Missed and unanswered calls reduce customer satisfaction, damaging your business’s image, brand and profitability. A professional call answering service which takes incoming calls on your behalf can help you manage communications, improve workflow and consequently increase profitability. Here we look at some of the reasons businesses choose to outsource their calls.
Never miss an opportunity
By partnering with a call answering service, you will never miss a call again. When customers call your company but don’t get an answer, this harms your brand and makes them feel as though your business doesn’t value them. Sometimes that one call can be enough to seal a major deal and missing it means losing out on potential revenue. With a professional call answering service, you can be sure that a dedicated professional will take calls on your behalf so you don’t have to worry about missing a crucial call or disappointing your customers. Every opportunity is captured.
Productivity increases
Although every call could be an important opportunity to increase revenue and give excellent customer service, answering the phone can be a distraction that you and your staff don’t have time for. For small businesses in particular, interruptions are a big issue, particularly if you’re in a meeting or focusing all your attention on a major project. Research has shown that it takes about 25 minutes to get back on track after being interrupted and the incidence of mistakes also increases.
A call answering service filters and prioritises calls in line with your business needs. When you are unavailable, a dedicated team will take messages for you, block unwanted sales calls and connect VIPs only when necessary. This means you and your team can concentrate on important tasks and your customers’ demands are still met.
Excellent customer service 24/7
Every company needs to provide excellent customer service in an increasingly global, digitised marketplace. It can also give you a competitive edge and is a recognised brand differentiator. By outsourcing your calls to a dedicated team of professionals who know your business well, you can be certain that your customers will feel valued. In addition to great customer service, a 24/7 call answering service makes your business available outside of regular office hours and this can be a major advantage. Many of your customers will work out of hours and will find it far more convenient to be able to contact your business in the evenings and at weekends. Additionally, if you need to communicate with international clients in different time zones, a 24/7 telephone service is vital.
Business overheads are reduced
It is both expensive and time-consuming to hire an in-house team to answer the phone. At quieter times when they are not needed, it is frustrating and not the best use of your financial resources. A call answering service costs a fraction of what you would have to pay full-time team members and gives you greater flexibility.