Convincing a potential client that they would be better off paying for live answering service can be challenging. One of the biggest hurdles is cost. A client may look at the service and only see yet another bill that needs to be paid. We need to help that client understand how live answering services can actually save money.
So here is the million-dollar question: where do the savings from live answering services come from? The answer is not as straightforward as it sounds. That is because there is more than one way to save money. Businesses spend good money on paid live answering services. But what they save in other areas should make up for what they spend.
1. Wages and Benefits
The first and most obvious way that live answering services can save money is in wages and benefits. We have seen some estimates of savings as high as $60,000 annually. Are such estimates accurate? There is no way to say for sure. Each case is different. What we can say is that paying wages and benefits is expensive. Companies could pay a lot less for live answering services.
A live answering service charges clients based on the actual work performed. When the service is not active and working for a client, that client isn’t being charged. Here is another way to look at it: companies pay for a live answering service based on the actual amount of time that service is utilized.
On the other hand, in-house team members are being paid for every minute on the clock – whether they are working the phones or not. They are also paid for sick time, personal days, and their vacations. It all adds up.
2. Satisfied Customers
Saving on wages and benefits is just the starting point. Live answering services save money in other ways too, not the least of which is contributing to more satisfied customers. To better understand this principle, bear in mind that customers do not like speaking to machines and leaving messages. When they call, they want to reach a real human being capable of answering their questions or solving their problems.
Satisfied customers mean fewer hassles for a company. Fewer hassles mean spending less money to solve problems that could have been avoided had the customer been made happy from the onset. Simply put, an organization can put out more fires when phones are properly staffed. Fewer fires mean lower costs.
3. Better Reputation
A company that always answers its phones is bound to have a better reputation than competitors who force customers to leave voicemails and hope for the best. A better reputation makes it easier to keep existing customers on board. Those customers are also more likely to spread the word on social media and via personal recommendations.
The end result is less money spent on customer retention and new customer recruitment. A company’s good reputation does some of the retention and recruiting work on its own. It translates into money saved, money that can be reinvested in other parts of the business.
We have given you just three ways live answering services can save money. There are others that we can talk about when you contact us to learn more about Apello services. Here is the main takeaway: your company needs to be able to communicate with customers one way or another. As long as someone has to answer the phones, why not let experienced professionals handle it for you? You will get excellent service that should save money in the long run. That cannot be bad for your business.
