Why an Answering Service is Really an Investment in Your Customers
One thing marks a successful business: being there for your customers.
If keeping customers happy means making sure their calls and queries are attended to 24×7, then a good answering service is the way to go. Not all businesses have the staff capacity to tend to individual customers at all times. But an answering service could do just that for you.
Answering services can help with customer support, in scheduling appointments, in troubleshooting and in providing real-time instructions to get customers through a crisis.
Most businesses that opt for these services understand that customer engagement is integral to a good business plan. It has been shown that customers are willing to pay more money if they can be assured of excellent and timely service. Even if a customer or client is disappointed with a particular product or service, prompt attention to their problems can reverse their opinion of your business and give you a second chance.
There are several reasons why investing in an answering service can be a boost for your business.
To add a human touch: When customers call in, they dislike spending time in a queue and going through an automated menu only to realize that it does not answer their specific problem. An answering service can save time and effort for a customer by having a real person deal with their query from the onset.
To free up staff time: Very often customers, or potential customers, call in with general queries. They seek information that is perhaps already on your website. Instead of having employees interrupt their work, and thereby lower their productivity while taking these calls, an answering service can guide customers on where to find information.
To handle peak season: There are some periods in a year when you are absolutely stretched to your limits. As busy as it gets, a successful business knows that answering customers with patience and politeness is as important as meeting tight deadlines. Often it’s impossible for staff to do both well. Using an answering service during these times can definitely ease the workload without compromising on productivity.
To handle emergency situations: If your business gets a significant number of calls after working hours, an answering service can ensure that customers do not reach a dead end. Processing these calls takes skill and patience. Depending on the situation, an answering service can filter out calls that are deemed an emergency and need to be dealt with immediately or ask customers to call back the next day.
In short, a good answering service can save you money and time while making sure no customer hangs up disappointed when they are trying to reach you.
