What does it take to provide top-notch customer service over the phone? It’s far more than you might think. A happy voice and a pleasant greeting is probably not nearly enough.
Customer service professionals need to be prepared to answer any and all sorts of questions about your company and service. Along with that they need to be charismatic. They also need to efficiently get your prospect or customers what they need.
However, not all organizations can afford to employ this type of person. So what does a small business without the budget for a dedicated customer service representative do? You need the best answering services. These support services often yield better results and minimize the drain customer service expenses can have on your resources. Your customers will likely experience better service than they might if you took calls in-house, too.
The following are four of the most prominent reasons why an answering service can help boost your small business.
1) Save Money and Make Money at the same time
As your business grows, your budget will grow with it. But dedicating employees specifically to answering your phones is actually expensive. Beyond the cost of that person’s salary, necessities such as a desk, phone, computer, and more add up to the budget. Some small businesses make answering the customer calls a team effort. But you don’t want to pull other employees from their work to answer the phone as it cuts into their productivity.
A dedicated answering service, gives you all the benefits of a highly-qualified customer service representative at a fraction of the cost. You will still get quality service and a knowledgeable person answering your phones.
2) Retain Valuable Customers
Consumers now expect businesses to be available round-the-clock. They call whenever it’s most convenient for them. Whereas, only answering calls during business hours leaves 16 hours a day when customer calls can go unanswered. And most callers would not leave a message or wait for a return call. In fact, 67% of customers hang up if they’re unable to reach a real live person.
As much as small business owners focus on generating new sales, building up the value of your existing customer base is a much more affordable venture, especially when you partner with an answering service such as US-Answer.
Working with these answering services that can answer after-hours calls makes sure that your customers are taken care of. With a live answering service, potential customers won’t slip through the cracks. Also, having peace of mind doesn’t hurt either.
3)Allows you to Focus on Your Company’s Most Important Tasks
It can be difficult for a company of any size to handle its call volume. But it can be especially tough for small businesses to manage. With several employees wearing many hats, many responsibilities are a team effort.
But, answering the phones often being a lower priority, a busy time during the day could play out like this:
You answer one call and engage in a 10-minute conversation with your customer. During that time, two more calls come in, which you are unable to answer. One of those callers leaves a voicemail. When you call that customer back, another call comes in, which you miss. And you ultimately can’t reach that person who left the message.
That’s three potential customers who weren’t able to reach you, all within a 15-minute window.
But an answering service can weed through your calls for you. And taking the duty of answering calls away from your team lets them focus on their more value-added responsibilities.
With an answering service like US-Answer, only the most important calls are forwarded to you, freeing your entire team up.
Conclusion
Working with the best answering service at US-Answer, is a smart move for many small businesses. You just need to decide if your time, effort and money are best spent on other tasks, or whether an answering partner is best suited to help you.Whether you need an answering service during business hours or prefer giving your customers 24-7 hour support, finding the right team can have a big impact on your business’s growth.