In our increasingly interconnected world, a great deal of communication is carried out online. Nevertheless, the importance of a business telephone number should not be underestimated. Many customers simply prefer to contact businesses by phone, whilst others may have urgent or complex enquiries that demand immediate attention, real-time answers, or in-depth discussion. The existence of a telephone number also speaks to the credibility and professionalism of a business.
Whilst a business telephone number is crucial to long-term success, answering calls can be time-consuming and disruptive, and hiring a receptionist is simply not a viable option for many small business owners. The most cost-effective and practical solution is to use a professional business telephone answering service. This type of remote, or virtual, service provides all of the benefits of an exclusive, full-time receptionist, but at a fraction of the cost of hiring a permanent in-house employee.
Below, we outline the top 5 benefits of a using a professional telephone answering service for your business
1. Never miss a phone call
Using a professional telephone answering service guarantees that no call will go unanswered. Regardless of where you are or what you’re doing, a fully-trained receptionist will answer every call in your business name. This ensures that every business opportunity is captured and there is no risk of missing important messages, disappointing valued clients, or creating an unprofessional image.
2. Reduce overheads
Employing an in-house receptionist requires a lot of time, money, and commitment. Aside from having to pay a full-time salary, employers National Insurance, and holiday pay, you will have to spend time advertising the role, interviewing candidates, and training and managing your new receptionist. You will also need to spend money on suitable work-space, furnishings, a telephone system, and utilities. Then there is the issue of finding cover if your receptionist is unwell, on holiday, or on maternity or paternity leave.
Running a small business is difficult and costly enough without having to deal with such challenges. With a telephone answering service, you’ll have all of the benefits of a full-time team of receptionists but none of the recruitment stress, costly overheads, HR responsibilities, or payroll requirements. The flexibility of this type of on-demand service also means that you’re not committed to paying for a full-time employee to answer only a few calls each day or during quiet periods when they’re not needed.
3. Boost productivity
Answering phone calls is a time-consuming distraction that busy small business owners could probably do without. Whilst every call may be potential new client or urgent message from a supplier, this will not always be the case. A telephone answering service is an effective way to filter calls and prioritise your workload whilst maintaining a professional image and keeping your customers happy. This will leave you with more time to grow your business and focus on the tasks that only you can do.
4. Improve customer relations
Effective communication is one of the best ways to provide personalised customer service and improve customer relations. Phoning a business during office hours only for the call to ring out or go to voicemail is incredibly disheartening. Similarly, waiting for a reply to an email can be very frustrating. Being able to instantly connect to a real person, on the other hand, provides reassurance and demonstrates that your business is accessible, reliable, and cares about its customers.
Telephone conversations also facilitate clear and immediate communication, making it far easier to answer queries and resolve issues in real time, rather than through a lengthy exchange of emails. A telephone answering service will ensure that every one of your customers feels valued and can rest assured that their queries or concerns will always be dealt with in a friendly, professional, and efficient manner.
5. Strengthen your brand image
A business telephone number is an effective way to legitimise and strengthen your brand image. People are more likely to trust your business if it has a local, regional, or non-geographic landline telephone number, rather than a mobile number – or no telephone number at all. Furthermore, the geographic location of your business telephone number will make it easier to promote your brand and reach your target market, whether that’s at a local or national level.
A professional receptionist answering your calls will also create a great first impression, reinforce strong business relations, and add significant value to your brand image. Your business will appear larger and more established than it may be in reality. In turn, this will help you to build trust and confidence in your brand, maintain a professional reputation, and cultivate lasting relationships.
Business Telephone Answering Services from Blue Square Offices
At Blue Square Offices, we have been providing innovative virtual office and call answering services for more than 20 years. Available for a fraction of the cost of hiring full-time employees, our Telephone Answering Service is a valuable asset to many UK businesses, allowing our clients to relax in the knowledge that their calls are being handled by highly-trained professionals at all times.
For a monthly fee of just £39.99, or a discounted annual fee of £335.99, our Business Telephone Answering Service provides a landline number of your choice, call answering in your business name, call forwarding, messages by email and SMS, out-of-hours voicemail, and more. Simply order online and your new telephone answering service will be up and running within just 5 hours.
