From greeting office visitors, to filing, preparing important documents or processing bills, there is little doubt that a receptionist can be a valued part of any organization. Yet despite the very real benefits a full-time receptionist offers, there are many situations where a different option makes more sense: Using a live answering service.
With that in mind, let’s take a minute to discuss why a remote receptionist might be a better choice for your business than a human one.
An Answering Service Offers Unbeatable Reliability
You’re probably familiar with the famous phrase “to err is human; to forgive, divine.” And that’s the truth — people are fallible, and we tend to make more mistakes when we’re under pressure or when we take on too much responsibility.
In most modern offices, receptionists are multi-taskers. When asked to do too much, the potential for errors and missed calls increases. Additionally, if there is a manpower shortage somewhere else in the office, the receptionist is often asked to fill in temporarily, leaving incoming calls to be routed straight to voicemail.
An answering service, however, focuses on one core duty — and does it extremely well. By using a service, you reduce the chances of errors occurring and assure yourself the most reliable service possible.
A Live Answering Service Provides You With An Around The Clock Presence
Receptionists, like most office personnel, typically work nine-to-five. Incoming calls, however, know no fixed schedule. By opting for a remote receptionist, your business gets call coverage around the clock, seven days each week.
The benefits of this approach are myriad. First, you’ll never have to worry about missed connections or garbled messages. Second, it provides your business with a sheen of professionalism and credibility. It also assures your clientele (and prospective customers) that you take their patronage seriously enough to invest in a comprehensive answering solution.
An Answering Service Is Great For Your Bottom Line
Here’s an undeniable truth: Many people simply don’t like voicemail. Research from the Harvard Business Review has shown that our overall engagement with voicemail is dropping; people simply don’t like to retrieve their voicemail messages, and they often hang up when calling a business and encountering a voicemail prompt.
Obviously, this isn’t good for business. If you’re relying on voicemail to cover the hours your receptionist doesn’t work, the odds are good that you’re missing out on business thanks to your customers’ distaste for voicemail systems.
On the other hand, a live answering service provides a warm, professional touch that machines will never equal. This not only prevents customers from hanging up before a conversation gets started, it also places them in a positive frame of mind that’s conducive to doing business.
An Answering Machine Doesn’t Require Training And Benefits
There’s a learning curve involved for even a highly-skilled receptionist starting a new position. Not so with an answering service; that is ready to go from day one. Answering services require no training, no benefits and no additional pay — making it a highly cost-effective solution for organizations of all types.
The Takeaway
While a receptionist brings value to any business, there are certain things that a live answering service does much better. If you’re looking for a highly-efficient, accessible and cost-effective solution for your business calls, consider going with an answering service. Contact MAP Communications to start your free 7-day trial!
Here’s some related articles you might be interested in:
Top 8 Benefits of Partnering with an Answering Service
