Month: September 2017

Three Reasons Your Small Business Might Need a Call Answering Service

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Owning and operating a small business is full of both challenges and rewards. If you are successful, you will eventually reach a point where you will need to grow – and you can grow your business either by hiring more employees, or by contracting out services. One of the services you may wish to contract out are answering services. But how do you know if you really need them?

small business growth

There are lots of reasons and why a small business owner would choose to hire an answering service, but here are three of the most popular ones.

You’ve got more work than your team can handle but not enough to hire additional staff

If your team is overloaded, it not only makes for a stressful work environment but it can mean things start to fall through the cracks. Quality and customer service can eventually become compromised – or you simply have to turn customers away.

You could hire a full-time receptionist, but if the extra calls coming in don’t amount to high enough revenues for the company, then it’s difficult to justify the extra salary.

Hiring an answering service is often the ideal solution. The costs are significantly lower than that of hiring another employee, and it takes pressure off your existing team.

You want to offer emergency or off-hours service

Depending on the industry you are operating in, it may be necessary or desirable to offer emergency or off-hours service to stay competitive. For example, many contractors such as plumbers and electricians offer emergency 24/7 services. To stay competitive in these types of industries, this is becoming increasingly common.

Even if you don’t want to offer emergency services, you may wish to offer your callers the convenience of 24/7 availability to make appointments, place orders, etc.

While it would be impractical – and exhausting – to have your own phone turned on all the time, it is a simple matter for a professional answering service to ensure that the call is answered whenever anyone wants to contact your business.

You need to make more time for yourself

Especially in the early stages, small business owners need to hustle. To become successful, you likely had to network, work long hours, and live on a limited budget. Perhaps now though, you’ve reached a point where the money is flowing in fairly well, but you’re still working long hours and always seem to be pressed for time.

If that’s the case, then hiring an answering service may be the solution. By hiring an answering service, you can let the bulk of your calls go to the call centre. If you are expecting certain important calls you can have them transferred to you or another person in your company.

Having an answering service allows you to take more time for yourself and not have to worry that you might be missing an important call.

Growing a small business can be a challenge – but for many this challenge is made easier when they hire a call answering service. If you think that this solution might be right for you, we invite you to contact Touch Communications today to find out more!  Or view Touch Communications on our Facebook page!

Key Components of a Professional Voice Greeting

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Professionalism matters when speaking to customers. Taking the time to treat customers with the utmost courtesy and respect will help customers return again and again for your business’ services. Communicating with customers over the telephone requires even more professionalism, as your voice becomes the only way information is conveyed to customers. To ensure the impression that customers get of your business over the telephone is always positive, follow the tips below!

happy woman on the phone

Identify Yourself at the Start of the Conversation

Using a professional greeting at the beginning of the conversation such as is “Hello, Finance Department, Molly Smith speaking” helps customers feel more comfortable and presents a more professional image of your business. In addition, stating your name can also aid if more information is needed by the caller later. Equally important is to address unfamiliar callers by his or her title (if known), such as “Mr. Slack.”

Use a Friendly Tone of Voice

It’s important to use your normal tone of voice when providing customer service over the phone. Avoid speaking too loudly and refrain from being aggressive or pushy. Sitting up in a chair (rather than leaning back) can help you present a professional tone of voice to customers. Always be sure to speak clearly and slowly, avoiding any broken phrases or slang.

Stay Focused while on the Phone

When someone calls your business for information, it’s important to focus on the call and to truly listen to what the caller must say. Distractions – like chewing food, rustling papers, working on the computer or speaking with a co-worker – are not only unprofessional, but can make a customer feel like they are not worth your time.

If there is a distraction that simply cannot be ignored such as another phone line ringing, politely ask the caller if you can place them on hold. Return to the caller on hold as soon as possible, or risk them taking their business to a competitor.

Always Remain Patient and Helpful

Even if a customer is irate when speaking to you, do your best to remain as polite and helpful as possible. Allow the customer to convey their issue to you without interrupting them. Let them know that their concern has been heard and do your best to find the best solution possible. Never act rudely to the caller. Remember, you are presenting the image of your company when speaking to customers over the phone. How you handle all telephone calls can make or break a customer’s business with your company in the future!

Touch Communications: Professionals at Your Service!

Using Touch Communications as your call answering service means providing customers with excellent customer service at all hours of the day. Regardless of where your business is located, we can become the voice of your business whenever it’s required. Don’t trust anyone other than Touch Communications with providing a professional voice on behalf of your company! Contact us today for more details about the services we offer or view us on our Facebook page!