5 things a call answering service can do for your business in 2023

by Paul Sandquest 20 February 2023

Call answering services are not a new concept and many businesses have used them at some point. But if you thought the service was just about taking calls and passing messages, think again.

Phone answering services can be an integral part of your marketing mix, sales process and brand identity.

Here’s how:

1. Lead Collection

Data is crucial for business success. Every contact with a potential customer is a chance to capture essential data. Every missed connection is a missed opportunity.

Research suggests that 85% of customers will simply move on to a competitor if you don’t answer their call. But there is no reason for your business to ever miss a call.

A virtual receptionist or virtual personal assistant service ensures new customers receive an answer when they call – which we know is the first step to securing their business.

Even if the call doesn’t result in a sale, it provides an opportunity to capture data. This data can then be forwarded to you or added to your CRM so you have good-quality leads for future marketing campaigns.

2. Brand Integration

Some business owners are put off of phone answering services for fear that the agents will sound distant from their brand. But these services employ customer service professionals who use a script, your FAQs, hour-by-hour company updates and more details you provide as a comprehensive guide to your business.

These services are designed so that customers don’t even know they are talking to somebody outside of your organisation.

This approach ensures a seamless customer experience that actually makes your business more professional and more attractive to customers.

3. Order Processing

75% of customers believe the quickest way to get a proper response is to make a phone call. And these days, they expect to be able to contact you at the time that suits them best. So, if you find yourself taking calls and processing orders when you thought you had finished work or it was your day off, that’s the reason why.

It can be so tempting to not take that call as it’s Sunday, but you just never know when you’re turning down a huge client.

With a 7-day-a-week call answering provider on board, you can relax and enjoy your time off safe in the knowledge your calls are being answered and orders processed.

Answering services can even take orders using your system and schedule appointments in your calendar.

4. Appointment Scheduling

Calendar management is so important when it comes to making the most efficient use of your time. It’s also vital to ensure you don’t miss an appointment and upset a client or colleague.

But trying to manage your calendar when you have to take care of your core business, answer the phones and take care of admin is a surefire way to make mistakes.

Missed appointments are unprofessional and reflect badly on you and your business. A call-answering service that manages your calendar provides a respectable image and helps demonstrate that your business is a well-oiled machine.

A telephone answering service can integrate with any calendar or meeting software or platform. This gives you and your team the confidence that no appointments are ever missed.

5. Call Reporting

Knowing how many calls you receive per month is vital data in helping determine how your customers want to engage with you.

With no record of the number of calls received (or at least no easily accessible figures), you cannot possibly know how to provide the best customer experience.

Likewise, if you run a marketing campaign you need to be able to track how effective it has been, how many respondents you had, and how they connected with your business offline.

Call reporting puts all this information at your fingertips and adds value to the way you analyse your business and make future decisions.

Reports include overall call counts, duration, average call duration, an itemised list of all calls received, the phone number that was dialled, and the outcome of each call.

Call answering services can collect leads, enhance brand reputation, process orders, schedule appointments and provide unique insights into how your business operates.

They provide all the same benefits of an in-house receptionist but for far less outlay, far less hassle, and no recruitment or ongoing employee costs.

To talk about how you can take your small business to the next level for a minimal monthly fee, get in touch.