7 business sectors that could benefit from a Telephone Answering Service

A telephone answering service is a business solution in which calls are answered directly by a virtual personal assistant (PA) who handles them as per instructions provided by the client. Calls can be redirected to the client using the service; alternatively, messages can be taken and then sent by email or SMS.

It’s a service that boosts an organisation’s profile (through the manner in which calls are answered) and frees up time, leaving the business owner/employees to focus on other areas of the business. But is a telephone answering service right for you and your business?

In this article, we look at seven sectors that could benefit from a telephone answering service. Let’s get started.

1. Skilled traders

If you’re a builder, electrician, plumber, mechanic, or other skilled trader, you’ll be all too familiar with the stressful buzz of the phone in your pocket while you’re in the middle of a job.

Do you take the call and slow down the work in progress? Or do you let it ring out and risk losing a customer? You might even be in a precarious position where answering the phone simply isn’t an option.

With a telephone answering service, it’s not an issue. The call will go straight to your dedicated team of PAs who can take a message and forward it to you, so that you can review it as soon as you’re ready.

2. E-commerce sites

Whether you’re running an e-commerce store through a platform such as Shopify or Etsy, or using a website that you have built, you’ll know that securing customer trust is paramount in the often faceless world of online trading.

Publishing a professional telephone number on your store is a fantastic way to demonstrate that you are legitimate and happy to deal with queries. However, this can pose challenges.

For example, perhaps your business is a side hustle and you’re simply unavailable to answer a phone most of the day (or at least the convenient times for your customers). Or maybe you don’t have the resources to dedicate to customer service and would rather keep everything online.

In both these situations, a telephone answering service can help. You will be provided with a professional phone number that, when called, is answered during working hours; furthermore, your PA will be trained to answer your calls, enabling them to deal with customer queries professionally and efficiently.

3. Pubs and restaurants

How many times have you called a restaurant to make a booking, only to have your call answered (eventually) by a rushed-off-their-feet employee who you can barely hear? It’s frustrating, isn’t it?

If you run a pub or restaurant, a telephone answering service will make life significantly more manageable for you and your employees, and improve the user experience for your customers. When calls come through, your PA can pick them up in a calm environment (and manner), immediately access your calendar, and then make the booking.

This means your staff can concentrate on delivering impeccable service, and your visitors don’t have to fret about whether the booking went through correctly.

4. Beauty services

When it comes to grooming services, the client that you’re dealing with must take priority. Step away from them for just a moment to answer the phone, and they’ll immediately question your commitment to them. But what can you do? That caller could be a future loyal client who provides you with years of custom. Can you afford to ignore it?

No problem. A telephone answering service can provide you with a cost-effective on-the-spot virtual receptionist with access to your calendar, enabling them to pick up the call and then book and rearrange client appointments.

Your existing reception team (if you have one in place) can then focus on providing a fantastic experience to your visitors, and take care of any other responsibilities they have.

5. Accountants

If you’re an accountant trying to secure new business, you will know just how important it is to make a great first impression. When a client comes through the door, you will know how vital it is to look after them correctly. Anything less than perfect will cause individuals to question your ability to manage their finances. Simply put, they’ll then look elsewhere.

The right telephone answering service will assure potential clients from the get-go. Then, when you’ve worked with your PA to secure their business – through clear communication and hassle-free scheduling of appointments – they will help you maintain the relationship.

• See also: Telephone answering services – what you need to know
• See also: 4 reasons to use a diary management service for your business

Moreover, such a service will allow you to expertly deal with the end-of-tax year rush, as potential clients enter panic mode. You can be safe knowing that no call is missed while handling your existing clients’ requirements.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a self-employed accountant dealing with a handful of clients at a time, or if you’re running an accountancy practice; with several accountants under one roof, a telephone answering service can be an invaluable tool for gaining trust and projecting reliability.

6. Shops

The types of calls that retailers receive may be predictable, but also high-volume; “What time do you close today?”, “Can I pick my item up tomorrow?”, “Do you have the product available in red?”, “What’s your returns policy?”

Working on a busy shop floor, helping in-store customers, taking care of stock, running purchases through the till, and handling phone calls can be one job too many. Fortunately, a telephone answering service can help.

Part of your PA’s job is to answer queries on behalf of your business. If you use the right telephone answering service provider, not only will your calls be answered swiftly, they’ll be handled fully. The query from the caller will be answered correctly, with no need for you to deal with it any further.

Of course, in instances where your assistance is required, you’ll be notified about the call in line with your instructions. You can then take care of it.

7. Estate agents

So much of running a successful estate agent business is being able to manage your calendar effectively: arranging viewings, in-store appointments, and calls with solicitors and surveyors. It’s basically a business model that functions off the back of meetings.

But managing these bookings at the same time as actually attending them can be a challenge. This is where a telephone answering service, and specifically the diary management element, will help.

• See also: How we answer your calls explained
• See also: How Bizik’s diary management works

As part of the service, your PA will be granted secure access to your calendar. Then, as and when calls come in, they can check when you’re available and arrange meetings accordingly.

If something comes up, you simply need to let your PA know and they’ll make a note of this, so that they can advise further clients accordingly. You can then focus on the job at hand.

So there you have it

These were just some of the business sectors that could benefit from using a telephone answering service. If your business is one that regularly fields calls, a telephone answering service is likely to be a business solution that streamlines your operation, making life easier for you, your team and your clients.

Interested in finding out more? See here for information on how Bizik’s Telephone Answering can help your business.

Thanks for reading.