Your business relies on its customers, and your customers rely on your availability. When they call your business, they expect answers. No one likes to get voicemail or to deal with a frustrating automated system.
When clients have a question, they want the answer in real-time. If they can’t get it, chances are they’ll move on to a company that can give them the answers when they want them.
This is why an answering service is the key to your business growth and success. But why is it essential that virtual receptionists are available 24/7?
Customers Want 24/7 Support
New customers and sometimes existing customers don’t always know your business hours. So if your business comes to their mind and they call it, they want answers to their questions. They may look elsewhere if they can’t get those answers right away.
Even if you have an automated system or computer providing answers, it can’t answer everything, leaving most of your customers frustrated.
When a virtual receptionist answers your phone, the service is available 24/7, even when your business isn’t open.
Live Support Trumps Voicemail Every Time
You might think a voicemail box is plenty, right? Your customers don’t need to talk to someone all the time. Just leave a voicemail, and you’ll answer it when you return to the office and have time to return calls.
What if in that time, though, you lose customers? If they find a competitor that will answer their questions, they’ll go with them, forgetting about your company. Even worse, 80% of consumers won’t leave a voicemail. So if you don’t answer the phone, you’ll never know they called, and the chances aren’t high that they’ll try again.
An Answering Service is Less Frustrating than an Automated System
If you’ve ever called an automated system and found yourself yelling at the phone or frustrated that the system didn’t understand you, you’ve seen why customers don’t like automated systems.
It might feel good knowing your customers have responses to their most commonly asked questions, but it’s not as simple as you think.
Not all customers can handle automated systems. Either they don’t understand how they work, or the system doesn’t understand their voice. This can frustrate customers, causing them to give up and move on to another company.
An answering service is a live person around-the-clock, though. This gives your customers a human who understands your business to speak to and who can point them in the right direction.
Final Thoughts
Having customer service available 24/7 is the key to a successful business. Whether you’ve just started your business or you’re looking to achieve business growth, having someone available all the time to answer your calls is essential.
Because you can’t be there 24/7 for your business, hire a reputable answering service that can handle them. Easybee is a successful virtual receptionist company answering calls for companies of all sizes and industries. Contact us today to see how we can help your business.
