Generate More Time with a 24/7 Virtual Receptionist Service
Sponsored content by AnswerConnect.
Every business owner faces the same conundrum at some point in their career when it comes to answering calls. Do you spend less time on the phone and miss calls? Or do you answer every call, even if it disrupts your work? Let’s explore what both of those choices mean for you and your business (and look into two possible alternatives).
Focus on work
Between meetings, visits, managing finances and everything else, it’s hard to find the time. So what about letting some calls go unanswered?
Besides, you don’t need to answer every call, right?
But callers who don’t receive a quick response won’t stick around. Your odds of converting a lead decrease by 80% if you can’t respond to them within 5 minutes.
On top of that, 69% of callers sent directly to voicemail don’t leave messages. This rises to 84% for those aged between 20-29.
So what’s the alternative?
Answer every call
The thing is, you know you can’t afford to miss calls. The phone is still the most popular channel for contacting a business.
But how can you answer every call without spending all day on the phone? Business owners spend, on average, 2.9 hours on calls every day. That’s over a third of the day just answering calls!
And that makes finding time to perform all the other daily tasks you need to run your business a whole lot harder. Something has to give. You have two options:
Hire a receptionist
Most people opt for the in-house receptionist route. This option brings several benefits, including the scope to give them other in-house tasks when the phone isn’t ringing.
But hiring in-house also comes with costs and obstacles. If you choose to hire an in-house receptionist, you still need to:
- Advertise the position
- Select the right candidate
- Train them in the role
Those obstacles can stifle growth.
Even with an in-house receptionist, you can’t answer every call.
In-house receptionists tend to work 9-5. That means you’ll still miss every call that comes in outside those hours. In-house receptionists are also entitled to paid holidays, sick days and other company benefits.
Besides that, each receptionist can only answer one call at a time. If someone calls when your receptionist is already on the phone, they’ll likely go to voicemail (and we all know how that ends).
But there is another option…
Virtual receptionist service.
Businesses today can choose from a range of customer support services, the most popular being virtual receptionists.
So what is a virtual receptionist service?
A virtual receptionist service is a B2B customer support tool. The service uses people working from outside your office to answer calls on behalf of your business. Besides answering calls, virtual receptionists can also book appointments and transfer calls to contacts in your company.
So why do businesses choose a virtual receptionist? The service comes with several advantages over in-house.
- Available 24/7
- Scales with your business
- Ready to go from day one
This is an ideal solution if you need to ensure your calls receive an answer 24/7. It’s also a great asset if you experience fluctuations in demand and want something that can be picked up, scaled and dropped according to need. Most importantly, it can save you one of the most precious resources: time.
Want to learn more about how an answering service can help solve your call conundrum?
Book a consultation with us today.