Companies have set hours, but your customers do not. Many customers have needs that arise after business hours. For small business owners, especially those in service industries, this causes an issue. Do you answer your customers’ calls after hours, or do you let the call go to voicemail?
When it comes to after-hours phone calls, there are two basic options:
- Let the call go to voicemail and check it in the morning.
- Find a way to pick up the call even though you’re after hours.
The first option is by far the most common, however not answering a call after hours could mean you lose out on valuable business. The second option ensures you do not lose out on business, but it also means answering calls when you are not working.
Cons
There are pros and cons to each approach. Like any good business owner, you need to weigh them all and develop the best plan for you and your business.
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Intruding on Personal Time – If you’re like most small business owners, answering the phone after hours means answering forwarded calls to your cell phone when you’re trying to enjoy your personal time. Most business owners work enough. Answering calls during these hours is stressful.
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Not Always Important – Many phone calls you receive are going to be unimportant – things that someone can get answered via the internet or left on voicemail. Hiring employees for this purpose may not be financially viable, and answering the phone yourself may waste your time.
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Reach Once, Reach Twice – Once a customer has reached you once during off hours, they’re likely to continue to expect your response during that time. Customers expect you to be around at the same time all the time, and if they reach you at 9 pm, they’ll call you again at 9 pm.
Can you afford to hire someone in your office to answer phones during off hours? Are you even getting enough phone calls to justify the hire? Are those calls important, and are you unlikely to be available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week?
Answering post-office hour phone calls can be tough and aren’t always the logical choice for your company.
Pros
Of course, NOT answering calls creates a different set of problems.
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Emergency Services – If you work in the service industry, someone may need you in the event of an emergency. While most calls may not be urgent, if someone needs an emergency plumber or electrician (for example), being available means winning new business.
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Help Desk Support – Customers that have questions or problems often need help right away. If you’re unavailable, it can cause stress to the customer, which may hurt their loyalty. If you are available, you can improve long-term satisfaction with the consumer.
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Branding/Competition – Even if 99% of your after-hours phone calls are not important, the companies that are there to answer the call when needed are more likely to get ahead of their competition. Being available has its strengths, and those companies that want to set themselves apart benefit from that availability.
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Affordable Staffing Options Exist – If taking your calls doesn’t sound appealing, and you aren’t in the position to hire employees, answering services like CMS can answer your phone after hours. This allows you to enjoy the benefits of after-hours availability without the downsides.
Overall Thoughts
Every company is different. There are some companies that simply never receive any calls or are unlikely to receive phone calls that will make or break their business. A coffee shop, for example, may never need to answer an after-hours phone call. But other companies can strongly benefit from having this availability, and given the low cost of outsourced call center services, it’s in the company’s best interests to consider it.
