It’s the holiday season once again, and many of us are planning on spending time away from work to be with family and friends. The trick for many business owners like you then becomes how to take time off without leaving customers out in the cold if they need to be in touch, whether because they need your product or service or because they have a problem. Leaving them unattended to or letting their calls pile up in voicemail just aren’t viable options in today’s competitive marketplace.

Enter the virtual receptionists at a live answering service, professionally trained and ready to cover your back while you take time to kick back and enjoy the holidays. Your customers’ calls are answered by a friendly agent who’s trained to discern which matters are urgent enough to notify you about, and which are not. They’re also equipped to answer many frequently asked questions, which often takes care of what the customer was calling about.

Some businesses choose to outsource their calls to a virtual receptionist at an answering service 24/7 during the holidays. Others choose after-hours call answering or back up call answering for any staff members who need to be on call over the holidays.

It’s up to you when you choose to have the virtual receptionists field your calls, but make sure the answering service offers the flexibility to take over answering calls even if it had not been previously planned, should an unexpected need arise.

For example, if you want to skip out of the office to attend a holiday event or shop for gifts, just notify the answering service to cover your calls. You can specify any important calls you would want them to forward right away should they come in during this time.

This type of got-your-back service applies to any time of the year when you have virtual receptionists at an answering service on your side. You can take the time you need throughout the year while having peace of mind that your customers are being attended to and your calls aren’t piling up in voicemail. Plus, virtual receptionists can also schedule appointments, take orders or reservations, screen for job candidates, or assist with CRM management.

Meanwhile, your customers won’t even realize that the receptionist they’re speaking with isn’t actually in your office. For that matter, they also don’t realize that you aren’t actually in the office either, and that’s one gift that won’t need returning this holiday season.

Voice Link of Columbus, Inc. can help you deliver the service your customers deserve by managing your calls whenever you need—over the holidays, after business hours, during peak hours, or full-time 24/7.

With an 82% referral rate, Voice Link provides live answering services that will exceed your expectations and will keep your customers coming back. Our monthly plans contain no hidden fees and are tailored to suit your unique needs. Request information online or call us at (800) 262-2799 for a free consultation.