If you’re hesitant about paying for a live phone answering service, you aren’t alone. A lot of business owners are wary of them, simply because of a variety of misconceptions. Here is the truth behind those myths.

Customers Don’t Like Answering Services

Customers do not want to talk to your voicemail. They want to talk to a real person. Studies show that younger generations dislike voicemail and are less likely to leave voicemails. They view it as a thing of the past. If a customer calls your company, he or she may not think that the voicemails will be answered. It may be an issue that the client needs taken care of right away. To have to wait to hear back from the company can be frustrating, to say the least.

First-time clients may even go to your competitor instead. People love convenience. If you have an answering service, it eliminates the issue. Customers will feel more like you are interested in helping them.

You Have No Control

If you’re like most successful business owners, then you like to be hands-on with your company. You can delegate tasks to your employees and officers so that you do not overwork yourself, but for the most part, you want a say in how your company runs. Being involved with your company allows you to analyze where your strengths and weaknesses are. It also helps you manage the customer’s experience.

A lot of business owners fear that if they outsource to an answering service that they no longer have control. They won’t know what types of calls are coming in or how the customer experience is being handled. Realistically, you will have all the control. You will be kept in the loop about who calls and what the calls are for. If a customer needs to be forwarded to someone who works in the organization, then the representative will do that. He or she can even take messages and deliver them to you later.

You Can’t Afford Live Answering

Most companies think that hiring a live phone answering service is going to cost too much money.  Before you take into consideration how much the service costs, you need to think about the benefits. Weighing the pros and cons might debunk the myth for you. Without a voice answering service, you are losing money. You lose money after-hours. However, when you have a live representative to take calls at any time of the day and night, you have the potential to earn. Even missing just a few calls can hit your business’s profit.

Also, it allows your employees to remain productive in other areas. They do not have to focus on answering the phones every shift. Likewise, you don’t have to hire more employees to answer the phone. The cost of hiring new employees is a lot higher than what you would pay for a service like Voicenation. You have more potential to earn.

Agents May Not Speak English

One fear that business owners have is that the agents may be located overseas and struggle with English. This is not the case. When it comes to language, you will have more advantages than disadvantages. In the United States, many people speak more than one language or speak a language other than English. When you use an answering service, you can receive bilingual assistance.

If a customer calls your company, he or she has the option to speak to someone who can speak to them in the language that they are comfortable with. This can increase your customer base and also will help your clients feel at ease when talking to your company.

Customers May Receive Poor Service

At a call center, the employees are trained and highly skilled when it comes to customer service. The agents act as an extension of your company. Your company will help write the scripts that the agents follow. The scripts can help them learn more about your company and to understand your field and industry better. This means that they will be able to give adequate service to any customer.

There are a lot of misconceptions when it comes to a live answering service. The misconceptions are generally what keep business owners from investing in the service. In reality, outsourcing your calls can enhance your customer service and save you money.

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