An answering service can provide several vital benefits for businesses. It’s especially true in the increasingly virtual setting many offices are using today. Companies rely on staffing to manage their client workflow. Whether you’re a start-up business or a growing company, it’s good practice to incorporate a professional answering service into your customer support plan. If you’re struggling to determine when is the right time to include outsourced support, consider the key indicators below that your business needs an answering service.
- Missed Sales Calls
Despite advancements in online purchasing, 68% of consumers prefer to communicate with businesses via phone and inbound sales calls have a major impact on a company’s bottom line. But more than half of calls made into businesses go unanswered resulting in missed sales opportunities, profit loss, and a negative impression of your business. Expanding your sales team with an answering service maximizes your ability to connect with customers at the height of their buying decisions and increase revenue by introducing them to additional products or services that enhance the buying experience. - Your Business Is Growing
Your staff should grow at the rate of your business. Being understaffed can adversely affect your company’s service levels and reputation. Consumers feel valued and are more comfortable doing business with companies that provide adequate service. Every business dreams of exponential growth. However, if the number of customers outweighs the number of agents available to assist them, it’s time to invest in an answering service. Answering services are customizable to your current and future business needs. Companies outsource answering services to establish a customer support team or to distribute the workload and expand service hours for an existing department. - You Want a More Professional Image
Millions of small businesses in the U.S. compete for many of the same customers. First impressions are an important factor in whether a customer decides to buy a product or service from you. Having a professional image and service can be the difference in setting your business apart from the masses. Small businesses can remain small and gain the image and likeness of a larger entity with an answering service. Customers are willing to pay a premium for companies that display a professional image along with quality products or services. This allows smaller businesses to increase profits and the ability to compete with bigger corporations simply by including professional answering services into their operations. - Answering Frequently Asked Questions Keeps You Busy
Time is money. If you spend a significant portion of your work day answering phone calls from customers for basic or frequently asked questions, it’s a sign that your business needs an answering service. Unnecessary calls can interrupt your schedule and impede revenue-generating activities. An answering service allows you to automate the most common questions while still providing customers with the option to speak with an agent. This is especially important for small companies as it frees up business owners to focus on important tasks without jeopardizing continuity and good customer service. - Your Voicemail Is Full
A full voicemail box is a clear indicator that your business needs an answering service. Communication is a key factor in customers doing business with companies they know, like, and trust. An unattended voicemail box sends a message that a business owner is too busy to provide services or unresponsive to customers’ needs which deters a potential customer from buying from you. - You Need an Emergency Plan in Place
Businesses need to provide essential services during natural disasters or other emergencies and there must be a way for customers and employees to reach the company. If your company is unable to communicate or handle demand during an emergency, including an answering service in your disaster recovery plan should be your first step. - You Run a 24/7 Operation
A clear sign your business needs an answering service is if you run a 24/7 operation. For professionals who provide around-the-clock support, such as IT specialists, locksmiths, and healthcare providers, an answering service helps provide a work-life balance by acting as a buffer between you and a frantic customer at 3 am. Your business benefits from the convenience of live agents available to provide client support and filter emergency from non-emergency calls with the ability to dispatch the appropriate contacts when needed. - You Have Multiple Departments
For a company with multiple departments, hiring an answering service provides professionalism and efficiency as a receptionist or reception overflow. This benefit saves your company the high cost of employment taxes, hiring/training/benefits of an in-house receptionist, and ensures no PTO or time off interruptions. An answering service is used to route calls to the appropriate departments, take and deliver messages, and manage calendars as needed.
Whether your company is experiencing growing pains, needs more time for important work, or can’t afford to miss another sales call, hiring a reliable answering service like Responsive Answering Service can help maximize your time and profitability. We’re a leader in quality call center and answering service support throughout the U.S. for over 40 years. Our professional and knowledgeable agents are versed in providing stellar service in a variety of industries 24/7 with a live agent. We specialize in virtual assisting, appointment scheduling, call screening, and more for small to large companies and can customize an answering service plan specific to your business needs.
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