answering questions. You may even find that customers remember you specifically for their great experience with Amy!

6. More time to run your business

A chatbot like Amy can lend its superhuman skills in the virtual realm, but it can't do everything. It's up to you and your staff to manage a successful event, make the food, and drive delivery trucks. Still, it's essential not to neglect your customers and business partners in the process.

Amy takes care of your customers online, sometimes completely solving their problems, while you devote more time to other important tasks. In turn, you'll be able to pay more attention to in-person customers who need your assistance immediately. Additionally, you won't have to hire extra help or put extra responsibilities on your current staff.

Amy is the best online chat solution for your catering business

There are a lot of chatbots to choose from, but Amy is the perfect solution for any small catering business. It's definitely not your average chatbot: it's smart, compassionate, and continues to wow your audience with each interaction. It services your clients 24/7, providing unparalleled customer support and promoting a positive association with your brand.

Amy also offers dozens of pre-built templates that you can modify to suit your brand and its messaging. Behind your admin console, you can change Amy's graphics and get a preview of how the conversation flows. You don't need any advanced coding skills, but we still include step-by-step guides to help you through the onboarding process.

Never lose sleep over worrying about customer inquiries and how they can affect the growth of your catering business. Sign up for Amy today, try the preview, and see how it makes a pleasant experience for both new and faithful customers alike.