With so many people dumping their landlines and communicating by email and text, telephones may seem like a thing of the past. But for many businesses, phones are still an important part of communicating with clients. If you run a business that takes a lot of phone calls, you may want to consider engaging an answering service, as doing so can lift a burden from your office staff and allow your employees to do whatever it is that your business does best. Here are a few ways an answering service might benefit your company:

1. Call Screening

Taking incoming phone calls can be time consuming, whether they’€™re wrong numbers, requests for simple information or misdirected customer service complaints. If you work with an answering service, all your incoming calls will be routed through its employees (don’t worry, they’€™ll still answer with your company’s name). Most call centers will learn answers to common questions your clients ask. This will allow your direct employees to boost their productivity, since they won’€™t be distracted by constantly answering the phone and fielding requests.

2. Missed Calls and Messages

Every phone call your business misses is a missed opportunity to turn that caller into a client. Research shows that 72% of callers who don’€™t reach a live person on the phone won’€™t leave a voicemail, and 69% won’€™t bother to even call back. Using after hours answering services, or even 24 hour answering services depending on the nature of your business, ensures that your clients always get through.

3. Professional Customer Service

One of the biggest advantages using a live answering service gives you over your competitors is that you’ll be able to nix pre-recorded routing messages and directories. Your customers won’€™t need to wait as long to reach someone, either; since 32.3% of 2,500 consumers surveyed in a recent study believed that customer service lines should be answered immediately with no wait time, and nearly 60% of the consumers thought even a minute of hold time was too long, this can be a significant boon to your company’s image. Plus, when the phone is answered, your clients will speak with someone trained in good phone etiquette.

4. Additional Services

All answering companies will answer the phone, transfer calls and take down messages. You can even choose whether you want your calls transferred to a landline or cell, and whether you want your messages emailed, faxed or texted to you. But some services can also provide recordings of all your calls, schedule meetings and document additional information.