Using A Live Answering Service: Exploring The Pros And Cons
Posted on: 5 December 2014
Have you been considering the use of a live answering service for your small business? If so, taking the time to review the pros and cons outlined below can help ensure that you are making the best possible decision for your needs.
The Pros
There are many benefits that come along with choosing to use a live answering service. These benefits include
- Quick Response — When contacting your business, customers expect their call to be answered quickly and professionally. Furthermore, customers want to receive answers to their questions without going in circles with an automated system. Hiring an answering service will allow your company to live up to these expectations each time a customer calls.
- Focus Your Manpower — Small businesses often struggle to address the needs of all their customers and their in-house responsibilities due to a simple lack of manpower. With the use of an answering service, such as LifeWorks Business Center, you will be able to focus your energy on serving onsite customers and dealing with the administrative aspects of running your business, rather than fielding endless phone calls.
- Growth Potential — Professional answering services are capable of fielding a virtually limitless number of calls at any given time. Consequently, no matter how quickly your business may grow, you can always be sure that each and every call that comes in will be answered in a professional and timely manner.
The Cons
There are also some disadvantages associated with the use of a live answering service. These disadvantages include
- Cost — There are monthly fees that come along with using an answering service. If your call volume is not currently more than you can realistically handle on your own, there truly is no reason to take on these additional costs.
- Lack Of Personal Connection — One of the reasons that some people choose to shop solely with small businesses is because they like the personal connection they feel with the owner and other employees in this setting. If this type of small business charm is essential to your success, using a live answering service could potentially cause you to lose some customers.
The Bottom Line
Most businesses will benefit from the use of a live answering service. This is especially true for small businesses that often struggle to employ the manpower necessary to quickly answer all calls onsite. However, there are exceptions to this rule. For instance, if the personal nature of a small business is essential to your success, choosing to employ a call center could ultimately hurt your business.
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