How an After Hours Answering Service Can Make You Money

Customers demand quality customer service. Every business relies on its customers for revenue, reputation, and referrals. If a consumer chooses not to make a purchase through you or has a negative experience before or after doing so, not only have you lost a valuable sale opportunity, but your reputation has been put at risk and any potential referrals from this customer are now lost.

Benefits of quality customer service

Having good customer service and reap any number of benefits for your business. To name just a few:

• Return customers: Over 80% of consumers say they’ll return to make another purchase from a business with which they had a positive customer service experience.
• Fewer abandoned sales: On the other side of the coin, 78% of surveyed Americans have reported not following through on a planned purchase simply because of a bad customer service experience.
• Higher retention rates: Nearly 60% will abandon one brand or company to try another in the hopes of a better customer service experience. What’s more, a mere 5% increase in retention rates can result in as much as 125% higher profits.
• The ability to charge a premium: As many as 55% of consumers surveyed said they’d be willing to pay a premium for better customer service.
• Higher profits: As a result of the above, companies that make customer service a priority have been shown to generate 60% higher profits than less customer oriented competitors.

The elements of good customer service

It’s no secret what makes for a good customer service experience. All one has to do is return to the Golden Rule: Treat others how you would like to be treated in return. Quality customer service is about respecting and valuing our customers as the essential components of our success that they are. From showing our respect and appreciation in every interaction to finding ways to go above and beyond, customer service is an art form perfected through patience, compassion, and foresight.

Rather than digress into a discussion of every element of successful customer service, let’s focus on the single most important one: accessibility.

Why an after hours answering service is essential

Your customers need to be able to reach you. Whether it’s to have a question answered or complaint addressed, accessibility is the most important component of customer service. It does you no good to have the best trained, compassionate, and empowered employees, if your customers can’t reach them. In today’s 24/7, global economy, however, being accessible can be easier said than done.

It’s no longer enough to be available for eight hours a day, customers need to be able to reach you at all times of day or night. If they’re questions and concerns aren’t addressed quickly, an estimated 45% of consumers will abandon an online purchase entirely. Leaving a voicemail or waiting for a reply to an email aren’t enough, either. The majority of Americans prefer to speak directly over the phone. Perhaps this is because barely more than a quarter of email inquiries are ever answered correctly. The trouble is, it’s seldom financially feasible to keep employees available around the clock.

One option is to leverage an after hours answering service. With a professional answering service, your customers are guaranteed to reach a live human being whenever they call. A live operator answering service can not only ensure accessibility, but it also takes a great deal of pressure off of your employees.

3 Benefits of an after hours answering service

• You don’t need round-the-clock staff: An after hours answering service removes the need for you to hire additional staff for graveyard shifts.
• It frees your employees to focus their energies elsewhere: With a 24/7 answering service, your employees don’t have to worry about answering the phone every time it rings. They can focus on other aspects of their work instead.
• You don’t have to train anyone: Live telephone answering service operators require no training. They are customer service professionals, already trained and experienced in the elements of handling customer interactions. By hiring a fully-trained and equipped staff, you can save you and your business both time and money.

Conclusion

From increased revenue to higher retention and referral rates, hiring an after hours answering service can have a major impact on your bottom line.