When is it Time to Hire an Answering Service?

When is it Time to Hire an Answering Service?

More business is always a good thing, but it often creates a unique set using a national answering serviceof challenges: a team that’s   always busy, a mountain of tasks to complete, and frequently, a phone that won’t stop ringing. When the phones won’t stop ringing, you may be tempted to hire more in-house receptionists, but after awhile, the costs start to add up.

As a business owner, you’re always looking for ways to cut costs, and a great way to do this is to hire a telephone answering service or virtual receptionist. For many business owners, investing in an answering service to handle phone calls can help you achieve your goals and grow your business, all while saving you money. But knowing when it’s time to bring in outside help is often difficult for business owners, especially if you’re unfamiliar with answering services.

Wondering if you should hire a telephone answering service? Here are some of the signs that it’s time to make the switch:

Your team is always on the phone

If you look around your office and notice that your team is spending more time on the phone instead of doing their actual work, it may be time to consider hiring an answering service. Maybe you’ve noticed that your marketing team is busy taking customer orders because your receptionists are busy taking other calls. Or perhaps some members of your team are behind on their work because they’ve been forced to temporarily assume the position of receptionist. If these types of activities are common occurrences in your office and your team’s productivity is suffering, you may benefit from the help of an answering service.

You receive a high volume of calls after hours or on the weekend

Take a look at the phone calls coming into your office. How many of those calls occur after hours or on the weekend when your staff is out of the office? How many of those calls are actually addressed on Monday when your team is back in the office? Are you missing out on opportunities when you’re out of the office?

If you receive a high volume of calls after work hours or on the weekend, you may benefit from hiring a telephone answering service. With an answering service, you won’t have to worry about calls being sent to voicemail. A real person will answer incoming calls and answer any questions that your customers may have. You’ll never have to worry about missing out on any potential revenue opportunities just because you and your staff are out of the office.

You’re constantly being interrupted by phone calls

Some days, it’s important that you’re able to focus on business tasks without interruptions. Whether you have an important company meeting or you’re trying to finish up a proposal before a major deadline, there are days you don’t want to be interrupted by frequent phone calls. But, you don’t want to be missing those calls either. A telephone answering service can help immensely during the times when you’re simply too busy to answer the phone. Virtual receptionists are trained on how to handle phone calls for your company, and they can handle a wide range of problems and questions.

You need help with appointment reminders

If you’re in an industry that requires you to frequently set appointments and make reminder phone calls, you know just how time-consuming these tasks can be. One of the benefits of telephone answering services is that they can handle appointment reminder phone calls and cancellations, freeing up your in-house receptionists’ time so they can handle other phone calls coming in and greet people who come into your office.

It’s not always easy to make the decision to hire a telephone answering service, but doing so can greatly impact your business’ bottom line. Using an answering service means never missing out on a new opportunity just because you’re out of the office, and it means giving your customers the level of customer service that they expect and deserve.

To learn more about Main Line TeleCommunications, please download our free guide:
Free:10 Tips For Choosing A Telephone Answering Service

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Related Links:
4 Tips for Answering a Customer Service Call
National Answering Service on Importance of Changing Your Perspective
Service Businesses: 24/7 Answering Service May be Just What You Need