Running a business from home can be a challenging endeavor that asks you to wear many hats. You might be filling orders, fielding questions, responding to emails, and dealing with suppliers all at once. This all becomes more complicated when you are constantly interrupted by a ringing telephone.
Perhaps you are not quite ready to expand to a full-scale office with a full-time staff. This doesn’t mean you can’t outsource some of your labor to competent workers. A live call answering service might be just what you need to make your customers feel supported, enabling you to focus most of your energy on the day-to-day labor that keeps you afloat.
If you are still on the fence, consider these four clues that your home-based business needs additional office support:
You Have Received Customer Complaints About Your Phone Tree
A common and cost-effective option for managing calls is the use of computerized phone trees. Unfortunately, these phone trees are not known for being user-friendly. As your business continues to grow, and the volume of calls increases, your customers may find the phone tree to be complicated and irritating. When faced with a computerized phone tree, many customers will hang up. On the other hand, a live receptionist can provide a friendly, personalized greeting. Speaking to real person puts many customers at ease, and helps them to reach the person they needed to contact in the first place.
Phone Calls are Frequently Interrupting Your Work
If phone calls seem to be breaking up your workflow, this can lead to feelings of frustration. If you’re feeling annoyed by phone calls, there is a good chance you are not giving your customers the care and consideration they need. There is no need to feel overwhelmed. Perhaps it is time to delegate some of that phone-answering labor. A live receptionist can answer the phone and provide your customers with basic information, forwarding the call to you only when truly necessary.
Customers Are Hanging Up
Here is the truth: most people will not wait very long for you to answer the phone. And when a phone call goes to voicemail, only about 25% of people will leave a message. This means that the other 75% of callers are probably contacting someone else. An answering service can decrease the amount of time it takes for your calls to be answered. A live receptionist can field questions, take messages, and provide helpful info, offering your customers a chance for connection and a seamless opportunity to patronize your business.
You’re Ready to Take Your Business to the Next Level
The use of an answering service gives your business a professional flourish, while making your customers feel supported. If your customers can speak to a live person every time they call, it can make your business seem legitimate and stable, and build customer loyalty in the process. No matter what industry you are in, the use of an answering service can have positive effects on the appearance of your business at a relatively low cost.
