Is an After-Hours Emergency Call Answering Service Right for My Business?

Although it might be the ideal scenario for customer emergencies to only occur during business hours, the reality is that emergencies can happen at any time. If you aren’t yet offering after-hours emergency call answering services, you may be creating unhappy customers.

Three answering representatives on a call

The Benefits of Offering After-Hours Service

An after-hours answering service offers your business many benefits. However, this type of service does not involve recorded messages. An answering service means a real person answers the phone, which is the first, and one of the most important, benefits.

  • A Real Person, Every Time

When a real person answers the phone, your customer can experience instant relief. Because they are professional operators, these people know how to handle all of the calls that your business receives.

  • Peace of Mind

For your customers, having a live person on the other end can make all the difference; not only does it communicate to them that their call truly is important, but it also gives them peace of mind that their message was received, and that their matters are being tended to.

  • Increases Productivity

Having an answering service also benefits your employees. Instead of having to take their attention from daily tasks to handle calls and process messages, they can continue their work uninterrupted. A service will both filter and prioritize calls received throughout the day and after hours, so, even if your employees are responsible for taking calls, their job can be that much easier.

  • Prevents Hang-Ups

Unlike recordings and queues that can cause customers to become frustrated and hang up, a live answering service can ensure that callers not only stay on the phone but that they can get the answers they need the first time they call.

  • Tailored to Your Business

Another major benefit of live answering services is that they can be adjusted to meet your requirements. For example, if you experience a higher volume of calls at certain times of the year, you can choose to increase your service level, and then reduce it once the calls subside.

  • Cost-Effective

The cost-effectiveness of hiring a live answering service for your business is significant because you don’t have to pay the operators a salary, sick time, or vacation days. Operators work for the company offering the service, and you simply pay for that service.

  • Eliminates Language Barriers

Professional answering services can be tailored to include bilingual operators for your Spanish-speaking customers. This allows all customers to receive the help they need in a clear and concise manner.

Finding the Right Service

When you’ve decided to hire professional answering services, it’s never recommended to go with the cheapest service you find. More often than not, the cheapest provider out there will deliver a service that is lacking in features and overall quality. It can really pay to shop around before choosing an emergency call answering service to make sure they are going to be able to support your business in the most efficient and cost-effective way possible.

female answering representative smiling

The right service will allow you to choose the ideal level for your requirements and provide professionally trained operators to effectively handle all your customer calls. Finally, the service you choose should not force you to spend more than you can afford as they should be able to customize a plan to fit your budget.

AnswerMTI offers top-notch emergency phone answering services; call 1-800-673-2000 to learn more.