Being accessible to your customers whenever they need you is a great way to gain an edge over your competition. But realistically speaking, it’s not very practical to hire a night shift if you only have a small team; or to sleep with your cell phone under your pillow if you only receive nighttime calls a few times a week. The solution to this problem is making use of a 24-hour call centre. This way, your calls will always be answered and your customers will always be served no matter when they decide to call you.

Why 24-hour access is important

In today’s digital age, customers have grown accustomed to having instant access to just about everything. They can make purchases online regardless of whether it is 3 am or Christmas day. This desire for instant service has spilled over into telephone service as well. If a caller gets a voicemail instead of a real, live person, there is a good chance she will simply hang up and call your competition rather than leaving a message.

Another reason to consider offering a 24-hour call centre for your customers is that some calls are urgent and service can’t wait. For example, if you run a medical office it’s important for people to get assistance in the event of a medical emergency; or if you’re a plumber, you’ll want your customers to have access to you in the event of a middle-of-the-night flooded basement.

And then there’s the fact that some of your target customer base just might not be able to easily call you during the day. They may work odd hours or may even be calling from a different time zone. These calls may not be emergencies – they may simply be calling to set up an appointment or to get more information about a product they saw on your e-commerce site. If your business is accessible to them, while your competitors’ businesses are not, that can give you a huge competitive advantage.

Who can benefit from 24-hour call centre service?

While just about any type of business can benefit from this type of service, here a few types of business that find it especially useful.

• E-commerce sites – If you sell any products online, your retail operation is accessible to the entire world – and, therefore, all the different time zones. While customers may be able to purchase items online, some customers will invariably have questions and want to talk to a real person.
• IT Services and Computer Equipment – the 9 to 5 workday is quickly becoming a thing of the past. If you supply corporate clients with software and computer equipment, it will pay off to always have someone accessible who can offer support.
• Medical Offices – whether someone is calling to book an appointment or is having a medical emergency, 24-hour call centre CSRs can help them – booking their appointment in an online calendar or helping them get the emergency service that they need.
• Tradespeople – Especially if you’d like to offer 24-hour emergency services for plumbing, electrical, etc., then you’ll need someone to answer those emergency calls. Since these calls may not come in every night, it makes sense to use 24-hour call centre service rather than paying a dedicated staff person to man the phones.

Making use of 24-hour call centre service will let your customers know that you care and it’s a great way to set yourself apart from the competition. To learn more about this affordable and convenient way to gain a competitive edge, contact Touch Communications today.