You’ve been running a successful business, and your phones are frequently ringing to prove it. But as your business has grown, the strain on your staff may have increased too. At Voice Link of Columbus, we’ve repeatedly seen how hiring an answering service lightens the load for business owners and their teams in ways they hadn’t even envisioned. If any of these five signs rings a bell, it may be time to hire an answering service.

1. Productivity is slipping.

If your team is so busy answering and returning phone calls, it’s tough for them to focus on other projects that require less distraction. This inattention to other tasks adds up to unfinished work in various areas over time, which will ultimately slow the growth of your business. Answering services are designed to handle much higher phone traffic, so all calls are answered quickly.

2. You’re losing time.

Losing time goes hand-in-hand with losing productivity. Handling calls correctly will take time and attention and adds up to hours that could be spent updating databases, following up with current customers, or acquiring new ones for example.

3. Customers are complaining.

If you’ve had a handful of customers complain about the hold time when they called, or not having their calls returned at all, it’s time to consider an answering service. Poorly handled calls give your customers the impression that you probably run your business poorly as well. When your customer is not happy, this will prompt them to check out your competition.

4. Callers are talking to voicemail more often than to a live voice.

While voicemail certainly serves its purpose with catching calls that can’t be immediately answered, it also adds a degree of discomfort for the caller. Customers wonder when their call will be returned, or may worry that it won’t be returned at all. And getting voice mail in the case of an urgent matter is always disconcerting. Hiring an answering service with live courteous operators ensures that your customers are greeted professionally and quickly each time they call.

5. Your on-call staff members only want to receive the urgent calls.

Customers call at all times of the day and night, and sometimes their calls are urgent but many times they’re not. For example, if you own a medical office and assign certain team members to answer the after-hours calls, it would save them valuable time, and sleep, if they received only the emergency calls. An answering service would channel calls about appointments or refills and other non-urgent matters to your business to handle the next day.

The bottom line is that if you’re spending more time putting out fires due to your call volume, it may be time to view a live answering service as your firefighters. The right one will take the pressure off of you and your team, so you can focus on taking care of your customers and growing your business.

How your calls are handled reflects on the reputation of your business, and using the right call center can make the difference between losing or gaining a customer. Specializing in the healthcare and medical industry, Voice Link provides live answering services that exceed your expectations. Request information online or call us at (800) 262-2799 for a free consultation.

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