Many business owners and entrepreneurs do it all. Marketing, sales, product development, accounting…the list is endless.
Deciding what to delegate to your team, or contract out, can be tricky, but these decisions can also help you elevate your customer service and grow your business.
Simply being reachable around the clock is a great way to show your customers (and potential customers) you value their business. But doing that yourself can cost you your sanity! Luckily, there’s a better way to be there for your callers.
So how do you know if a 24x7x365 virtual live answering service could be a good fit for your business? Here are 9 signs to look for:
Voicemail in the morning
If you come into work in the morning and see the blinking light of voicemail on your desktop phone, that’s a sure sign you’re missing out on potential leads. In today’s world of business, customers expect to be able to reach you day or night. With 24-hour phone support, you can shine the light of excellent service on their dark hours of need.
You miss calls while you’re on the other line
You’re on the phone with one client. A second call comes in. Good news, right? So many leads. Well, that good news can turn bad if you don’t have the ability to respond quickly.
The reality is that many people will just call the next number on their list. The first step toward winning a new client’s business, or keeping an existing customer happy, is often just picking up the phone. 24×7 live phone coverage can help you do just that.
Your customers live in different time zones
Some customers may keep different hours from you and your team. Maybe they live on the opposite coast, or across the world. Maybe they just like to shop after hours.
Staffing your business around the clock is expensive. And depending on the volume of after hours calls, orders, or appointments you get, it may not pencil out. 24×7 live answering coverage gives you an affordable way to stay open around the clock.
Abandoned shopping carts
If you’re seeing shopping carts on your ecommerce site abandoned during the hours you’re closed, it may be that customers have a question they need answered before they’re ready to buy.
By making customer support—by phone, email, or chat—available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, you can impress your shoppers, answer their questions, and win them over. Not just for that purchase, but maybe for life.
You’re out standing in your field
Many entrepreneurs and small business people work away from their headquarters—in the field or on a job site. You may be outdoors, meeting with clients, or in transit much of the day. And while mobile phones make it possible to take calls on the go, that doesn’t mean it’s always convenient to answer.
A live answering service lets you deal with the customer, partner, or task at hand—wherever it might be—secure in the knowledge that your next lead is getting the support they need.
24×7 customer service frees you to work anywhere. Do what you need to do, where you need to do it, and then check in for your messages when the time is right for you.
You don’t even answer your personal phone!
Let’s face it—some of us just don’t enjoy talking on the phone. Maybe you’re more of a face-to-face communicator. Or maybe you’re at your best in writing, and prefer email or text messaging.
If you tend to screen your personal calls, why not let a live answering service do the same for you at work? More and more, phone calls can feel like an interruption, demanding your attention on the caller’s terms, even if you’re trying to work on something else.
With a live answering service, you can have a buffer. Focus on the tasks that are most important to your vision and strategy, without missing out on opportunity when it knocks—or rings.
You spend money on ads—then can’t keep up
Advertising is expensive. If you’re spending money on pay-per-click, mobile, print, or even billboard ads, you want to make sure you get a solid return on that investment.
If you buy ads but can’t capitalize on the leads they generate, you lose twice. Live answering can let you rest easy, knowing that no matter how well your ads work, a scalable service is there to handle the inbound calls, clicks, or chats.
Phone calls during dinner
As an entrepreneur, sole proprietor, or small business owner, you may have business calls routed to your cell phone. This lets you handle your business any time, day or night!
A 24×7 live answering service gives you the option to delegate the responsibility of answering your calls. When you’re in an important meeting—or even just having a quiet dinner with the family—you can avoid being disturbed but still know your callers are getting the service they need.
You need to be competitive—but 24×7 staffing would break the bank
A round-the-clock live answering service is much more affordable than staffing 24 hours a day.
With a live answering service, you have customizable coverage. You can use live answering for all your calls, only after hours and weekends, or on another schedule. You’ll get customer support coverage when your customers need it, but you pay by the minute—not by the hour or year like with a full time employee.
You don’t have to choose between an expensive in-house employee and missed opportunity. There’s a middle way. A live answering plan can help you stay competitive, providing a good customer experience by phone, email, and chat.
Give 24×7 live answering a try
If these signs ring true, you probably have a good opportunity to pick up some new business and keep your current customers happy without spending a lot.
Don’t make it hard for people to buy your products and services. Most customers won’t call back or even leave a message. If you aren’t ready, they’ll move to the next Google result—your competition. Admit it…you’d probably do the same thing.
A virtual live answering service is an affordable way to make sure you never miss out on a lead. AnswerConnect helps thousands of entrepreneurs, small business owners, and enterprise customers provide 24×7 customer service through live answering. We can help you, too!
