The sound of telephones constantly ringing in an office can be both good and bad. On the one hand, it could mean that you have a growing business experiencing increased demand. On the other, however, could be an overworked staff and countless phone calls disappearing into voicemail. In either case, the best response to busy phones could be hiring a phone answering service to take over the process for you. What are some of the situations that should signal it’s time to make a change? Here are five of the most common scenarios.
1. Your business is in a period of growth
Growth is great — until it starts to tax your resources. When your business begins to expand, and attract new clientele, it might be wise to hire a phone answering service sooner rather than later. During this period of growth, you should rise to the occasion and meet the new needs of the business. With heightened interest, will surely come an increased number of phone calls. By capturing every call possible and ensuring you have as close to 100% uptime as possible, you are more than avoiding problems. You set the stage for continued growth with positive client-company interactions.
2. Staffers face overwhelming call volume
Your business may already need to contend with many calls from customers. Do you have front office staff who feel constantly overwhelmed? Are they unable to take every call that comes in each day? Bringing aboard yet more staff to answer phones may not be putting the company’s time or money to good use. Instead, outsource the effort to an answering service. Your front office workers will now be able to refocus their attention on important daily tasks beyond picking up the phone. Meanwhile, callers continue to receive the best service possible at all hours of the day.
3. Customer service reviews are suffering
If your company loses calls on a regular basis or is otherwise difficult to reach, its reputation for customer service will suffer. Especially in an age when anyone can go online and post reviews for businesses and offices, maintaining a positive track record of service is crucial. Without a better way to keep up with the phones, you’ll quickly find that people will complain through whatever forum they can find. It’s not just about lost calls, either; overworked receptionists might not provide the most exceptional service. Reducing their workload and ensuring a consistent customer service experience can help turn negative reviews into positives.
4. You want to reduce staffing costs
Sometimes it’s not just about improving service and freeing up employees for other tasks. Perhaps the business needs to consider tightening its belt for a while — or perhaps the office is just overstaffed. Whatever your reasons, an answering service can help you reduce labor costs without sacrificing your standard of service. By transferring your telephone support to a respected answering service, you can easily eliminate in-house positions focused on telephone customer interactions. Now, you can focus on the most important calls and tasks while our service handles the others as needed.
5. Concerns about handling sensitive information
If you are in the financial or medical field, you know that your clients’ information must be secure and protected. Equipment, software, policies and procedures, and employee training must include proper handling of sensitive information. Before you consider hiring an answering service, ask if they are HIPAA / HITECH / and SOX compliant. These are the laws enacted to ensure all financial or patient information is handled securely. At Hartley’s we take these issues seriously and make every effort to ensure our staff is trained, our technology is secure, and all sensitive information is protected.
Equip your business for success with Hartley & Associates
With experience and modern technology, Hartley & Associates is an excellent choice for businesses in California. With a robust phone answering service, fully customizable to reflect your needs and goals, we’re an ideal solution to any of the situation described above. Whether you need service as needed or 24/7 call coverage, our highly-trained staff stand ready to step in and represent your business. Contact us today to learn more.
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