Running a business from home has its very own unique challenges, like juggling with client teleconferences and relatives who still do not understand that you do have a real job to do. But even if you are operating your business from a basement, it doesn’t make sense to invest in a building or rent an office space as it might carry further expenses too. But, virtual offices and remote receptionists are good options, particularly if you choose to hire an answering service. How do you know that your home-based office needs an answering service? Read on for the signs.
- Calls are constantly interfering with your workflow.
When you are operating your business from home, the pressure can really mount up. Handling orders for products or services and handling their calls at the same time is not an easy task. You end up doing the latter which interferes with your workflow and causing your work to delay as twice as long. A virtual receptionist makes it easier because apart from answering your customer calls, it will also provide them with basic information to make it easy for you to focus on other parts of your business.
- Customers are complaining about your phone tree.
Computerized phone trees are quite affordable and easy to use as your team grows over time, but they are not proven to be customer-friendly all the time. They are sometimes confusing to use, which causes frustration and downright rage-inducing. Some callers will just hang up rather than waiting on another phone tree. They love to be heard and that too instantly. The longer you make them wait, the more it will damage the reputation of your business. So, instead of being too dependable on the computers to attend the calls, hiring a live virtual call reception service can be effective. It greets your customer with a warm greeting and cut to the chase by solving their queries at the same time.
- Your callers aren’t leaving voicemails or waiting on hold.
Customers do not like to wait very long to get an answer on call. According to the experts, only 25 percent of callers wait for the voicemail box to leave a message. If we look at it in another perspective, 75 percent of the callers are probably reaching out to your competitors. Hiring an answering service when it attends a call means that being more flexible to attend one or hundred calls with real, live humans that can receive messages and attend the queries, giving those customers a reason to turn into long-term, loyal customers.
