As the world grows increasingly smaller and it’s easier to do business in Berlin and Beijing, your customers are less and less sure of where they fit in the bigger picture.
They fear the days of knowing their local vendors and service people are nearing an end, and the spread of globalization can certainly elicit that fear in anyone sometimes. That’s why it’s so important that your company help your community remember they’re still dealing with a neighbor each and every time they call, even—and especially—when you partner with an answering service.
Using a local answering service means you’re getting the benefit of a local number for your answering service, even if you or the service is located across the country. This local connection gives your callers a sense of security and a feeling like they’re still talking to one of their own, even when they live in a thriving city where it’s impossible for everyone to know each other’s names. A local number can create a connection where one might not have existed before, or open up doors you’ve been trying to penetrate for a while.
Here are a few examples of how a local answering service can help you in a global world:
Increased outbound call answering. If your local answering service is doing outbound calling for you, whether that’s to help with satisfaction surveys or to spread the word about your newest product, people are far more likely to pick up a local number than a toll free number or out of area number. A local number is someone they know, after all. You can’t make a connection if your recipient won’t answer the phone.
Expanding your reach into neighboring areas. You can’t possibly expand your physical presence into every local area code, no matter how much you may want to. With a local answering service you can pay a little extra and have a local phone number for each area you service, allowing each nearby town or section of the city to have a local inbound number to call in order to reach you. A local number increases confidence and lends a note of legitimacy to your business.
Make it easy to connect. Although most people have some sort of free long distance calling package on their mobile phones these days, not everyone does. For those folks holding on to their land lines or who live in areas with poor cell coverage, calling an out of town number to reach your business may cause them to incur long distance charges. A local number solves this problem, too. Depending on where you’re located, the landlines may still dramatically outnumber the mobile phones out of sheer practicality, and there’s no reason to block an entire market when it’s this easy to work with your neighbors.
A local answering service can make a world of difference for your business as global business becomes increasingly dominant. It’s still important to be able to get service from the tow truck company down the street or an appointment with the doctor in town. Local answering services can help you expand your business and still retain your hometown feel.
