3 Reasons Your Small Business Needs An Answering Service
Financial resources are usually limited for small business owners. This can make it challenging to hire someone to answer the phone at all times.
Many small business owners opt to use answering machines or other devices to respond to customer calls because they feel that hiring a professional answering service might not fit into their budget. The truth of the matter is that your small business can't afford not to rely on the help that professional answering services can provide.
Learn more about the ways an answering service can benefit your small business over time.
1. Improve the Customer Service Experience
Every customer is important to a small business. The last thing you want to do is lose a customer to one of your competitors because they were unable to reach someone from your business on the phone.
A professional answering service will ensure that an attendant with extensive customer service training answers each of your company's incoming phone calls. You even have the option of extending your contact hours to better accommodate the needs of your customers when partnering with an answering service.
When customers are able to reach a live person every time they contact your business, you can avoid negative customer service experiences that could hurt your bottom line.
2. Avoid Automated Phone Systems
Automated telephone systems have long been considered an affordable alternative to answering services. Modern customers are helping business owners see that automation isn't all it's cracked up to be.
An automated phone system can be frustrating to use. Your customers will have to listen to lengthy menus, then pound numbers or speak with just the right inflection to trigger the automated system into forwarding their call.
Automated systems can actually reduce efficiency by increasing the number of misrouted calls and extending the amount of time your customers spend on the phone each time they contact your small business.
3. Establish Trust With Your Customers
Small businesses typically don't have the reach or influence required to be a household name. Potential customers in need of your products or services could be hesitant to trust your company as a result of your smaller footprint in the marketplace.
Employing an answering service can help you begin to establish trust between your company and potential customers.
Answering services allow customers to reach a live person that can answer questions or provide directions each time they call. This type of reliability shows that your small business cares about customers, which helps trust grow.