In years past, companies could get away with being less than fully accessible. That won’t work in today’s digitally-driven, highly connected culture. Most customers expect the businesses they patronize to be accessible, always.
In order to compete at the highest level, companies should make accessibility an absolute priority. With that in mind, let’s review the benefits of adding a 24/7 answering service to your business.
It helps you keep up with — or beat — your competition
In today’s hyper-competitive business world, companies need to carve out every possible advantage. A 24/7 answering service is a great way to do this. Doing so means you’ll never miss a call — and the opportunity to land a potential lifetime customer.
You won’t miss important calls
The possibility of losing out on new business isn’t the only potential pitfall of operating without an answering service. When business spikes and things get hectic, it’s easy to miss important calls from existing clients or suppliers. Having an answering service means never having to worry about missing key phone calls during peak hours.
It eliminates the need for something customers dislike intensely — voicemail
The only thing that impresses customers less than an endlessly ringing phone is being asked to leave a voicemail. Using voicemail also has some key drawbacks on the business owner’s end. First, some customers will simply hang up rather than leaving a message. Second, voicemails are often mistakenly deleted, or so garbled that the information is unintelligible. Answering services, on the other hand, offer a human touch and greater accuracy.
It’s more efficient
In business, greater efficiency ultimately translates to higher profitability. Using a 24/7 answering service means your calls will be handled with greater efficiency and accuracy — and that’s a combination that more than pays for itself.
It allows you to devote more time to other business operations
Having a free hand to spend more time working on other aspects of your business can be invaluable, and this is exactly what an answering service offers. By letting a professional service handle your calls, you can free up much-needed time to focus on areas of your business that require attention.
It can save you money
Hiring staff to answer calls can quickly become expensive, particularly when you consider all of the additional, non-salary expenses that come with employing someone. An answering service, on the other hand, can provide both cost effectiveness and cost certainty.
An answering service is 100-percent reliable
If you hire your own staff to answer phones, you have to deal with vacation requests, illness and other scheduling issues. An answering service requires you to deal with none of those concerns, making your life easier and less complicated.
The takeaway
Using a 24/7 answering service to handle your calls offers a wide variety of benefits. Business owners seeking to make their call-handling process more efficient and cost-effective should give serious consideration to using an answering service. Contact MAP Communications to start your free 7-day trial!
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