Guest blog: Be in when you’re out!

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Kernow Business Messaging Service marketing and accounts manager, Simon Caddy, talks about the benefits to business of having a telephone answering service

Businesses across Cornwall are being put under pressure from competition in every sector. Whether the competition is local or national there is nothing more important than dealing with current customers and new leads at every contact point.

There can be a tendency within some organisations to forget about the phone. When there are so many different ways to get hold of businesses it can be easy to think “it’s okay, if they want us they’ll phone back” or “it’s okay they’ll email us”. However the truth is, they won’t, unless you have a monopoly you cannot afford to miss potential clients or loose current clients.

One solution to this problem is to hire a full time receptionist, however, paying for a receptionist is a massive expense for any business especially if they are sat around waiting for the phone to ring.

1st Floor Final

Another alternative is to answer the calls yourself or get your team to answer them. But if you are thinking you may need a receptionist chances are you and your team are already too busy for this option to work.

Another problem smaller businesses can face, is not being seen to be big enough to manage potential work. To attract the bigger business and contracts you already know you need to appear big yourself.

It makes it easier to win the big business if they already perceive you as being a reasonable size. To do this you have created your professional website and promotional material. You are happy with them, you have already won some smaller contracts with them. Now imagine this scenario:

Your next big contract has just found your website and is thinking “This looks like a professional business, they could probably provide me with the product/service I am looking for”. You are in luck, not only is it the big business you have been trying to attract but is the decision maker who doesn’t need to check with anyone else before booking the work!

They use your web form to request more information. You see this email in you inbox within seconds as you have alerts set up so you don’t miss enquiries. You respond in minutes with the exact information they are looking for. The decision maker is now thinking “Yes they are the right company for me, I’ll give John a ring to book it/order it”

He/She dials the number “Ring Ring, Ring Ring, Ring Ring, Ring Ring, Hmm bit slow, Ring Ring, Ring Ring, Ring Ring, Ring Click Welcome to the mobile voice mail service, the person you are calling can’t take your call please leave your message after the tone.”

With that, the illusion of your size is gone forever, even if you’re lucky enough that they leave a message and you ring them back in seconds, the seed of doubt is already planted.

Now imagine this scenario: He/She dials the number “Ring Ring, Hello, Your Perfect Solution, Simon speaking how can I help”, “Hello John sent me an email a few minutes ago could I speak to him a bit further please”, “Certainly he is on the phone at the moment, may I take a message and ask him to phone you back?”, “Certainly my name is David…”. With the second scenario your illusion of size is intact and you are well on the way to winning that big contract.

Using your mobile phone you will get the first scenario, using and answering service you get the second. I know which I would prefer as a buyer.

Kernow Business Messaging Service has been providing services to business in Cornwall and throughout the country since 2008 but was born out of its sister company Kernow Message Handling Service which has been dealing with out of hours emergency calls for Vets and Doctors since 1993.

They are a telephone answering service, answering calls from a wide range of business sectors and specialising in out of hours emergency work.

The company is still family owned and run, as it has been since the start. The third generation is now heavily involved within the business in both operations and management. The business is part of the family and as a result clients are dealt with as if they are part of the extended family.

They offer five main services; Out of Hours and Overflow telephone answering, Lone Worker and Panic Alarm monitoring and Disaster Recovery. Whether you are a Small, Medium or Large business you can reap the benefits from the services on offer at Kernow Business Messaging Service.

Contact Simon today to discuss how they can help you and your business:

Simon Caddy

Tel: 01209 697 600

E: simon@kernow.biz

Visit: Unit 3B Carn Brea Business Park, Barncoose, Redruth, TR15 3RR

www.kbms.co.uk