When companies consider using an answering service, they often think of it as an extra cost. But, adding a live answering service to your team is actually a great way to save your business money.
It’s true. Phone answering services really are a great way for businesses to save money rather than just being an additional cost. While it is well documented how answering services can help companies make more money through improved customer service, additional lead capture, and improved productivity, this article will focus on how using an answering service is a money saver.
The incredible cost savings that a telephone answering service offers comes when you consider how they can be used in place of a traditional receptionist. When it comes to costs associated with receptionists, there is the obvious money that goes to paying their salary (about $30,000/year). However, businesses often forget to consider the costs associated with hiring, training, and supporting the employee.
Studies show time and again that hiring an in-house receptionist to handle the bulk of incoming calls is not as simple as it sounds. The hiring process alone can be costly and time consuming. You’ve got to put together a job posting, often pay to list it, spend time going through applicants, take more time to interview candidates, and then there’s all the paperwork that must be done with a new hire.
The new employee will now become the first person a customer or potential customer encounters in your company. For a receptionist to truly be effective usually requires significant amounts of training. For whomever is tasked with training your new receptionist, it will mean taking time away from their own work and costs a big chunk of cash— the average cost of training an employee is estimated to fall between $1200-$1800 for small businesses.
Hiring an answering service allows you to forget about the time and money you would have spent on recruiting, interviewing, hiring, and training a new receptionist.
But wait! Now that your receptionist is trained and ready to help your company, they are going to need all the things necessary to do their job. A computer, monitor, desk, chair, phone, headset, standard supplies, office space, and all the amenities that are generally expected of a workplace. Just these things alone can easily cost over $1000.
Another way an answering service can help save you money is with their technology. They have already invested in the best hardware, software, and necessary items to build out a successful call center. That’s all money you don’t have to spend that stays in your pocket when you partner with an answering service. All you have to do is sit back and leverage their tools and data to efficiently manage your organization.
Back to your receptionist. Don’t forget you’ve got to pay for insurance, vacation time, someone to cover their breaks, and any other benefits your company offers! One of the other great things about a phone answering service is that they are the ones paying their employees and all you have to do is choose a plan that fits your budget.
By the time you’ve finished adding up how much your receptionist is costing you, they have put in their notice and you are starting the whole process over again. Turnover is a massive financial drain on businesses. A good call answering service never quits on you.
So when you get down to it, having a receptionist is going to cost your company tens of thousands of dollars. You can save the vast majority of that money by using an answering service. You can get round-the-clock call coverage for well under $1000 a year. Just think of what you could do with those thousands and thousands of dollars you can save by using an answering service!
If you’re interested in saving your business money by using a 24/7 answering service, contact us today!
More posts you might want to check out:
Ways A Virtual Receptionist Can Save Your Business Money