Using Your Business Phone System to Keep Customers Informed on How COVID-19 is Impacting Your Business Operations
These are uncertain times. It may be trite, but it’s true. And, especially because these are uncertain times, your customers need you to communicate with them more than ever. They’re wondering if you’re open, what hours you’re open, what safety precautions you’re taking, if they can visit you in person or only online, etc. Your business phone system can play an important role in helping to keep your customers informed and up to date as situations—and your business operations—change.
Businesses Using Their Phone Systems in a Variety of Ways
Different businesses have different communication needs with their customers. We’ve been impressed to see how quickly and effectively many of our customers are taking steps to keep their customers informed. For instance:
- A restaurant client is using professionally recorded greetings to let customers know they’re open for business, that they have outdoor seating, online ordering and services available through Uber Eats. While they closed off their indoor dining room to exercise precaution, they were still able to keep callers informed that they were open and able to serve them through outdoor seating or pick-up and delivery options. A combination of high call volumes and light staff mean that many businesses are too overwhelmed to answer incoming calls; a business phone system can build efficiency while responding to customer needs.
- A laundry client that also offers tailoring and alterations needed to limit the number of people that can come in and out of the store. Using their customized virtual receptionist from AccessDirect they were able to let customers know that in-store alteration services were still available by appointment. This allowed them to keep both staff and customers safe while also keeping callers informed of important changes to business operations.
- Medical/veterinary offices and salon clients are using their virtual business phone systems to explain the process of coming in for appointments—for instance, calling to let the office know when they arrive, waiting in the car, getting notified by text when it’s safe to come in, and limiting the number of people inside.
- Many small restaurant clients are now continually adjusting their operating hours to help keep operating expenses as low as possible. They’re using AccessDirect’s business phone service to inform callers that they’re still open for business, that they’re following government mandated safety measures—and that they’re introducing new specials to keep customers coming back to try new menu items.
Businesses are being increasingly creative to remain open for service and able to serve current and new customers during the pandemic. Even businesses that didn’t feel they needed a remote business phone system in the past are finding they can cut costs and maintain service with the right system. The right business phone system can help businesses of all kinds gain efficiencies, cut costs, and maintain—or even improve—customer service.
AccessDirect Business Phone System Options
AccessDirect’s virtual business phone system features are designed to be flexible enough to serve a wide range of business—and customer—needs. No matter what type of business you’re operating, we can work with you to find the best combination of features to keep customers informed and up to date. For instance:
- Auto attendant: a menu of options for callers to choose from to reach the appropriate person or department
- Voicemail-to-email: have incoming voicemails converted to text and sent to you via email or text message
- Find-me, follow-me: incoming calls can be forwarded to you, or designated others, automatically
- Pre-recorded messages: provide callers with the important details they’re most concerned about
- Voicemail after hours: let callers leave a message after listening to a professionally recorded greeting
- And much more!
We take care of the administrative details; our technology does the rest. You can focus your time and energy on other important business needs confident that incoming calls are being handled efficiently and professionally.
Let Us Write and Record Professional Business Phone Messages for Your Callers
You’re an expert at running your small business, but not at managing a business phone system. We are. AccessDirect can help you create and record professional greetings, including weekly updates as needed. Best of all, there are no additional charges for this service. We have the experience to know what types of messages really resonate with your callers; 99% of our clients prefer that we do the recordings for them to ensure nothing is missed, or misstated.
Especially now as restrictions come and go, it’s likely that you will be changing your messages frequently. Turning this task over to us can help you save valuable time, and frustration, while ensuring that your messages are on target and designed to meet caller’s immediate needs.
Yes, these are uncertain times. But you can minimize some of that uncertainty for yourself, and for your customers, by choosing AccessDirect to handle your remote business phone system needs. Learn more by trying our services free with a week-long trial today!
