Phone answering services may seem like one of those things that only ‘big’ companies use. But you’ll be surprised. Here’s why…

 

Business is going well, your marketing strategies are paying off and you’re picking up clients at an incredibly fast pace. Everything is working out just as you had planned. 

Except there’s one issue… 

While you’re busy working with your clients, the phone keeps ringing. Not only is it a distraction and slightly annoying to your current client, but you know that every call you miss is potentially another missed opportunity. 

It’s going to create more work later on as you painstakingly go through all your missed calls and try to call everyone back, but worse than that – you know that when you don’t answer your phone, customers in the modern day are highly likely to go and find a competitor. 

Your marketing efforts are both going to waste AND you’re actually boosting the competition! 

You’ve got to do something.

Hiring a company that offers Phone Answering Services may seem like something that only ‘big’ companies can afford, but you’d be surprised and what’s available today and why going down this route actually makes good business sense.  

Using phone answering services saves money 

If you know you need someone to take those calls that keep coming in, outsourcing is cheaper than hiring. You get a trained professional, so there’s no need to spend time, money and effort trying to recruit, hire, train and manage a member of the permanent staff. Not to mention what you do when they take holiday or time off sick. With outsourcing, you only pay for what you use and it is overall cheaper than employing someone.

 

Increase your availability and build relationships

Using a Phone Answering Service allows your company to be available, even when you’re not. You can focus on your work, while someone else takes the calls for you and you can offer availability outside your normal working hours. Modern customers demand convenience and when they call, they expect a human to deal with their enquiry. 

Professional call handlers can be briefed to go beyond a scripted call and actually help build relationships with your customers. Good relationships are crucial for having happy customers who return to you time and time again. 

 

Phone answering services generate revenues and return on investment 

75% of customers think that picking up the phone is the fastest way to order something and 85% of customers whose calls you miss, aren’t going to call you back and people increasingly don’t leave voicemails. 

If you’re too busy working, you could be missing calls. This might lead to customers going elsewhere. By simply having someone available to answer the phone, you can keep your customers, build relationships and increase your revenues. 

Nobody knows your business better than you, but using a Phone Answering Service should give you a good return on investment. You’re putting money into this because it will pay for itself and then some. A lot of businesses aren’t aware of their lost opportunity costs because customers don’t tend to leave voicemails anymore. You might miss a call and lose a customer. So factor this into your decision-making process. 

If you’re interested in eDivert’s Phone Answering Service, contact us today via email info@eDivert.co.uk 

I often find, when speaking with business owners, that the challenges they face seem to be age-old ones. Of course, there are always political and economic woes just over the horizon…and the next one after that. We live in an ever-changing world, with an ever-changing landscape, but the issue always seems to be the same; not enough time. Have you ever wondered how you can reclaim some of your time? Read on…

 

Time Saving Technology

When the industrial revolution came around in the 18th and 19th centuries, everyone thought that the new ‘machines’ would save people a lot of work and we could all reduce our working hours. Fast forward to the 20th and 21st centuries, and with them a whole host of new ‘time-saving’ technology and devices, yet we all seem to be working longer hours and more than before. With smartphones and emails, we never seem to be disconnected from work. 

In many ways, the new technology has benefitted businesses, but the issue of time is still there. Technology aside, there are still ways to save time and one resource that is often overlooked is human resources; especially outsourcing. In the new working world, post-pandemic, it’s arguably far easier to access human resources than ever before in history. 

 

Outsourced Resources

Making use of outsourced resources is often low down on the business owner’s priority list, or often, not on their radar at all. I’ve had several conversations now and surprised people with just how easy, cost-effective and beneficial such a solution can be. Take using a telephone answering service for example. It can not only save you time but can actually help to increase both your revenues and your profits. 

 

Call Answering Services

Telephone answering services themselves are actually very affordable now and you only pay for the time actually spent on calls. Compare this to paying for a member of reception staff – where you are paying for their time, the office space and the cost of calls. And for smaller businesses that don’t have a receptionist? Have you considered the cost of missing calls?

 

Most likely you aren’t aware that people not only will not call you back, but they will just call the next company they can find to fulfil their needs – your competitors. Simply by taking that call the moment it comes in, you are significantly increasing your chances of securing more business. Moreover, if they are existing clients, they are likely to rate your customer service as ‘excellent’, which in turn generates goodwill, word of mouth marketing and increases their loyalty. Before you know it, you’ve retained your existing customers for longer AND likely increased your customer base – all by simply not missing calls. 

 

Contact eDivert today and find out just how cost-effective and simple a telephone answering solution is for your business, and how you can reclaim some of your time. 

Being connected has been a real theme for businesses, large and small, for the past year or so. The sudden ramping up of virtual meetings and existing only in an online world made us all realise the importance of our visibility, both in terms of gaining new business and nurturing existing client relationships.

