A call answering service is an outsourced virtual PA team that answers incoming business calls. Many providers offer add-on services, such as diary management and managed live chat.
In this post, a leading UK call answering provider, Bizik, explains the five key ways every business can benefit from a call answering service.
Capture every opportunity
By partnering with a call answering service, you’ll never miss a call again. Whether your in-house team is busy helping other customers, you’ve been called into a last-minute meeting, or you simply don’t have the resources to manage demand, don’t let that stop you from capturing every opportunity.
A reliable call-answering service pairs you with a dedicated team of virtual PAs trained to know your business inside out. Any time the phone rings, they are there to answer promptly and professionally and update you on the go.
If you’re unavailable, ask them to take a message. They can transfer them to you or a suitable team member if it’s an important caller. If it’s after hours, they can set up personalized voicemail. Whatever you need, a reliable call answering service has all bases covered.
Save money
Hiring staff is costly, and the Autumn Budget, which introduced higher National Insurance contributions for employers and a rise in the National minimum wage, made it even more so.
As a result, taking new people on will be more expensive, so many firms have paused hiring in recent months. Many others will be reluctant to employ new people if these announcements materialize on 30 October.
Budget aside, it remains more cost-effective to outsource your customer support operations to a reliable call-answering service. You’ll avoid needing a salary and workplace benefits, not to mention recruitment and ongoing training costs.
Meanwhile, call answering service providers typically offer transparent, pay-as-you-go prices, making financial planning easier and allowing you to use your budget as efficiently as possible.
Impress your customers
Nowadays, consumers expect quick, proactive, and effective support and various communication options. This encourages them to trust you and stay loyal to your brand.
However, implementing all these elements takes time and money, making it unattainable for many businesses until they achieve a certain level of growth.
Choosing a reliable call answering service makes this possible, regardless of your business size or industry. You’ll gain immediate access to highly trained experts who answer incoming queries promptly and can deal with even the trickiest customers professionally and on-brand.
You can add extra services to your package, such as managed live chat. This instantaneous communication tool is one of the highest-scoring support channels for customer satisfaction and an option many consumers rely on to resolve less urgent queries.
The combination of multiple contact options and excellent, reliable service will impress your audience, no matter how small your organization is.
Personalised service
Call answering services are not to be confused with call centers. Call centers generally offer a cold and basic service, where agents use rigid, pre-written scripts. However, call answering is far more personalized.
They are designed to act as an extension of your team. How do they achieve this? They pay attention to your business needs, objectives, and tone. That way, they’ll speak your company’s language whenever the phone rings.
Call answering service providers work closely with you to ensure that they help your audience exactly as an in-house team member would, so when someone calls or initiates a live chat, they’ll never know they’re not speaking to you.
Scalability
When your customer base expands, it means more incoming calls, which require more staff. However, internal staff can take months to find and even longer to onboard and train.
This makes it extremely challenging to scale a business quickly and efficiently. It can even jeopardize the growth you’ve been working so hard to build.
That’s not the case when you partner with a reliable call-answering service. Whether you suddenly need more hands on deck, extra cover while relocating to a new office, or preparing to scale down, outsourced providers are fully flexible around your company’s needs and changes.
It’s as simple as letting your provider know your availability in the morning. They’ll ensure you have enough virtual PAs to accommodate your circumstances.
Summary
Businesses of all sizes can benefit from a reliable call-answering service. With the right provider, you’ll never miss an opportunity again, cut back on substantial expenses, and impress your customers with exceptional service they’ll be keen to return for.
You can adjust your call answering service to your brand tone and language and confidently prepare your organization for expansion.
Bizik is an industry leader that provides trusted and professional call answering and managed live chat solutions. With flexible packages, transparent pricing, and exceptional customer service, they’ll help any business move forward and achieve success. Try Bizik for seven days for free and get your personalized quote.
