Category: Answering Service
Use an Answering Service to Make Money
Last week we talked about using an answering service to save money. Even more surprising to many is that an answering service can help you make money, too.
When properly setup, a telephone answering service is not an expense item but a revenue producer.
Ways answering services can make you money:
Take Orders
What’s the average value of goods sitting in abandoned shopping carts on your e-commerce site? Maybe $50, $100, perhaps $250, or even more? A 24/7 answering service can be your virtual around-the-clock salesclerk to answer shoppers’ questions via phone, email, or text. Your answering service can co-browse, up-sell, and cross-sell, too. The result is fewer abandoned shopping carts and more orders. And yes, larger orders, too. Don’t leave your e-commerce store on autopilot. Have your answering service staff it for you.
Capture Leads
Many times people call your business looking to buy or use your services, such as with a realtor or lawyer. Callers are ready to spend money, and you don’t want them phoning your competitor. One astute funeral home director realized that each call he received about funeral planning was worth $13,500 in revenue. That’s why he insisted on having a professional answering service handle all their calls. While the value of a lead might not be as high for your business, you want to capture every lead possible and work to turn it into a sale – before your prospect has time to call someone else.
Schedule Appointments
Having a full calendar is essential for any salesperson or service professional. It’s likewise critical for anyone who trades time for money, such as a lawyer or a healthcare provider. For both of them, and many others, an open slot means inefficiencies and a missed opportunity to earn money. This is even more significant in healthcare, when an open appointment could mean that a piece of expensive lab equipment sits idle. Use an answering service to take after hours calls and fill up your appointment calendar.
Dispatch Service Calls
Many service organizations, such as plumbers and electricians, need to be available 24-hours-a-day to respond to emergencies. Having an answering service available to take those calls and quickly dispatch emergencies to on-call staff has the immediate payoff of generating a premium bill, as well as the potential ongoing benefit of gaining a long-term customer. The first call may generate a couple hundred dollars of income, while over time the value of that customer could be several thousand dollars. Your answering service is the key to making this happen.
Keep Customers
When a person calls your small business after hours, it may be for a difficult circumstance. Would they rather talk to a real person or leave a message on voicemail? They call because they want you right then. If you aren’t available, they are likely to call someone else. Then you’ve lost a customer. But if you take care of them now, they’ll be loyal to you later. Your answering service is the first step to helping you retain customers.
When you look at your income statement, answering services aren’t an expense, but a revenue stream. Make sure you have the right answering service working for you 24/7.
Peter DeHaan, PhD, is a freelance writer and publisher of TAS Trader that covers the telephone answering service industry.
