Why Your Business Needs an After-Hours Answering Serivce

Why Your Business Needs an After-Hours Answering Serivce

Are you missing out on potential business due to not being available after-hours? 24/7 answering service availability is what most customers have come to expect in this instant solution generation.

Do not miss out on another opportunity; consider partnering with an after-hours answering service today! They will keep you connected with your customers and prospects even after you have gone home for the day.

Not completely on board with the idea of working with an answering service for your customer service needs? Consider these four reasons:

24/7 accessibility

Just because your office is closed doesn’t mean your business should be. In the digital era, with the internet being at people’s fingertips 24 hours a day, consumers have access to your business at all times. An after-hours service can help you build your revenue and customer loyalty by being available for your customers when they need you the most. The answering service will act as an extension of your business, so regardless of when your customers or prospects call, they will receive the same level of service.

Go the extra mile

Customers appreciate when businesses go the extra mile. Not everyone is available to call during normal business hours, so wouldn’t you agree that these individuals should still receive prompt service when they do call? In a highly competitive marketplace, if you aren’t able to provide your customers with the experience they expect, then you can expect them to take their business somewhere else. 59% of consumers will try a new brand or company for a better service experience. Show your customers that you care and that every call is important to you by being available for them 24/7.

Lost Revenue

By missing out on calls, you are missing out on the opportunity to connect with your customers and prospects. If a customer is already upset about an issue, reaching a voicemail will only make the situation worse, and keep in mind that it takes 12 positive experiences to make up for one negative experience.

Also, a majority of people do not leave voicemails nowadays. A2011 survey found that 67% of customers have hung up the phone out of frustration when they could not talk to a real person. This means that any prospects that call in after-hours and reach a voicemail will likely just move on to your competitors.

Word of Mouth

What your customers say about your business could make or break you. An American Express survey found that consumers are two times more likely to share their bad customer service experiences than they are to talk about positive experiences. Since word of mouth has such a big impact on a company’s reputation, it would not be good business sense to provide inadequate service to your customers.

When you are able to provide great service and meet your customers’ needs, they will become loyal to your brand, spend more, and will be one of your best marketing tools. With 74% of consumers identifying WOM as a key influencer in their purchasing decision, it is one of the most successful types of advertising, and the best part, it’s free!

If you want to keep revenue coming in, it may be time to invest in an after-hours answering service. Providing your customers with around-the-clock service will leave them happy and coming back for more, and for less money than it would cost to employ a full time employee to cover your phones in the afterhours.