Between decking the halls and “fa la la”-ing, your holiday business can quickly careen out of control as answering calls becomes a non-stop job and your employees start disappearing to attend to their own holiday observances.
What’s a small business owner to do when he or she can’t put the phone down long enough to handle in-store customers or fulfill online orders?
One of the most cost-effective tools you can employ to help get your business through the holiday rush is an answering service company. When you turn your phone calls over to a telephone answering service, you give yourself permission to focus on the business at hand — and to allow someone else to help your other customers.
How An Answering Service Helps Out During the Holidays
An answering service is more than just an after-hours solution for callers who have emergencies, they’re great for any type of business. During the holidays, the flexibility of an answering service can help you stretch your budget by minimizing extra holiday staffing and helping you stay organized so you don’t miss any opportunities.
Here are just a few of the jobs an answering service can do for you:
Overflow call answering. During the holidays, many businesses experience an exponential increase in business activity. The phone rings non-stop as you try to manage other customer needs in a crazy blur of chaos. An answering service can pick up any calls you miss in the hubbub, ensuring that your customers are provided with exactly the information they need right when they need it.
Providing organized call logs. No one likes taking endless dictation from an answering machine, especially when half your callers request a call back but offer no indication as to what they need. When your callers reach an answering service, they’re asked detailed questions to determine exactly how you can help them and how urgent their need is. With an organized call log, you can prioritize your callbacks and make the most of the limited time you have during the holiday season.
Setting appointments. Did you know an answering service can set appointments for you? They certainly can! By giving your answering service access to your calendar, you can let someone else answer the phone and book appointments, no matter what sort of business you’re in. This frees you up to focus on the customers right in front of you.
Answering common customer questions. Often, potential and existing customers call simply to ask questions about your services or products. An answering service can provide your callers with the answers they need without hesitation, using the specific language and materials you’ve provided. This way, your customers are handled the same way you would, but without having to wait for answers they need right away.
Live answering services can be your best friend during the holiday rush. Businesses in every sector, from retail to eCommerce to service companies, see a huge boost in sales this time of year, but often can’t meet the demand because they’re so busy trying to keep all their plates spinning. By partnering with an answering service company, you can focus more of your energy on what you do best this holiday season.
