Good communication is the cornerstone of any successful business. However, without the right infrastructure in place to facilitate it, communication can easily break down. This inevitably leads to frustrated clients who decide to take their business elsewhere.
If you’re an entrepreneur or small business owner, it cannot be easy to manage communication effectively. Sometimes, you don’t have the time to respond to an inquiry, or an important meeting might prevent you from answering the phone.
That’s what makes a call-answering service such a valuable asset.
By investing in a call answering service, you can rest assured that all calls and inquiries will be handled swiftly and professionally, enabling you to focus on other business areas.
A small price to pay for an invaluable service
A call answering service (also known as a Live Receptionist service) wins ROI. It doesn’t cost very much, and the returns you make through the new business that you might otherwise have lost can be huge.
Call answering packages are flexible, and prices vary according to the number of ‘responding minutes’ you need. So, how much does it cost to hire an answering service? Let’s take a look at Alliance Virtual Offices’ four options below:
- Live Receptionist 50: $95/month
- This option provides you with 50 live call answering minutes per month.
- Live Receptionist 100: $145/month
- One hundred live responding minutes per month are included in this package.
- Live Receptionist 200: $225/month
- You’ll get 200 live answering minutes per month with this option.
The major benefits of a call answering service
When you sign up for a call answering service, you are allocated your own dedicated Live Receptionist who acts as your business’ point of contact on the phone.
What does a Virtual Receptionist do?
They get to know your business and callers and very quickly become an extension of your team. You have full control over the call screening process and can provide your receptionist with guidance on how you want them to greet your clients.
Taking messages, forwarding calls, and responding to new inquiries all fall within their remit and other administrative tasks.
All Remote Receptionists are well-trained and experienced in customer service; their prerogative is to provide consistent communication to ensure your client’s queries are handled smoothly.
In a world where first impressions count, a Live Receptionist is a valuable asset. A professional and friendly voice at the end of the phone can make all the difference to customer satisfaction.
A telephone answering service is also crucial if you want to grow your business and nurture new leads into engaged clients. Especially if you know, you won’t always be available to respond to inquiries quickly yourself.
Research by Harvard Business Review illustrates the importance of this:
“Companies that try to contact potential customers within an hour of receiving queries are nearly 7 times as likely to have meaningful conversations with key decision-makers as firms that try to contact prospects even an hour later.”
A call answering service is perfectly suited to busy entrepreneurs who need some extra support but don’t need to invest in a full-time employee, as well as small businesses looking to grow and expand their horizons.