At eDivert, one of our most popular services is telephone answering and it covers a wider scope of activities than you might first imagine. Here’s why it could be a great investment if you are running a busy, growing company.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS COUNT

What earlier impression could there be than the moment you answer a call from someone enquiring about doing business with you? If you are a small or micro business, you may not even have a dedicated member of staff picking up the phone and it’s key to making a good impression that your prospect doesn’t get a harassed voice at the other end, or someone distracted with the delivery of existing business.

Equally, with the increasing amount of business being done online, website chat is a really important part of keeping your audience engaged and stopping them hopping away from your website. But, for smaller businesses who can’t afford to invest in complex AI solutions, it’s hard to stay on top of. With our managed live chat service, we can provide a manual approach to dealing with website visitors and ensuring they find the information that they need.

WHAT DOES IT INVOLVE?

Our telephone answering service does so much more than simply taking calls and providing messages. It adds real value by:

• Endeavouring to answer queries or provide a solution to a problem;
• Providing consistency to the way a client, existing or prospective, is greeted when contacting you;
• Avoiding missed sales opportunities;
• Moving people along your pipeline by taking or making calls to progress their requirements;
• Answering pre-agreed FAQs;
• Providing a virtual reception service

We aim for this service to help keep the business running and to move clients or enquiries through a process, saving the business owners time and reducing the risk of lost enquiries.

WORKING TOGETHER

The more you are able to brief us, the more value we can add. For example, a business that can provide us with answers to common queries will ensure we are able to deal with those calls without needing to involve them at all. This means huge time savings for them and happy clients who have their query resolved the first time they call.

We can even work with you to gain an understanding of your pipeline process so we can help proactively move people along it by dealing with each touchpoint for you.

As the owner manager of a small business this level of involvement can be invaluable because distraction impacts your output in terms of quality and quantity more than you could imagine.

So, if you’re struggling to keep all the plates spinning, or if you just want to leave a professional first impression with all your existing and prospective clients, why not get in touch to see how we can help?

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“We’ve got your business covered”

Do you find yourself struggling to keep up with the things on your to-do list just to keep your business running? Do you feel like you’re on a treadmill where you can’t afford to jump off to work on the business instead of in it?

In business, customer/client confidence is key with first impressions a major factor in any decision-making process. Whilst customer engagement varies between businesses and sectors you can instil confidence in your business very simply.

How you first engage with potential or existing customers/clients is key and often that first engagement is when they call you. Having invested in your businesses profile and image your need to project a professional aura and image. Whether you are a sole-trader or small to medium enterprise using a mobile number and voicemail service may be setting you back. What do you look for when calling business – great customer care and confidence of the first person you speak too?

 

How can it work for you?     

At eDivert we offer a telephone answering service where our UK based agents a professional and well briefed and trained to handle each accounts’ respective needs. Each account will have its own dedicated Account Manager and they will become familiar with the frequently asked question and guide callers into the next steps of the sale or query.

We create for each client their own profile system that will include a recognised std number relating to the geographical area in which the business is located. Our agents then deal with calla and will deal with the enquiry or pass messages on via text or email to the designated contact(s) within the relevant business.

 

Advantages of using a telephone answering service

• Calls are answered by “a member of your team” – most hang-ups occur when callers are asked to leave a message;
• Allows you and your team to get on with the “business of doing business” and only having to deal with real business callers;
• Potential and existing customers feeling greater confidence and satisfaction that they are being dealt with by a real person;
• Ability to share real time information about your products and services;
• Provides your business with support whilst not having to employ a staff member full time;
• The agent can act as a virtual receptionist and manage your diary to book meetings and or appointments with clients

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Case Study:

Absolutely Fabulous Carpet Cleaning

Carpet, Rug, Upholstery and Stone Floor Cleaning

 

 

 

Service: Telephone Answering Service

Background:

Established in 1989, Absolutely Fabulous Carpet, Upholstery and Stone Floor Cleaning specialise in eco-friendly low moisture cleaning of carpets, stone and tile floors and soft furnishings throughout Berkshire, South Buckinghamshire, North Hampshire and South Oxfordshire.

Accredited by the NCCA (National Carpet Cleaning Association) and Woolsafe Certified Operators, their technicians are highly trained to clean and preserve the life of carpets and soft furnishings – creating a healthier environment in their clients’ homes and offices.

Their satisfied client base includes domestic customers, as well as offices, conference centres, restaurants, hotels, schools, medical centres, care homes, nurseries and so on.

 

Problem:

Covering a large area in the South East of England, Absolutely Fabulous had the requirement for someone to answer their calls coming in from different locations.

