With the advent of an automated telephone system, many people have wondered if it’s still worth investing in live answering. The truth is that both answering services can help businesses improve customer experience. However, each service also has drawbacks.
What are the pros and cons of automation vs live answering services?
As a business owner, you must always be available to take care of your clients’ needs. That means your customers must always find someone to talk to them whenever they call your business. That’s where automated and live answering services come in handy. Now, let’s look at the pros and cons of the two services.
- Large Call Volumes
- Specialized Customer Service
- 24/7 Voicemail Answering
- Human Connection
- Missed Phone Calls
1) Large Call Volumes
With automated phone systems, you’ll handle more calls than live answering services. All your clients will get directed to the right customer reps in the business. Unfortunately, the systems tend to have longer wait times, and most customers are not ready to wait.
2) Specialized Customer Service
Live answering services allow clients to enjoy specialized customer services. The live receptionists are well-trained to be friendly and direct the calls to the right departments and register seminar attendees. They can also help you complete catalog orders.
3) 24/7 Voicemail Answering
Both automated and live answering can help you avoid directing the customers’ calls to voicemail. Instead of the calls going directly to voicemail, a live receptionist will answer them promptly. The same applies to automated phone systems.
4) Human Connection
Another benefit of a live answering service is that it offers a human connection, allowing customers to interact with a real person rather than an automated system. That will help build your small business because many clients trust live operators more than automated systems.
5) Missed Phone Calls
With a live answering service, your business will never miss calls from current and new customers. However, solving complex issues can be tricky with live answering services. The person receiving calls might not offer a comprehensive solution to serious issues.
Choosing A Live Answering Service for Your Small Business
Now that you know the difference between an automated telephone system and a live answering service, you can pick an option that works better for your business. The bottom line is to select a call answering service that your business can afford.
Join the conversation to discover more about automated and live answering services.