5 ways missing calls can negatively impact your small business

So you’ve started a business and have been working hard to ensure calls are now coming in. Unable to handle such a huge number of callers you fail to may miss a few here and there. However, you may also be starting to notice that these callers often don’t leave you any voicemails or call a second time.

This is a huge mistake!
Your customers are calling because they are looking to speak with someone for sales or enquiries. When there is no one to answer that call, statics show that 85% of your customers won’t bother contacting your business again. After reading those numbers, you may be considering employing someone to oversee your phones.

But, is it the best possible solution?
At times, instead of trying to take everything on, it’s better to let others handle it for you. That’s why a call answering service for your small business can act as the first response to your customers’ questions.

Follow below, as we discuss the negative impact missing your customer’s calls will have on your small business.

Lose potential customers

Your callers are usually your potential customers. They’ve called you because they require further details about the services and products you provide. But, a failure to receive these calls, will send your new clients straight to your competitors.

If every day you are losing one customer to a missed call, then by the end of the year you’ve racked up 365 lost clients. This number on its own can make a huge difference, and for a high valued single sales company, it’s dramatic.

Fall in revenue

Losing customers means a drop in your revenue. UK SME lost ₤90m in failing to pick up calls from their customers. If these calls are coming from your SEO and PPC campaigns which you’ve paid for in advance, then you’re tossing away even more money.

A simple solution to this problem is to get in touch with a telephone answering service. A virtual receptionist service is used to screen your customers’ problems or questions without you having to lift a finger.

Create a bad impression

Would you buy from a business that doesn’t answer your call?
The answer in most cases is NO! Potential customers call with the intention to buy your products or undertake the service you provide. When you miss their first call, they can only assume that the service is bad or unorganised. This is, unfortunately, the first impression they’ll get of you and your business.

When you leave your customer with a good first impression, they are more likely to recommend your business to friends and family looking for a similar service. But, when left with a poor impression of your business, due to bad customer service they’ll tell everyone. Frustrated and disappointed customers are more likely to leave a bad review which can severely damage the image of your small business.

Loss of confidence

To a customer, it doesn’t matter if you are short-staffed, or if your team is on break. Missing calls is a sure-fire way to get clients questioning if they’re even important to you. Once they lose their confidence, they start to question the reliability of your service. Meaning that they’re more unlikely to return or recommend your services in the future.

Reduced productivity

Missing calls definitely means a decrease in revenue, but the productivity of your staff can also take a hit. Some customers will leave voicemails, prompting your team to call them back. However, in most cases, by the time you find the time to return the call many of them will have found what they were looking for elsewhere.

Reading this article, you should now have a deep understanding of how important it is to take every customer’s call. It’s time you took the first step in ensuring your customers are satisfied and that your business is secure. Search for a telephone answering service provider today and get your company the help it needs when it comes to customer enquiries.

Starc Maxwell
Starc Maxwell
I am a freelance writer and an independent blogger. I write for Sustainability, Finance, Small Business, and Waste Management related articles. I write blogs through the years that I know perfect to stay healthy and in good shape. I love to share my knowledge and thought with people.
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