Did you know that three out of four small businesses rely on the telephone to create a personal rapport and solve customer problems? But answering calls is a challenge for any business, particularly in the hectic world of property management.
To find out more about how these challenges are impacting the client-agent relationship, we conducted a survey of 2,000 UK tenants. The results revealed the extent of the challenge letting agents face in replying to their clients. And with the recent surge in rentals, finding a solution has never been more important.
This is where a telephone answering service comes in. Not only can it help you improve your customer service, but it can also enhance existing relationships with clients.
What is a telephone answering service?
A telephone answering service is a B2B service in which real people answer calls on behalf of your business.
Using a script created by you, a team of “virtual receptionists” can answer calls from sellers, buyers, tenants and landlords, just as you would.
But how exactly does a telephone answering service help your agency grow?
Round-the-clock availability
50% of consumers say that having a live person answer questions in the middle of a purchasing decision is one of the most important features a brand can offer.
Be there for your customer during their decision-making process to make a purchase and increase your chances of winning the sale!
A company that can support customers around the clock, with a real person at the other end of the line, usually stands out against their competitors. Constant coverage over your telephone calls increases the likelihood the customer will actually complete their purchase.
If you’re happy handling calls in-house during business hours, an out-of-hours answering service offers you 24/7 coverage at a lower cost. Not only does it ensure your callers always receive an answer, but it also gives you peace of mind at the end of the day. That’s good news for you and your callers.
Personalise service to keep customers coming back
When it comes to customer service, 59% of customers value personalisation over speed. In short, answering quickly isn’t everything. Beyond a simple “hello”, customers want companies to offer them unique personalised touches in customer service interactions.
Although chatbots might seem like a solution, 50% of tenants said in the recent AnswerConnect survey that chatbots have made interacting with letting agencies worse.
With a telephone answering service, you can address your clients with a human voice and maintain the company’s brand tone.
One in three consumers will pay more to receive a higher level of service. If that doesn’t prove how important it is to have a 5* customer service experience, nothing will.
Capture & qualify more leads
Responding to leads is an integral part of growing your business. But capturing and qualifying leads is also time and resource-intensive. Simultaneously, missing those calls simply isn’t an option. Property companies miss an average of £155,216 in annual revenue from missed calls.
An answering service enables your property company to stop missing calls and sales. Simultaneously, it means your team can redirect their time and effort to other aspects of your business.
Best of all, answering service receptionists don’t just capture leads; they can also identify the exact nature of the caller’s query. If you’ve integrated your answering service with a CRM, your receptionists can then add the qualified leads directly to your sales team.
Improve efficiency and take back your time
Did you know it takes about 23 minutes to recover from a distraction? So why juggle answering calls in the middle of completing your daily work tasks? We’ve all experienced this: you’re working on an important task, only to be interrupted by a phone call. It’s a common experience, particularly for smaller organisations.
Outsourcing your calls to a telephone answering service allows you to focus on all the other aspects of your business. Without the endless disruption of answering calls, you can develop your products/services, build your marketing strategy and even grow your team.
Deliver exceptional customer service
Your business is built on the reputation you’ve created for yourself, through your customer service experiences. It’s what compels customers to leave glowing reviews and refer you to their friends and family.
42% of consumers say they would pay more for a friendly, welcoming experience. But that means that every single phone call and interaction must be positive. On the flip side, in a 2022 tenant survey, a third of renters would choose another landlord/letting agency after a negative first experience.
Your reputation depends on every interaction with your customers. Consistency is key. Unfortunately, 87% of consumers believe that companies need to provide a more consistent customer experience.
But to offer consistently great service, you need to show you understand callers’ needs and work hard to resolve their queries in a timely manner. A telephone answering service offers a cost-effective solution to give callers a professional response, whenever they reach out.
Respond to queries faster
Want to find out firsthand what a telephone answering service can do for your business? Book a quick consultation with AnswerConnect and discover the true power of 24/7 customer support.
