Yes, many businesses still use answering services as their main contact for their customers. When it comes to who needs an answering service, you might be surprised to learn that most customers want to speak directly to a person and not navigate through a menu or chat online. In fact, by adding a phone number to a website it becomes more trustworthy, with research showing that when a visitor sees a phone number they are more likely to engage. Plus, many businesses would like to cut costs by using an answering service instead of an in-house receptionist. So what is the point of an answering service if you’re a small business? In this blog, we explain who is using answering services and why.
What Does a Live Answering Service Do?
A live answering service is provided by a company who helps your business answer calls without the need for an in-house receptionist. With the support of a phone answering service, you can focus on running your business while trained professionals answer calls from customers on your behalf. These services can make a great first impression on your customers, certainly better than sending them to automated messages or directly to voicemail. Using a live answering service ensures that customers who call your business will be connected with an actual person and not find themselves lost in a maze of frustrating automated menus.
Reducing the time a consumer must wait to speak to a representative is one way in which a live answering service helps both the company and the customer. With a live agent, customers can get the answers they need or be directed to the appropriate department much faster.
So what features do answering services offer to you?
- Screening calls
- Setting appointments
- Providing customer service
- Responding to text and email communications
- Answering after hours or on weekends
- Offering 24/7 availability
- Managing high call volumes
A live answering service operator is a highly skilled expert who is equipped to manage a wide variety of customer questions, concerns, and other situations. Your company’s reputation—as well as your customer satisfaction and retention rates—can benefit greatly from the use of a high-quality professional answering service. Ultimately, answering services like Answering Service Care, friendly and supportive professional operators provide the complete support your customers deserve.
Who Uses an Answering Service?
Answering services are typically most useful for small- and medium-sized businesses that don’t have the funds to hire internal staff to handle their high call volumes. Using an answering service can immediately scale in sync with your company—as your business grows, so does your call volume, and these services can help. They boost efficiency and cut down on payroll expenses, which is why it’s so beneficial to smaller businesses.
Some businesses that use answering services include:
- Small Businesses: Startups and small businesses often have to make do with limited finances and can’t afford to have a dedicated employee handle incoming calls and messages. Answering services help small companies since they can easily scale up (or down) and invest in new and comprehensive services as the company’s needs change.
- Law Firms: Attorneys and law firms must use all available resources to resolve their clients’ legal problems—while remaining confidential. Lawyers who use answering services can concentrate on client matters without being interrupted.
- Medical Facilities: HIPAA-compliant services, like those at Answering Service Care, are widely used by healthcare professionals to handle patient intake, appointment scheduling, and after-hours calls and texts.
- Financial Services: Financial planners are too busy with meetings, following leads, and making clients feel valued to continuously answer phones. By ensuring that clients can always get in touch with you, an answering service can increase your company’s reputation and connect them with a helpful operator.
- Insurance Agencies: Leads, phone calls, and later conversations can be time-consuming and overwhelming, but they are crucial for insurance companies. A 24/7 service can assist agents in personalizing and handling your communication needs. This assistance is especially useful given the volume of emails that need to be responded to, leads that need to be verified, and sales that need to be made each month.
Answering services can be used in any industry—with the confidence that your customers’ and clients’ information will be kept safe. Our team at Answering Service Care will always be friendly and professional, and you can trust us to keep your data secure.
Why Should I Use an Answering Service?
If you own a small business, it’s crucial to provide the best customer service available for your customers. Plus, customers would rather speak with a live person than a chatbot or automated message. With answering services, you’ll be able to offer 24/7 client support at a reduced cost. But what are other advantages you will get with answering services?
What Are Advantages of Answering Services?
Answering services provide several advantages for businesses looking to increase their ability to answer phone calls and maintain exceptional customer service. While there are many advantages, the top five include the ability to:
- Provide 24/7 support: Never miss a call, even if it’s after hours or on the weekends.
- Focus on running your business: Concentrate on business operations, not the phones, and increase productivity.
- Save time and money: Hiring an in-house receptionist can get expensive, but answering services cut the need for salary, benefits, and training.
- Improve your business’s image: Provide professional assistance to your customers and see an increase in engagement and retention.
- Customize your customer experience: Tailor your answering service specifically for your business and your customers.
What Is the Best Answering Service for Small Business? Answering Service Care.
At Answering Service Care, we are a part of your team. We can schedule appointments and answer frequently asked questions regarding the services you provide with the script that best fits your company’s voice and strategies. If you want to take advantage of live answering services, visit our website, give us a call at (800) 430-6511, or click to get started now!
