It’s true that this technology isn’t free, but neither is having a live person answer and route calls and take messages. If you’ve been considering a virtual receptionist, but you’re not sure if it will really benefit your business, here are 5 reasons to opt for an auto attendant.
1. Improves efficiency
On average, it takes 23 minutes to recover from a distraction at work. And phone calls are one of the biggest distractions in the workplace. While there’s no doubt they help you stay in touch with customers and maintain a strong reputation, too many phone calls can easily hamper productivity. Worse yet, they can waste time and interrupt your employees’ workflows. An auto attendant is an efficient and cost-effective way to boost productivity and help your staff stay focused.
2. Decreases labor costs
Labor costs are often one of the biggest expenses for small businesses and startups. Using an auto attendant can help eliminate the need for hiring an office assistant or receptionist, all while helping you maintain strong customer service.
3. More than just an answering service
Answering incoming calls is obviously a huge time-saver and benefit in and of itself, but that’s not all these auto attendants can do. Here are just a few of the additional features you gain access to with a virtual receptionist:
- Connect incoming calls to the correct department
- App integrations
- Payment processing
- Appointment scheduling
- Message taking
- Call reporting
- 24/7 availability
- Flexible scripting
4. Increased reliability
No matter what industry you work in, it’s important that your customers know they can rely on you when it really counts—such as when they have questions or problems with your products or services. It’s tough to always be available when you rely on staff to answer the phone. With an auto attendant, customers will always be able to reach you, even outside of normal business hours.
5. No need to train new staff
Hiring new employees can be kind of a headache. It often takes a lot of time and training to ensure they’re doing their job correctly. An auto attendant helps eliminate the need to train and onboard new staff. The time you would spend monitoring their customer service can be reallocated into your bigger picture operational projects.
Learn more about auto attendants for small businesses
If you’re ready to start reaping the benefits of auto attendants for small businesses, reach out to us at High Country Workplace Technologies. We partner with a number of third-party providers who can help your small business thrive with highly effective answering services.
Contact us today to learn more about our available options.