For many people around the world, the holidays are usually one of the best times of the year. Regardless of the country that you live in or the work that you do, the holidays provide a wonderful opportunity to take a well-earned break from work and enjoy some quality time with your loved ones.
But when you’re the one in charge of running a business, it can be difficult to take your mind off your responsibilities. Something as simple as knowing that your customers will still receive great customer care during the holidays can help you focus on having a good time during your break, while guaranteeing that your business will still be profitable — even as you and your staff take some time off.
One of the easiest ways to achieve this is by hiring a virtual answering service that offers holiday cover. Thanks to this service, your business phone lines will be manned 24/7 by professional customer service agents who have received extensive training prior to joining your team.
Here are three of the biggest reasons why an answering service helps manage your call flow during the holidays.
Reason #1. It will allow you and your staff to truly enjoy your holidays
We all know that person who can’t let go of their work phone during the holidays — and nobody likes being that person. But we also know how hard it can be to stop worrying about your business. However, not enjoying your break will only make you feel more grumpy and overworked once you have to get back to work, and the same thing will happen to your staff if you don’t allow them to disconnect from their duties.
Setting up a virtual, remote call center will give you peace of mind because you’ll be certain that each and every phone call will be handled by professionals, even as you and your staff rest at home. Operators can take messages, solve inquiries, provide information, or even transfer calls when truly needed. Rather than worrying about work, you’ll finally be able to enjoy every second of the holidays.
Reason #2. It will ensure that your customers will receive high-quality care during the break
Whenever a customer is unable to receive good customer care, your business’ reputation could be at risk. If you begin your holiday break without making provisions and securing an efficient virtual call center to handle inquiries for you, you could return to work in a few weeks to find a significant number of complaints from unhappy customers. This could lead to bad reviews, a poor word-of-mouth reputation, and a loss of revenue.
Then again, how are you supposed to maintain your customer service department running without having to pay staff for extra time and keeping them away from their families? Keeping your business fully operational during the holidays can be a very expensive endeavor that’s out of reach for many small and medium-sized businesses.
A virtual answering service represents an affordable and efficient solution to this problem. Remote operators will be able to provide high-quality customer service to keep your clients satisfied and your business running smoothly during the break.
Reason #3. It will keep your sales up and maximize your efficiency when you return to work
Taking a break from business can lead to a significant decrease in revenue. This can be particularly stressful during the holidays, since many of us tend to face additional expenses during this time. Whether it’s buying gifts for the family, planning large holiday meals, or focusing on home repairs and decoration, it’s not uncommon to go over your budget during the holiday break. As a result, you may find yourself worrying about money rather than enjoying your days off.
But at the same time, it’s easy to understand why trying to make purchases can be difficult for customers over the holidays. When businesses are closed, it can be hard to get the customer service that they need in order to make an informed decision.
In many cases, customers may decide to postpone a purchase until the holidays are over, or they may try to find a different provider that’s still working during the break. These lost sales won’t just affect you during your vacation — if clients find a provider that is able to provide the services they need over the holidays, they may not return to your business later.
By working with a virtual answering service over the holidays, you’ll reduce the likelihood of losing business while making it easier for customers to purchase your products and services during this time. Additionally, it’ll be easier to return to your regular operations once the break is over, since you won’t have to handle inquiries leftover from the holiday period.
