Running a small business is hard, and there always seem to be new expenses popping up, new hurdles to jump, and new scheduling and staffing issues to address. But what if we could offer something that would make your business easier, run smoother, and even save you money?
Many of our answering service clients are small businesses with fewer than 10 employees, and we want them (and you) to succeed! So, here are 3 of the top things Always Answer has seen time and time again that drains money from small businesses.
Not Keeping (& Delighting) You Current Customers
This can be a major stumbling block, especially if you are busy or work in a hectic industry environment! When phones are ringing, customers are asking questions, checking out, coming in, and you still have to organize, plan, stock, order, and more – it can seem like taking the time to give each and every customer what they need, along with a genuine smile, is out of reach.
But if you focus on one thing, make it this – delight your current customers. Because if you keep them happy, they will return and spread the news of your services to others. Word of mouth advertising is still one of the most trusted forms, and it’s free! Just make sure you are providing service and products worthy of praise!
It is far cheaper to keep a current customer than to go out and find new ones, so make sure once you have a patron, you keep them with your business for years to come! A great way to make time for your customers, and show them they are important, is to always have someone on the other end of your phone ready and waiting to cheerfully respond and answer their questions. And that’s just what our answering services do!
Not Gaining New Potential Customers (Missing Calls)
The second drain on your small business’ income, is (of course) not gaining new customers.
Inevitably, you will occasionally lose a customer at no fault of your own – people move, need different service, change preferences or circumstances, and a whole slew of other reasons. But if you occasionally lose a customer and you aren’t gaining any, eventually you’ll find yourself out of customers and out of business!
Make sure you are available for new customers and not missing out on the opportunity to delight potential! By having an after hours answering service, like Always Answer, you are able to never miss a call, a lead, or a potential new customer! And when that potential customer calls at 8:00 PM and is expecting voicemail or an automated system – just imagine how delighted they will be when they get a real, live, friendly voice on the other end of the line.
That’s how you delight old customers – and new!
Inefficiency & Having Your Employees Split-Task
Sometimes inefficiency disguises itself as efficiency. Take split tasking, or the more common term for it, multi-tasking. Is this practice efficient, or inefficient? Many people would say it is a great way to get multiple things done at once. But actually, studies have shown that split-tasking, or multi-tasking, takes longer and causes more errors than working through each item individually and on their own.
This is because our brains can only focus on one thing at once, and the more often they switch back and forth (even very quickly) the more likely we will make a mistake, forget what we were doing, or have to take time to get back into our previous, or next, task.
Instead of having your employees answer phones along with their other duties, keep them on track and keep them efficient by letting us focus on your phones 100% and your employees focus on your in-person customers 100%.