Initially calls were diverted to the mobile of the business owner, Darren or his wife. Very quickly Darren felt that his work was being interrupted too often when he was with customers or he would not be able to answer the calls at all. Prospective customers would not always leave a voicemail. As Darren’s wife was also out and about a lot during the day, she was unable to answer incoming calls in a professional manner, as there would be a lot of background noise outside. They felt they were losing out on business and had to find another solution.

As Absolutely Fabulous’ prospective customers often want to know how local the company is to them, knowledge of the local area was an important factor for the solution they were looking for.

The company considered hiring a part-time receptionist, but after calculating the cost of salary and office space, they quickly started looking at other options.

Another problem was that an in-house receptionist wouldn’t be able to cover the hours they required. Many enquirers, who were looking for carpet or rug cleaning for their own homes, would call after 6pm or in the weekend. The company therefore needed a solution that included evening and weekend calls at a reasonable charge.

Solution:

Darren met Ed from eDivert early 2015 at a networking meeting in Maidenhead. After a 1-2-1 meeting and a good look at their website, he decided that the telephone answering service from eDivert exactly met the requirements he was looking for.

eDivert’s Telephone Answering Service offers the option to have calls answered during office hours, as well as in the evenings and weekends. Their staff were local and had a good understanding of the area where Absolutely Fabulous provide their carpet and upholstery cleaning services.

After signing up for the telephone answering services Absolutely Fabulous was allocated a team of 2 virtual receptionists who answer all calls for their company and manage their account. Allocating a small team has helped to ensure that the receptionists have built up good knowledge about Absolutely Fabulous and genuinely sound to callers as if they work directly in the company.

The virtual receptionists at eDivert offer a tailored telephone answering service to Absolutely Fabulous. Not only do they take the name, phone number and message of the caller. They also ask for postcode details as well as where the caller has found the company details. This information helps Absolutely Fabulous to be ahead with planning and quotations before calling their prospects back, as well as keep track of how their marketing campaigns are performing.

“eDivert provide us with an excellent standard of service which is both personable and professional…exactly the impression we want to give. Their assistance and efficient response to clients is a great asset to our business. Thank you eDivert.”

Tracy, Absolutely Fabulous Carpet, Rug, Upholstery & Stone Floor Cleaning, www.abfab.uk.com

 

Conclusion:

eDivert offers Absolutely Fabulous a professional and cost-effective solution to ensure all enquirers’ calls are answered by trained virtual receptionists.

This has helped Absolutely Fabulous to ensure all enquiries are captured and no business is lost.

In addition, it has freed time up for Darren and his team to ensure the customers they visit receive their full attention. Enquirers are informed by eDivert’s virtual assistants that they will receive a call back as soon as one of the carpet cleaners is available. The fact that every caller speaks to an actual person and knowing that they will receive a call back, gives prospects confidence that they are dealing with a professional firm.

eDivert’s Telephone Answering Services have not only increased overall customer satisfaction immensely, but Absolutely Fabulous reckons it has increased customer loyalty by 30%.

You are normally really busy and you miss important calls? In this blog you can learn about why having a telephone answering service can make a difference to your business and how it allows you to concentrate on other aspects of your business whilst ensuring that no potential customers are neglected ever again.

A call answering service means that whenever they call, potential clients get through to an actual human being. At eDivert in Maidenhead we have fully trained reception staff waiting to answer the phone for your business.

 

Many different types and sizes of business have times when their telephones go unanswered. Using a telephone answering service instead of recruiting temporary staff for those times when you are short-staffed can be a good solution. Simply divert your phone and we’ll filter your calls so that staff in your office can focus on their own work:

– when your receptionist takes a holiday

– when they are ill or absent

– when you are too busy and you receive overflowing calls

 

 

At eDivert, we answer all your calls in the name of your business.

All calls are answered as though we are based in your own office.

 

 

Types of businesses we support:

 

– IT Solution and Support Businesses                       

– Accountancy Firms

– Law Firms

– Estate agents

– Complementary Health Clinics & Beauty Salons

– Home Care Agencies

– Events Companies

– Catering Businesses

– HR Consultancy and Support Businesses

– Carpet Cleaning Companies

– Electricians and Plumbers

– Photographers

– Car Hire Companies

– e-Commerce Businesses and other Businesses selling their products Online

 

 

Never miss a call from a potential customer

This is the first and most important reason to use this service. It’s a fact that 60% of people would not leave a message on an answer machine, when you are out of the office. This means that new business can be lost if a potential client cannot speak to a real person; they will simply just move on to the next competitor. It can be a waste of time and money on your marketing campaign if you are unavailable for your new prospects when they try to call you. It doesn’t matter how busy you are; you can make sure you never miss another call or sales opportunity. At eDivert, we have options for Monthly Packages as well as Pay-as-you-go Packages. If you wish to see our prices for our Maidenhead-based call answering service, please follow the link www.edivert.co.uk/pricing/telephone-answering-pay-as-you-go

 

We could save you money

The service is much cheaper than a full-time receptionist. Hiring a receptionist or an additional member of staff can be expensive for a small business, and you may not have enough incoming calls to justify paying someone to handle them full-time or even part-time. Even if you get members of your existing team to take calls, this will draw them away from their other tasks, effectively costing you money. If you were to hire a staff to answer all your phone calls, you would need to train them. However, with a live answering service, you don’t have to worry about this. This not only saves you money, but also time. With eDivert as soon as the call ends, you stop paying.

