Starting a small business involves a lot of trial and error. Like, a lot! It usually involves way more trial and error than most budding entrepreneurs realize until they’re actually in the thick of it. Getting a small business up and running involves a lot learn as you go, especially if you’re ordering a product or service outside of the usual ones that people can offer advice on.
So if you’re currently a successful small business owner, congratulations! You’re doing something right and doing something well, but that doesn’t mean you could be doing things even better. Remember, the key to succeeding in business isn’t necessarily working harder, but it’s working smarter. There’s a huge difference and once you’re really up and running, you’ll begin to truly understand it. Even if you’re struggling and looking for ways to improve your small business operation, working harder may not be the key. The answer is to take a step and carefully evaluate weak areas.
Regardless of whether or not your business operation is successful according to your personal definition of success is actually irrelevant. Just any business could be working smarter and not harder! And one of the best ways to go about working smarter is to take advantage of all that small business answering services have to offer. Hiring a quality answering service, such as a small business answering service or call handling service, is actually one of the best ways to retain customers! And customer retention equal more money in the bank for you and your business!
As a small business owner, saving money is really important when it comes to your bottom line. It’s understandable that you may think you can afford to hire a live phone answering service. But the truth is, you absolutely can’t afford not to hire a small business answering service! Every business can benefit from having one. Everyone knows the frustration of trying to get an answer to an important question, only to be greeted by the flat, monotone voice of bad recording. In many cases, customers may be tempted to simply move onto a another small business with people available to have a live conversation with! And can you blame them? No, you can’t — or shouldn’t!
Even in the modern digital age of today where people are so accustomed to doing things through a computer or phone screen, people still crave human interaction, especially when it comes to customer service. The concept of a small business providing excellent customer service to their patrons is not an outdated concept, even in today’s modern times.
Still don’t think a small business answering service is right for you? These three reasons will having you thinking again!
Efficiently answered phone calls means greater customer retention
When the phone of your small business rings it’s usually one of many things, which means you must handle each call differently depending on what it’s regarding. Similarly, you may even have different people answering different kinds of calls! This can take up a lot of time and effort that could otherwise be put towards better use, such as productivity. However using a small business answering service frees up a lot of this time and allows you to focus on what do best. Just think about how much time you could save if you didn’t have to stop to answer the phone and tell someone your business owners or give directions!
Better and easier appointment scheduling
If your small business is apart of an industry that requires appointment scheduling, then you’ll be happy to know that a small business telephone answering service can also make appointment setting a lot easier for your customers! Again, this frees up your time and allows you to focus on the big picture of running your business while your remote receptionist’s only job is to cheerfully and accurately schedule appointments. Your customers will appreciate this!
Make lots of money in your sleep
You can go one step further and hire a 24 hour answering service. This gives your customers round the clock answers, so they’re more likely to come back.