Small Business Struggling with Heavy Call Volume and Missed Calls Finds Virtual Solution
Calls can sometimes get overwhelming, especially as a small business. The volume of calls can feel impossible to keep up with, and your frustration grows just as quickly as your customers when you can’t get to every call. That’s where an automated phone system can help.
AccessDirect recently worked with a small family business struggling with a heavy number of calls and an inability to answer all of them. By finding their pain points and working with them to find a solution to each, we solved their issues and made their phones a benefit instead of a burden. Read on to find out how in this case study.
- The Issue: A family hot air balloon company in northern Arizona struggled to keep up with their inbound phone calls. Their business had been steadily increasing, and the volume of inbound calls was overwhelming their receptionist. The company had started receiving complaints from their customers about constant busy signals and an inability to speak to someone or obtain information.The callers that did get through often had the same questions, which meant the receptionist was spending much time providing the same answers repeatedly. Additionally, calls were coming in to book appointments for already filled times, which frustrated both the receptionist and the callers. These phone issues created an unsustainable situation for the business and its customers.
- How We Helped: AccessDirect took a systematic approach to solve each one of the company’s issues. We eliminated busy signals first, as our system can answer multiple calls simultaneously. Now every incoming call was answered professionally by a recorded greeting.Now that callers could contact the business, the next step was to get them the information they needed as quickly as possible. In speaking with the company, we discovered that callers generally required one of four things: information on rentals and availability, to check on weather conditions, to provide a pick-up location, or to speak with someone. We set up four extensions that let callers quickly inquire but cut down on the receptionist’s need to field every call. A pre-recorded message plays information about rentals or weather conditions when callers select those options. A customer’s pick-up location could now be left as a voicemail, and that message sent to a company email. And should the caller need to speak with someone, they could be connected to the receptionist for assistance.The business already had two phone numbers, one toll-free and one local, which were to be transferred to AccessDirect for hosting. Afterward, when someone called the company, our system would immediately answer. The business converted their former fax line (no longer needed thanks to our fax to email service) into a regular phone line for the receptionist to answer calls. The receptionist could still make outbound phone calls from their two ported business lines through our mobile app or web interface.
- The End Result: Since implementing the new system, the complaints about busy signals and an inability to obtain information have become rave reviews. Callers are exceedingly happy with the new system, and while the number of calls has not decreased, the ones needing to be answered live have lessened. Now the receptionist has time for those calls that need their attention and can turn to other vital tasks in the office.The business has found the system much more convenient from their side. Recordings about availability and weather conditions are easy to update once and then leave in place for as long as necessary. Messages left regarding a guest’s pick-up location are transcribed and emailed, along with an MP3 copy of the voicemail attached. Additionally, they now record every call that came in, making it easy to review call logs and ensure all customer information is accurate.
Is your business dealing with an overwhelming amount of calls? Would you like to streamline your phone communications and give your customers the service they deserve? AccessDirect can help! We can build a custom solution for your business just like we have for many others across the country. Contact us to get started with an affordable virtual phone system today!
