An answering service for small business is a service that allows you to answer every phone call without having to employ someone or rely on voicemail. Answering services can be used by any size of company but are especially beneficial for smaller businesses.

An answering service provides various call-related solutions including call forwarding options, emergency dispatch and secure messaging plus much more. Let’s take a look at what an answering service can do for your small business today – and how it can benefit you!

What Is An Answering Service For Small Business?

Answering services primarily provide live phone answering for your business. There are many other features and benefits available while using a small business answering service, but essentially they answer inbound calls for you and deliver your messages. When a customer calls a number you have specified, your answering service passes along any messages to you in real-time, either through text message or phone call. This ensures that if someone wants to reach you it will be just as easy for them whether they are calling during your regular hours or in the middle of the night!

Live customer support agents take care of all incoming calls while maintaining smooth transitions between conversations; allowing transfers when necessary to ensure that service is as efficient as possible. An answering service can also provide call forwarding so that you can forward your business line to a separate phone or another number of your choice, such as a home number. Services are customizable to your small businesses needs, with many different set-up options available to suit you.

How An Answering Service Can Benefit Your Small Business

Are there times when you feel like you are wearing multiple hats as a small business owner?

Are you delegating duties between staff, while trying to get new customers and keeping your current clients happy?

Do you run your business independently with no other employees and don’t have the luxury of another person answering your calls?

An answering service may be useful to you if you have experienced any of these while managing your business.

No More Missed Calls…and losing customers to competitors!

Let’s look at the importance of phone calls to small businesses. 60% of consumers who want to find out more about your business will choose to call you. Because of the increase in local web searches, it is easier than ever for customers to find your business. What happens when they search for a service that you provide? Your Google listing shows up and the customer sees a click-to-call button.

In today’s society of instant information, why would a consumer email you or leave a message with the expectation of having their question answered in 2 or 3 days? They want information now, and they intend to learn more about your business. They take their shot, click call now, and…’Sorry, the person you are trying to call is busy, please leave a message after the tone”.

This is not an uncommon situation, as around 2 out of 3 small business phone calls are never answered. People are so used to this happening to them they will just go to the next listing in Google and call them instead. A lost customer, a missed opportunity – all because of one missed call. An answering service solves this problem. Your callers will always be met with a human at the end of the line and can trust in your business to provide quality service from the first impression.

24/7 Coverage

This is one of the biggest benefits a small business answering service can provide you. It allows clients to get in touch with you no matter what time they need help, whether it’s during regular hours or at 3 AM! This eliminates the worry of missing messages from potential customers because you were putting time into another part of your business; instead, they will be connected directly to one of our customer support agents who can ensure your customer service is as efficient as possible.

An answering service will allow you to receive all incoming calls without having to hire an employee or rely on voicemail; instead, customer support agents accommodate for those periods when neither of those options won’t work by taking messages for interested customers that want a live conversation. They ensure you are always available to your clients, even when it’s not convenient for you.

Improves Professionalism

No more unanswered calls mean not only does your business gain those new leads or make your current customers feel as though the company cares about them – your business appears more professional.

When a small business uses an answering service there is no way for callers to know that the agent doesn’t work for your company. The agent answers the phone like they are in your office, mentioning your business name (or any welcome message you choose on your custom script) and greeting the caller. For a starting price of $39 per month, you will be hard pushed to find a better way to increase your business’s public image and professionalism for this cost

Increases Efficiency

Having to answer calls all day can be extremely time consuming and often very distracting, especially if it’s not what you do all day long and you also have the added pressure of needing to know every single detail about your business that’s asked at that time. Phone Answering services are perfect for small business owners who may not have time to be on the phone all day, but still want to provide excellent customer service. They can also handle any call that comes in without giving out misinformation or having a lack of product knowledge because they’re trained in these areas and put their best effort into every customer that calls.

Improves Your Customer Experience

When you have the opportunity to speak with someone who goes above and beyond, it really makes a difference in your mindset about doing business with them again or referring them to a friend. They’re able to take care of small details that your business is unable to and it’s a pleasant surprise for the customer. Having an answering service also saves you from having lengthy conversations with customers where they just wanted information about prices or product availability, but now they’re on the phone asking questions about all kinds of things because your staff didn’t know the answer. The trained agent can take care of this on behalf of your business.

More Time For Other Tasks

Let’s face it, giving your small businesses inbound calls all of your attention sounds wonderful in theory… but not so much when you’ve got deadlines to meet and competitors nipping at your heels. Answering services free you up to do the things that small businesses need owners for, like marketing and strategizing. Not all the benefits are work-related, you will get more time to spend with your family since you won’t be glued to a phone all day long anymore either!

An answering service provides phone call forwarding so that you don’t have to miss any messages from clients who are trying to contact you outside of regular hours either – instead, our customer service agents forward these important messages directly to your cell phone so you won’t ever be out of the loop! This gives businesses peace of mind knowing that no matter what time of day or night they receive a call, an answering service will be able to provide the help and support that your business needs.

Save Money

Every type of business attempts to save money, cut expenses and in turn, increase its bottom line. With how busy you are as a small business owner and how important it is to stick to your budget, it may seem overwhelming to try another service. However, an answering service can be the most cost-effective way to manage your time and money.

Our plans here at Southern start at just $39 per month. This includes after-hours, weekend and holiday call coverage as standard. If you were to try and hire an employee to provide this level of service, the costs would be unrealistic for a small business. Here at Southern, pricing plans depend on how much monthly call volume your business receives, with customizable plans available to those with higher needs.

What Types Of Small Businesses Use Answering Services?

If your small business receives calls, which let’s face it is almost every type of business does – then an answering service could benefit you. Some of the industries that use our services are:

Auto Detailing

Auto Dealers

Bakeries

Banks and Credit Unions

Contractors

Dentists

Electricians

Event Planners

Financial Planners

Fitness & Exercise Facilities

Florists

Funeral Homes and Mortuary Services

Healthcare

Hospitality

HVAC

Insurance Agencies

Law Offices

Photographers & Videographers

Real Estate

Restaurants

Trades

Transportation, Limo and Cab Companies

Southern’s Phone Answering for Small Business Solutions

With Southern Answering Service you and your team can focus on your business while we focus on answering your calls. Our experience, technology and service set us apart within our industry, combining them all to partner with your business and grow it to new heights. We are proud of the professionalism and service our agents can provide. Not only this, but we only use local agents from the region your business serves to give a personal touch to your phone answering.

When you hire Southern Answering Service to answer your calls, you are not just hiring someone to answer your calls; but a team of professional, local agents who will treat your customers just like you would.

Ready to talk to a specialist and take your small business to the next level?