Service businesses, such as electricians, HVAC, plumbers, and contractors, often have small teams that spend most of their time on job sites. Technicians are often tasked with handling work and managing customer calls. Missing calls only means losing leads and revenue, and hiring more people isn’t economical or practical for many of these small businesses. 

A live virtual receptionist could be the solution you are looking for! Providers like Signpost offer comprehensive services for small businesses, and their agents are based in the United States. Even the process of onboarding is pretty simple. Here are some things worth knowing. 

Live Answering Services vs. Voicemail

Voicemail has been the conventional choice for many small businesses. However, the contemporary customer would rather look for a second option than leave a voicemail. Service businesses also often get calls beyond standard hours and on weekends, which means the risk of missing calls is high. A live answering service, on the other hand, has real humans as agents who handle everything from customer inquiries to appointment scheduling and FAQs. Agents work around the clock, including holidays, which ensures your service business is always available. 

Reasons To Consider Live Agents 

There are several evident reasons to choose live answering services. Firstly, field teams cannot answer every call. Imagine your plumbing technician trying to fix a flooded basement while responding to a customer who wants urgent help. Secondly, voicemail is ineffective, and usually, leads go to competitors. With live agents, it is possible to offer human responses in real time. Another aspect to consider is the quality of incoming calls. There are many calls from spam numbers and telemarketers, but your team wouldn’t know that. If virtual receptionists take calls, they will only route those that are truly urgent. 

Common Tasks Live Receptionists Can Handle

So, what can live agents do? First, these agents get scripts and information from you. Your business is in control of details and responses. The service provider is further likely to train their receptionists to ensure better responses. Live agents can take care of new service inquiries, bookings, rescheduling, and appointments. They can also share common information about hours and pricing. After each call, your team will have access to call summaries, which are usually stored in the messaging hub and will be sent via text or email. 

Don’t Believe the Common Myths

It is a common misconception that live receptionists are only for big companies. Small businesses that cannot hire more people due to resource constraints are likely to reap the same benefits. Also, it is false that live agents will sound robotic or outsourced. As we mentioned earlier, you will give scripts for answers. Another myth is related to handling urgent calls. Live receptionists will listen to the customer, and if the situation demands emergency assistance, they will forward the call to your team. You can decide the escalation rules for such calls. 

What to Look For in a Live Answering Provider?

First and foremost, start with industry experience. The company should have experience working with service businesses. You should also check the pricing and ensure there is scope to scale as your company grows. The third thing to review is customization, which should be straightforward. You should also consider appointment scheduling and if the service can integrate with CRM tools. 

Takeaways

Outsourcing call management to a third-party answering service may sound like a big step, but for your small service business, this could be the most effective step. Not only will you ensure availability, but you can also improve your brand perception and capture all leads. There is no better or cost-effective way to offer better customer service.