As the owner of a home based business in the home service industry, I respond to emergency service as well as preset appointments. When a consumer calls a business in the service industry, they are looking to speak to someone, unanswered calls that go directly to a voice mail is a lost client. Consumers want to speak to a live person, they have questions, they have an immediate need and they want reassurance, they get none of this from an unanswered phone call. I learned this the hard way. Consumers calling for service have a need that must to be responded to as fast as possible. In the home service industry there is an expectation from consumers that a business call should not go unanswered and someone should be available to speak to them for emergency service.
I needed to find a solution to unanswered calls coming in while I was on a job and couldn’t drop everything to answer the phone.
The solution to my unanswered calls was a virtual office. As a home based business owner I had been aware of the services offered by Virtual office service providers, but I didn’t realize I had the need. Once I spoke to some of the providers, I realized, it wasn’t necessary for me to lose potential customers because of unanswered calls. I also realized, I had the opportunity to get local business phone numbers for each of the areas I wanted to draw business from. Consumers want to deal with local businesses especially in the home service industry; they want to know the company they are contracting with is local and reliable. After a conversation and review of services, my virtual office service provider took care of my needs.
My business covers 4 counties, I now have 4 local business numbers one for each county, this gives me the local presents I needed, I also have business mailing addresses in each county, this is for my advertising, invoicing and billing, again, this adds credibility to my local presents. The most Important and valued service provided by my Virtual Office Service, No more unanswered calls, I have a live receptionist answering my calls by my business name, I have the option of getting the call forwarded to me right away or, If I am on a job, she takes a message and forwards it directly to me. No more unanswered calls.
Since I have secured the services of a Virtual Office provider, my business has grown 30%, I attribute this to the fact that I now have business numbers local to the areas I service and more importantly, when a consumer calls for service, there is a professional receptionist answering the call, responding to the clients need to speak to someone and getting me the message within minutes.
Unanswered calls hurt your business, remember, If a consumer calls your business and gets a voice mail, they are hanging up and calling your competition.
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