As a business owner cannot be everywhere at the same time. You will need to focus on the company’s growth strategy, payroll, employee welfare and so on. This means that you cannot be next to a phone every time it rings, because it will needlessly interfere with quality time and reduce efficiency. The environment surrounding a small business can get very chaotic if it’s not organized properly, and this is where it can be challenging to complete your daily to-do list.
When things start getting chaotic and spin out of control, you may feel overwhelmed. This is where you will need an answering service to regain control of your business. When you partner with a phone answering services, you can get a calling plan that is customized to your needs and it can help you gain control of your business and profitability.
What is an Answering Service?
An answering service is a group of trained customer service experts who are trained to answer calls from clients and customers. They are professionals who take in detailed messages and relay these messages directly to a business owner (in their case , a client) or a specific employee. An answering service employs experts who are well versed in speaking to customers from a wide variety of industries and job fields. From order taking to performing virtual receptionist duties, the benefits of a phone answering service are endless.
Can My Business Benefit from an Answering Service?
Almost every business can use an answering service. So, whether you own or operate a real estate agency, a medical clinic, retail store, or a beauty salon, a call answering service can be beneficial and useful for you. This is because they can help manage client calls, answer after-hour calls, cover your calls when you’re unavailable (like when you go on a holiday), and also can take the place of a full-time secretary.
Advantages of an Answering Service
Boosts Staff Productivity:
Telephone calls are quite distracting, and cell phone usage during work hours can be the biggest distraction of them all. Even if they are great for business, and help you stay connected with clients, the constant use of a phone can hamper daily productivity levels. It can also break momentum when employees are working and it forces them to spend time finding a solution to the customers’ problems.
A live answering service is cost-effective and it helps eliminate distractions while boosting productivity. It helps staff maintain their momentum and focus on important tasks.
Helps Control Labor Costs:
For many small businesses, labor can be a significant expense. This may be an expected cost, but you wouldn’t want it to go out of hand, especially if you’re a startup. Therefore, using an answering service can help reduce any extra costs that come with hiring a dedicated receptionist or an admin person. This will help your business to free up funds that might have been spent on a full-time hire who only puts in a handful of hours a day.
Removes the Need for Hiring New Staff:
Hiring new staff can be quite tiring. Once you hire new staff, you need to factor in time and effort for training and monitoring not to mention the costs discussed in the previous point. When you use a business answering service, you trigger two factors. Firstly, you eliminate the stress of hiring new employees, and secondly, you remove the need to monitor new staff until they catch up with the speed in their job.
Maximizing ROI:
Every business has a major goal, and it usually involves maximizing the ROI. Spending loads of money on marketing is of new use if you are not accessible when sales calls come in, this will cut your ROI dramatically. So, if your company partners with a live answering service it would mean that you won’t miss any sales opportunities when the staff isn’t around. With a competent answering service, you will see hundreds of leads in your inbox in the morning, and it will maximize your ROI as well.
What Businesses can Benefit for an Answering Service?
Attorney:
Whether you’re opening a solo practice or managing it with a partner in a large law firm, you will recognize the importance of delivering top quality telephone service to your clients (existing and potential). You may not be available to answer a call at any hour of the day, especially if you have to handle a busy law firm as well.
This is where attorney professional answering service comes into the picture.. This will help them deliver professional assistance to every client call as they come with comprehensive, industry-specific, and company tailored training
Healthcare:
Health care answering services make it easy for patients to get in touch with medical offices; this includes independent general medicine, dentists, veterinarians, and so on. Also, a live answering service preserves your focus, lets you concentrate on the patient you’re with, and not only the ones on the phone.
Restaurants:
Few industries are more competitive or depend on customer satisfaction than the hospitality industry. If the customer service of your restaurant falls short, the clients and customers will take their daily cravings elsewhere. Missing out on booking a reservation means more than losing revenue – average service triggers negative reviews that trickle down to other users thus resulting in an undesirable domino effect.
Customers need information and a quick response to make reservations. An answering service for restaurants ensures that you never miss a call and capture a lead for every special event, make the right impression, and always stay a step ahead of the competition.
Beauty and Wellness:
If you stop by any busy salon or spa, you will notice that their phones are ringing off the hook. Salon professionals will face challenges where they would have to balance their busy schedules and answering client calls. With the help of an answering service you can build communication helplines to connect with potential customers. This option is way more cost effective than hiring additional employees.
Maintenance:
If you’re into plumbing, HVAC, or electrical maintenance, then you need to understand that a telephone is a vital tool for your business, just like a plier or a screwdriver. Timely professional phone service will give an edge over your competition, and it will make you more responsive to the needs of the customers. A business answering service is important for your line of work because you can be available for any emergency and the operators can follow a specially developed protocol for dispatching service personnel.
Conclusion:
Answering services are a great way to get work done even when you’re not around. They showcase your business in a professionally packaged manner to customers-which in turns increases footfalls and drives profits. What’s more – it beats having a dedicated receptionist or a full-time call responder who leaves at 6 every evening!
Over the years, Expert Callers has helped business owners across several domains including hospitality, legal, maintenance & repair, retail and healthcare take their customer service to a whole new level with our Call Answering Services. Show your loyal clients “you care” with your very own customer support team. Talk to us to know more about the several benefits of this service and customized pricing plans
