This week we chatted with Sarah, a hardworking mother of three who runs Cha Cha Louise, an Etsy store selling handmade girls dresses out of her studio in Lincoln, RI.
She recently started using Burner to help run her business and provide even better customer service to her new and existing buyers. Having been in business for a few years now (and using her personal cell number for everything), Sarah’s number has ended up all over the internet and potentially exposed to a ton of people, but paying for a business line was not an expense she wanted to add or a hassle she wanted to deal with.
A phone number matters
One of the pain points Sarah was trying to solve, and that Burner is helping with, is converting a new user unfamiliar with her store, her products or Etsy into a paying customer by giving those users a way to contact her without exposing her personal phone number online. According to Sarah, “some people just want to speak to a person.” As we've all experienced, trusting an online store can be a leap of faith, and that extra point of contact helps set her store apart.
There’s also the instant gratification factor -- “some people want answers right away.” And when you’re not able to give those answers quickly, it can mean missing out on a sale. Even if its just responding with a text message letting someone know she’ll follow up shortly, the fast responses can make a huge difference. In her store description Sarah proudly lists that she’s “up at 4am responding to emails” and you can bet that she’ll be answering her phone then too!
“I added my burner number to my blog’s contact info and In the first 24 hours [it] led to two potential orders.”
Saving time
Being able to hop on the phone saves time for Sarah and her buyers. From being able to talk about details to being able to text a link to a custom listing once all the details have been worked out, every little bit of extra time helps. And there's always a ton of back and forth -- especially because her shop specializes in something customized and at a higher price point. Not to mention the time and money she saves using Burner instead of having to go through the hassle of installing a business line or buying a second cell phone.
The VIP line
Another problem with having her personal cell number so intertwined with her business is that she could not differentiate between a customer call versus a personal call. Now she treats her burner as the VIP line, making those calls her top priority and creating an awesome, highly responsive customer experience.
“I love that I know it’s an Etsy call, and can answer Cha Cha here!”
How are you using Burner?
We know that many of you are using Burner to power your small business and we want to hear from you! This post is part of an on-going series profiling Burner business users and if you’d like to be featured just fill out this quick survey.
