Many of the people we speak to think that the only time they could divert there phones to a phone answering service is when they're on holiday or away from the office. We always suggest, however, that there are a few more key situations to think about. We've gathered together some of these key situations and listed them below. Of course, this is by no means an exhaustive list, and we'd love to hear more about the ways you use your call answering service - or indeed, the ways you'd like to use such a service.
When You're Busy
When you run your own business, there are plenty of times when you are physically in the office but would like some peace and quiet to get some paperwork done. Why not divert your calls to your answering service for an hour or so, and give yourself the time to get some serious, uninterrupted work done? A good answering service will be able to field your calls during this time in a friendly and professional manner - making sure that you don't miss out on clients and opportunities.
When You're Already on the Phone
Have you ever heard that tell-tale beeping sound while on the phone to a client and panicked because someone else is on the line? Rather than trying to run two conversations at once - give yourself piece of mind and allow your answering service to take the second call. Many answering services, us included, are able to set it up so that calls will go straight through to them when your line is engaged.
If You Can't Get to The Phone
Hear the phone ringing but too busy talking to a customer face-to-face to answer it? Again, no problem. A system can be put in place so that if you don't answer by a certain ring, the call will go through to your answering service instead. Your answering service will then answer straight away, meaning that you are able to keep both customers happy.
When You're Out
This is the obvious one - when you know you're going to be away from the office simply divert your calls to your answering service. A recent study showed that 70% of people aren't comfortable leaving a message on an answerphone, which means that if this is all you have in place - you're likely to be losing customers. Diverting your calls to an answering service is quick and easy, and gives you complete freedom whilst you're out and about.
Divert Your Mobile
Many people don't realise that it is also possible to divert a mobile phone to your answering service. This means that you can divert your office calls to your mobile when you leave your desk - but then have your mobile calls set up to divert to us if you're engaged, don't get to the call in time, or lose signal. The call will also divert to us if you choose not to take it - meaning that you can field calls as necessary.
