Start-ups and answering services go together like peanut butter and jelly.
Whether you’re a one-person business or you have a small start-up team, here are four reasons why answering services are an essential for your business during the start up phase and beyond:
- You’re too busy to answer the phones.
As you start and run your business, there’s always something to do. You and your team have so much that you need to accomplish it’s essential that you spend every minute wisely.
You need to focus on doing what you do best – and that isn’t picking up the phone every time it rings. You need to rely on someone else to greet callers and help them with what they need because you just don’t have the time.
- You need to make a good impression.
When you’re first starting out in your business, you don’t want customers to get the impression that you’re inexperienced or won’t be around next week. In short, you sometimes need to look bigger than you are.
A professional logo, a great website and an answering service are great ways to do that. With a virtual receptionist answering your calls and seamlessly transferring them to your home office, your callers get the impression that your business is thriving enough to afford another employee.
- You need to develop a reputation for great customer service.
Every incoming call is an opportunity to turn your business from a struggling start up to a thriving empire. You can’t afford to miss a call – but you can’t be there personally. An answering service is the best solution because it will help you maintain high levels of customer service.
When an incoming caller can reach a live voice instead of an automated voicemail message, they feel valued. You can brief your virtual receptionist on the most common issues callers will be calling about and then he or she can help callers with information, or with a transfer to someone that can help. It’s a seamless process that leaves callers feeling supported and valued.
- You need to make (and save) money. Start ups need to make their money go further – and hiring an answering service is a perfect way to do that. It’s significantly less expensive than hiring a full time receptionist to sit at your office.
When you compare the salary, benefits and other expenses of another employee, it’s clear that virtual receptionists are more cost effective for your start up.
When you’re a start-up, time and money count more than ever. Make both go further when you work with a virtual receptionist through an answering service.
