What is a call-handling service?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\u2018Call handling\u2019 is a service provided by an external organisation to manage phone calls on behalf of your business. This can include calls from other people (inbound calls), or calls that you\u2019re making to others (outbound calls).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sometimes, this can also mean an overflow handling service to offer extra support when you\u2019re swamped by calls. At other times, it can mean an out-of-hours handling service to manage calls during evenings, weekends, or during holidays.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But what are the signs that your business should start thinking seriously about a call-handling service?<\/p>\n\n\n\n There\u2019s no better feeling than getting into the flow of things and really focusing on a meaty and challenging task. You\u2019re making rapid progress and doing some of the best work you\u2019ve done in ages. And when you finally snap out of a trance, you realise hours have gone by in the space of what felt like minutes. But then you look at your phone and your heart sinks\u2026 how many <\/em>missed calls?<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re missing calls while you\u2019re working, it might be because you\u2019re focusing on the things you feel are most important for your business. But at what cost?<\/p>\n\n\n\n We might be living in a digital world, but many customers still prefer to pick up the phone when they need to get in touch. According to Google, 70% of mobile searchers say<\/a> they regularly call a business from a mobile search ad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Luckily, with a call handling service, you can rely on someone to pick up your incoming calls for you. That means you can focus on the jobs that require your best thinking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sure, variety is the spice of life. But don\u2019t underestimate the importance of a regular routine. Professionals say that a routine can help you<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u00b7 Manage stress more effectively<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u00b7 Sleep better<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u00b7 Eat more healthily<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u00b7 Make more time for exercise<\/p>\n\n\n\n But if there\u2019s one thing that\u2019s going to blow up your routine, it\u2019s constant phone calls. When people call you on the phone, it\u2019s because it\u2019s a great time for them<\/em>. But all too often, they never consider whether or not it\u2019s a convenient time for you<\/em>. That means a post-work run or quality time with the children can easily be disrupted by a call coming out of the blue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re reading this and nodding your head, it might be time to take back control of your routine with a call answering service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Does it sometimes feel like you\u2019re too available? When you\u2019re in the middle of something and you find yourself\u2026 wait, hang on a sec\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sorry about that. Anyway, when you\u2019re in the middle of an important task, sometimes you have to stop because\u2026 oh, sorry about this, just two seconds\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n Right, where was I? Oh yes. When you\u2019re in the middle of an important task, there are few things more enraging than having to constantly stop and start because you keep getting unexpected phone calls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And that\u2019s not only annoying, it\u2019s also terrible for your productivity. One academic study<\/a> found that when you\u2019re interrupted, it can take up to 25 minutes to come back to the same project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This means that switching to a call handling service won\u2019t just be good for your stress levels, it will also almost certainly mean you\u2019ll get more work done too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Voicemail is a 20th<\/sup>-century technology in a 21st<\/sup>-century world. Constantly asking customers to leave a message after the beep? They’ll probably be muttering a few words under their breath that ought to be beeped too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sending a customer to voicemail not only says \u201cwe\u2019re old fashioned\u201d, it also says \u201cwe don\u2019t care about you\u201d. After all, nothing communicates \u201cgiving your customer service a human touch\u201d less than asking them to leave a message with a robot from the 1980s. Voicemail takes too long, it\u2019s frustrating, and it\u2019s boring<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Connecting your customers with a real person, however, is a great way to show you really care. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A wise man once said that \u201csorry seems to be the hardest word<\/a>\u201d. But if you find yourself starting every interaction with an apology, it\u2019s going to sound pretty hollow if you\u2019re not also changing your behaviour<\/a>. After a while, \u201csorry I missed your call\u201d starts to sound like \u201cyou\u2019re just not a priority for me\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And let\u2019s be honest, if you have to start with an apology, you\u2019re already on the back foot. Need to have an awkward conversation about putting your prices up? Good luck getting them to agree if they\u2019re already grumpy with you. Trying to keep hold of a client who might be walking out the door? Suddenly your appeals just sound a little bit desperate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Using a call-handling service means your calls are picked up by a highly-trained operator who won\u2019t drive your customers mad. As a result, they\u2019ll be in a better mood for any difficult conversations you need to have.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The world has never been more globalised, and the rise of remote working means work schedules have never been more flexible. In theory, that might be great, but in practice, it all too often means never being able to truly disconnect<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re finding yourself constantly late for dinner with friends or ducking out of a wedding for a quick call, it might be a sign your work-life balance is off-kilter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Most of us need to work to live, but that doesn\u2019t mean we should all live to work. Working with a time-based call-handling service<\/a> means you can give your customers a personal touch, without letting them interfere with your personal moments. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you drive, taking advantage of your car phone can seem like a great way to multitask. After all, while using a device in your hand is illegal, in the UK you\u2019re allowed to use hands-free devices in the car<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Most people assume that using a mobile phone while driving is safe as long as the driver uses a hands-free phone. However, research from the University of Sussex<\/a> has shown that conversations on hands-free devices can be equally distracting, and are significantly more dangerous than conversations with passengers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re finding that you\u2019re regularly having important conversations on the road, it might be worth thinking about whether it\u2019s really worth the risk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If any of these signs sound familiar, it might be time to learn more about how a call-handling service can help you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In a flash, you could be on your way to happier customers, improved productivity, and a better work-life balance<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Woman](\"https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/answerconnectbloguk\/1\/2021\/08\/Exasperated-woman-waiting-for-call-back-from-letting-agents-1024x683.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n1. You find yourself missing calls while you\u2019re working<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
2. You struggle to maintain a routine because you’re constantly answering calls<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Stressed](\"https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/answerconnectbloguk\/1\/2023\/02\/Man-answering-phone-and-checking-smartphone.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n3. You have to stop in the middle of important tasks to answer calls<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/answerconnectbloguk\/1\/2023\/02\/Smiling-woman-on-phone-next-to-baby-in-car.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n4. You come into work to find voicemail messages from customers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Push](\"https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/answerconnectbloguk\/1\/2023\/02\/Closeup-of-smartphone-with-voicemail-icon-visible.jpg\"){kind=icon}
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n5. You start half your messages to customers with \u201cSorry I missed you.\u201d<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
6. You miss important personal moments due to out-of-hours calls<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/answerconnectbloguk\/1\/2023\/02\/Man-looking-apologetically-at-his-phone.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n7. You\u2019re having most of your calls in the car<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Man](\"https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/answerconnectbloguk\/1\/2023\/02\/Person-driving-looking-at-incoming-call-on-smartphone.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nTime to think about a call-handling service?<\/h1>\n\n\n\n