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A lost call could be costing your business more than you realize

A procedure for answering the phone lines is crucial for every business. As the key point of contact between established clients and prospective customers, it’s your first opportunity to make a good impression. Some circumstances, such as the time of day or a high level of activity, can prevent you from making contact with a caller. Without a phone answering service, their calls may simply go nowhere. Known as a “lost call,” it represents more than just an unfortunate occurrence — it has a real cost for your business. So when you lose calls, what are the real consequences your business may face?

You lose a potential client

the real cost of a lost call and how a phone answering service can helpLosing a call presents two immediate costs: the loss of a client as well as any potential earnings from that client. You can’t engage an individual and share how you can help if there is no one to say “Hello”. When an individual calls your business, but cannot get through, they may not wait to try again later. Instead, they may simply decide to look to a competing business for help — especially if your competitor uses a phone answering service. While it is difficult to put an exact figure on this type of loss, it should be troubling to you as a business owner no matter the cost. It could represent a significant impact on your business, especially if you typically lose out on many calls due to unavailability.

You deliver a poor customer service experience

Potential new customers are not the only people who call you, though. Existing clients may need to reach you with a question about your services or for product support. What happens if they can’t get through to someone in your office? While it’s true they’ll likely call back later, a phone that rings without an answer is indicative of poor customer service. This is especially true if you lose calls from existing clients more than once. Individuals aren’t likely to forget that it takes them multiple attempts to reach you for help. This degrades the overall level of satisfaction clients experience with your business. The more often their calls become lost, the more likely they are to take their business elsewhere in search of a better customer care experience.

Your professional reputation can suffer

Considering all these factors forms another cost to your business: the integrity of your professional reputation. Even while you work hard behind the scenes and give all your energy to the company, lost calls and missed business can leave consumers with the wrong impression. Even as you strive for success, losing calls on a consistent basis is a setback. If you continue to miss out on clients or neglect customer service calls, your reputation could become very negative. Avoid backsliding in your efforts by doing everything you can to capture every call. It’s not just a better way to boost business, the costs of doing otherwise are just too great.

Fix the issue with a phone answering service

To avoid these costly results and refocus your efforts on customer care, an answering service is an ideal solution. When your phone rings you can be completely confident that someone will be there to field the call. With a seamless transition, lost calls can become a thing of the past. Hartley & Associates is an answering service delivering superior results across multiple industries with a track record of success spanning three decades. Staffed selectively by only the most capable and highly trained agents, your customers will feel like they’re speaking directly to one of your employees.

We tailor our services based on your requirements to meet the specific needs of your business. With 24-hour availability, offices that require total uptime can rely on us with complete confidence. For those in the medical field, we are fully HIPAA-compliant. We strive to offer the most robust service while remaining affordable and available. By choosing our team as your phone answering service, you can rejuvenate your customer service efforts and end the problem of lost calls. Think to yourself: how many hidden costs could you avoid by making the switch?