 

Improving your customer service

Professional customer service and support elevates your brand. Don’t forget, opportunities for sales exist in every interaction with a (prospective) customer. When handled by a call expert, a request for more information or a simple question about your product or service can result in an initial (or even additional) sale. At eDivert we answer your calls in a professional manner using your preferred company greeting along with any specific instructions you require. We pride ourselves in giving your customers the full, attentive service they deserve. We can answer queries, frequently asked questions and escalate any urgent problems so that your customers stay completely satisfied. The caller will never suspect that they have been redirected to someone out of your office environment. A reputable telephone answering service like eDivert provides a professional image you can rely on.

 

Efficiency is important for your company

Dealing with the flow of inbound calls can be extremely time consuming, not to mention distracting, by using a telephone answering service, you can avoid that and will have more time to deal with your business requirements. When you are constantly having your workflow interrupted it breaks your momentum and it can take you twice as long to complete the simplest of tasks. So while you are signing important contracts and dealing with your existing clients, we are ready to welcome your new ones and you will be achieving maximum productivity with minimum wasted effort or expense.

 

Appointment setting, Online selling

If you are in an industry that requires appointment scheduling, our professional operator can handle order taking, order processing, registration or appointment booking for your company in a timely and professional manner. Appointment Setting is ideal for Health Clinics, Physiotherapists, Massage Clinics, Hair Salons, Lunch Rooms and so on. While our Order Taking service is ideal for eCommerce Businesses. We ask you to fill out a Business Requirements Form so we know all the information about your business to handle your clients’ and prospective clients’ calls. A telephone answering service can also filter your calls so you will only receive the ones which is important for your business.

 

The service is available 24 hours a day, even when you are closed

Not all, but some call answering services also take your calls when you are asleep, when your business is closed or when your calls are overflowing during your daytime business hours which means you will not miss any calls. Many companies who sign up for this service are surprised to realize how many calls they miss out of hours when their business is closed. If you do have an out of hours’ service requirement your calls can be filtered and calls which needs immediate action can then be passed to the relevant on-call person, while others can be emailed to you to deal with the next day.

 

Messages can be sent to the business by text or email

An answering service gathers all the important information about your caller, which is then sent to you via email or text. With most telephone answering services, your messages are comprehensively logged and securely stored, so you’ll never lose or accidently delete an important message. You can set up your account and request a text sent to your mobile so you can answer an important phone call wherever you are immediately.

 

You can have a landline number, even if you only have a mobile

If you only have your mobile advertised on your website, it can give the impression for the visitor that you are a very small company. You can even be considered not very professional. If you don’t have a landline, no need to worry, a telephone answering service can usually provide you with a local phone number without paying for a landline.

 

As you can see there are many benefits to using a call answering service. At Berkshire-based eDivert we tailor packages to suit each of our customer’s needs. If you have any questions or if you are thinking about signing up, feel free to contact us on info@eDivert.co.uk. Alternatively check out our website www.edivert.co.uk/our-services/telephone-answering-services-uk for more information.

We started using telephone answering services from a very early stage in our business. eDivert is an excellent service to use as a start-up. Especially if your type of business has staff that needs to step out regularly to go and meet clients.

Our office is never without telephone cover thanks to eDivert. Our company has built up an excellent reputation for customer service as a result of eDivert”s call answering services.

Caley is our allocated receptionist. She usually sends all messages to us by email as well as by text. This is how we chose to set up the service. We work out in the field a lot and it is important that we are able to respond to urgent queries quickly due to the nature of our business. We provide care to elderly people and people with disabilities in their own homes. We have a lot of carers out in the field.

It is important that they can get in contact with the office team when needed. A carer could have an emergency with a client, or a client may need to cancel a visit at the very last minute.

Thanks to eDivert we have been able to save costs to hire a full-time receptionist. We do not only use eDivert”s call services when we are out. Sometimes we use it when we are working in the office, for example during staff meetings, so that all office staff can attend. At other times our office staff are very busy with getting the care schedule ready for the next week, which means they can divert the lines to eDivert and really focus on this important task. This allows them to filter out the urgent messages and return the other phone calls later in the day.

eDivert is excellent in how they judge the importance of messages. When a client calls for an emergency, eDivert has all our mobile phone numbers and knows exactly who they should try to reach to get the problem resolved. It is like having an in-house receptionist, but without the high cost.