Out Of Hours Call Handling
We are coming up to the Christmas Holidays so we should be thinking of our call handling for out of hours work. If it is not Christmas, it could be Easter, the Summer, or just every weekend or busy period. We need to have robust call handling processes so that we don’t miss calls, and we ensure that our customers and stakeholders are looked after.
Call handling techniques manage inbound and outgoing call operations for your company’s size, industry, goals, and location. Across several small businesses, customers are greeted by an auto-attendant before being routed to relevant departments, such as accounting or sales. In big corporations, call routing rules are often much more complex. Calls are routed via a multi-level automated attendant or an interactive voice response (IVR) system based on skills or geographical location. Call handling services for businesses include dial-by-name directories, on-hold music, and call recording. Employees also have call handling practices and guidelines for handling calls and concerns.
Business is business and it doesn’t really matter to your customers what your office hours are. If they need assistance from your organisation they want to be heard now. Whenever you are unable to receive calls for any reason, customers will still call and if they do, their line will be routed to your dedicated after-hours call handlers. By using information you’ve given, they’ll respond to customer inquiries and provide them with the information they require. However, your after-hours call handling team can only ensure your customer is able to access messages, have the information they demand, and interact with the brand when you are unable to provide the service yourself. An after-hours call handling service allows your customers to converse with someone about your company even when you’re not accessible. Given that many people still prefer to talk to someone instead of emailing, this is an important feature to provide.
Even though there has been an incremental rise in the proportion of employees who work flexible schedules, some of us still follow the traditional 9-5 routine. With the number of consumers being busy during the operating hours, the failure to contact customer support before 9am or after 5 pm can negatively affect your brand. But using after-hours phone answering services makes it possible for customers to contact your company at points of time that are more convenient for them. This means you’ll not only have more people phoning you, but you’ll also have more customers who appreciate your brand since they’re not forced to seek time in their tight schedule to contact you.
