3 Reasons Why Contractors Should Use an Answering Service

If you're an entrepreneur who is ready to scale their business, you're looking at how you can leverage your income. And while an answering service for contractors may not be the first thing you think of outsourcing, the way your business manages incoming inquiries and handles customer service can set you apart from the competition.

Telephone answering services, or virtual live receptionists, support or even replace the traditional in-office receptionist. For solopreneurs and businesses without a brick-and-mortar location, this solves the problem of forwarding calls to your mobile and trying to juggle incoming calls with the rest of your workload.

Depending on what your needs are, this type of service can do more than professionally answer and make calls. They can also:

● Enhance customer service

● Screen calls, texts, emails

● Forward calls, texts, emails

● Make appointments

● Send emails or faxes

● Process orders

● Technical support

● Marketing support

● Sales support

● ... and more!

Whether you're an independent contractor providing a service to businesses or a general contractor overseeing a construction site, here are three reasons why you should consider using an answering service.

3 reasons why contractors should use an answering service

There's a good chance your business is providing an excellent service for good value, but when you're ready to take things to the next level, it can feel like a daunting task.

Once you have a proven product or service and are profitable, it's time to streamline operations and begin delegating.

Establishing a team is critical for scaling, and yet this doesn't necessarily mean hiring a staff and taking on that added responsibility. In many cases, you can build a team through agencies and contractors, such as using an answering service.

Getting the work done on time and to your high standards is important, but you won't grow your business if you're missing leads and leaving customers hanging when things get busy. Having an answering service ensures this part of your business is taken care of so you can focus on what you do best.

Here are three other reasons why contractors should use an answering service.

Save time and money

One of the best ways to stay focused on revenue-generating activities is to outsource reception duties or employ an answering service for contractors. This eliminates the constant interruptions of calls, texts and emails while ensuring you provide excellent customer service and never miss a lead.

A live answering service will often be an economical choice for your business because you pay for a certain level of support, rather than a salary. You also don't have to worry about recruiting, training or providing equipment and benefits.

Develop and maintain a professional reputation

In the small business world, there are few things more important than your image. People choose to do business with people they know, like and trust, and part of developing a good reputation in your industry is through how you handle your customers' needs and answer questions.

One of the most important reasons why contractors should use an answering service is because it allows you to provide excellent customer service, even if you're a small operation. Answering a call on the first ring and in a quiet setting may sound at first like no big deal, but it sets the tone for the level of care you provide and the respect you have for your customer. 

Provide consistent customer service

Even if you're friendly, reliable, priced competitively and you do good work, if you're not providing a consistent customer service experience then you may be missing out on business. However, there are multiple ways a customer or potential customer can reach out and it can be difficult for an entrepreneur to actively monitor every channel with so many other things vying for your attention.

An answering service takes this complication away by ensuring your business is providing a consistent experience with every interaction. This comes down to having a pleasant attitude, answering questions satisfactorily and attending to matters in a timely manner. This can often create loyal customers and turn negative situations into positive ones.

For entrepreneurs who are used to bootstrapping, the thought of outsourcing or automating certain functions may feel a little uncomfortable. However, the right partners allow you to scale your business and increase profitability leaving you with one less hat to wear.

About Robyn Roste

Robyn Roste is a professional writer living and working in Abbotsford BC Canada. Her personal blog about freelance writing(http://robynroste.com) is listed in The 100 Best Websites for Writers in 2020 by The Write Life.