There are many ways to get your messages from your answering service. These include voicemail, email, or a phone call. A fourth option of increasing popularity is text messaging. This offers many benefits to most answering service clients, but it’s especially applicable to trade businesses, such as air-conditioning and plumbing companies.
Here are some of the top benefits that you can enjoy when your answering service uses texting to send you your messages.
1 – Instant Notification
Text messaging is the fastest way for you to get your messages. It’s quicker than voicemail or a phone call. It even edges out email for its delivery speed. In addition, text messaging is easier to use than email. Texting is the go-to communication method for most smart phone users. The speed of communication and ease-of-use are the key reasons.
In today’s competitive environment, seconds matter. That’s why companies that strive to be the best, opt for solutions that offer speed and convenience. That’s why they want text messaging.
2 – Interruption Free Communication
Sometimes when you receive a text, you’re in the middle of a project or talking with the customer. You don’t want to stop what you’re doing or interrupt an important conversation to look at a message. That would be disrespectful.
With text messaging you don’t need to do anything to receive it. That’s the beauty of texting. And if you can’t view it when it comes in, it’ll be waiting for you when you have time. With text messaging you can place the needs of the customer above everything else. This shows them respect and proves they’re the most important thing at that moment.
Then, when you’re finished with that customer, you can read your text. This next customer becomes your new number one priority. It’s fair, and it’s right.
3 – Receipt Confirmation
Some businesses want their answering service to keep trying to reach them with messages until they confirm they received it. Not only can your answering service try alternate means of contact, but they can also try reaching other people in your organization.
This is a good policy that many companies embrace. Fortunately, with text messaging, it’s easy to confirm you received it. With a couple of button clicks you can verify you’ve read it and are ready to act. Then your answering service knows they don’t need to keep trying to reach you or someone else on your team.
4 – Status Updates
Here’s a powerful option that many people overlook. With texting it’s easy to send updates to your answering service. Once your answering service has the information, they can call your customer with a status update. Yes, you could do this yourself, but it’s a lot safer to let your answering service make the call then for you to do so while you’re driving. Just type in a quick message to your answering service before you hop in your car, and they’ll do the rest.
For example, you could text your answering service with “On my way; be there in 10,” “Please give this to Fred,” or “Will call them by 4.” In each instance, your answering service can call your customer or employee and give them a full update over the telephone. It’s customer service at its best.
Apply This To Your Small Business
Though text messaging isn’t ideal for every answering service client, it offers promising opportunities for most. With texting you can receive your messages fast, avoid interruptions if you’re in the middle of something, and confirm you received the text. As a bonus, you can also send updates to your answering service for them to follow through on your behalf.
Using texting with your answering service is fast and convenient. It also helps you serve your customers more effectively and run your business more efficiently.
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Contact us to learn how Apollo Answering Service can help you better manage your telephone calls any time of the day or night.