Finding a space in the competitive and rapidly changing business landscape is anything but easy. This is particularly true for small businesses, such as general contractors, HVAC services, and electrical solutions, that are also struggling with resource constraints. Managing operations while maintaining an image takes significant effort. Customers expect prompt services, and it is essential for businesses to remain available around the clock. If your team of receptionists and front desk executives are exhausted and overwhelmed, it is time to switch to a virtual answering service for general contractors. Here’s what you should know.
Staying accessible around the clock
Service businesses and contractors have to communicate with clients on demand. People may have requests and complaints and may want to know more about a company on the call. A single call missed is a lost business opportunity. Unfortunately, receptionists have limitations. These are real people who only work for a fixed number of business hours. With 24/7 answering services, you can resolve these concerns. Does that mean you have to cut staff? Not necessarily! In fact, with an AI virtual agent handling initial calls, your existing team can perform better. If AI cannot help, the system will reroute the call to a real executive.
Benefits of 24/7 Answering Services
- Accessibility: An AI answering service works 24/7, ensuring your customers can reach you at their convenience. Whether it is a routine service request or a new construction or installation work, your customers will get a response.
- Better experience: Customers trust businesses that consider them a priority. With a 24/7 answering service, your company can streamline front desk operations and ensure no call is ever missed.
- Productivity: As we discussed before, your internal resources are relevant and necessary. By outsourcing the calls to an AI voice agent, your front desk receptionists can perform better and have less to deal with. They also get to focus on more critical tasks.
- Competitive edge: With an answering service, you can also maintain a competitive edge. A caller who cannot connect with your company will look for an alternative without delay, and you can dodge such situations.
Choosing a virtual answering service
Selecting the right virtual answering service or AI receptionist can make a difference. As a general contracting company, you want to ensure that the AI model aligns with your business. Some of the few things to check include –
- Basics: Can the voice agent answer business calls around the clock? What tech propels the service? How human does the AI receptionist sound? You should select a service that is flexible and allows you to control responses.
- Uptime: Your virtual answering service should have the maximum uptime. The whole purpose of switching to AI for calls is defeated when the service provider cannot guarantee uptime.
- Add-on features: While this may vary between companies, you have to check what add-ons you can get. The list includes integration with other software and tools, marketing automation, the ability to track payments, and chatbots.
Cost of AI receptionist
The upfront costs of using an AI receptionist are limited, but service providers usually offer flexible monthly payments. You need to check the total call duration included and how you will be billed for longer calls and increased call volume. If you compare the cost with increasing your existing staff, the difference is staggering. What you need to focus on is also the features you get for the package.
Takeaways
For general contractors and service businesses, having an AI receptionist or virtual answering service is no longer a choice. It is that time when the world is switching to AI, and leveraging tech for your company should be a priority.