Starting and running a small business can be incredibly exciting but it also involves a lot of risks.
Limited money and personnel mean that you need to think hard about which aspects of the
business you are going to focus on growing and nurturing, especially when you’re just starting
out. For many small business owners, their priority is offering high-quality services or products
to customers in order to build strong relationships and turn first-time customers into lifelong
ones—and rightfully so. But as businesses grow and resources begin to expand, there are
elements of owning a small business that should not be underestimated, especially when it comes
to customer satisfaction. Here, we’re explaining why telephone answering service (TAS)
software might be the key to vastly improving customer experience with your small business.

There are lots of things that characterize a small business, but one of the most common is that it
has a relatively small employee roster. People who own or work for small businesses often wear
multiple hats, taking on responsibilities that might traditionally belong to a dedicated person if
the resources were there. One such responsibility, or group of responsibilities, involves
answering customer phone calls and handling any incoming inquiries. This job may fall to a
cashier in a retail setting, to one of the service providers in a home services business, or simply
to a voicemail that an owner or manager checks when they have time. No matter the specific
situation, giving this task to someone for whom it is not their primary role can have negative
consequences for the customer. For example, they may have a question that the salesperson
doesn’t know the answer to and are forced to call back at another time. Or they may be trying to
schedule an urgent appointment or consult and end up choosing a different provider because it
took too long to receive a call back. The good news: There is a solution to this problem that does
not require hiring a full-time employee to man the phone. Instead, the best solution for small
businesses is using telephone answering service software.

There are a few ways that TAS software can benefit small businesses and boost customer
satisfaction. For starters, there’s the air of polish and professionalism that it provides. Even if a
customer ends up needing to leave a voicemail, doing so in a voicemail box that’s linked to TAS
software feels firmer and more official than leaving a message on somebody’s cell phone. It feels
like there’s a more permanent record of the call (which there will be) and the customer is more
hopeful that they will receive a timely return call. Furthermore, a smart TAS platform will have
tools for voicemail management that will prioritize and forward voicemails wherever you want
them to go, guaranteeing that no one’s calls fall between the cracks.

Beyond voicemail management, TAS software can include a customizable interactive voice
response system and call routing. With these tools, even if employees are wearing multiple hats,
customer calls can be directed to the person best equipped to handle the purpose of the call,
whether personally (knowledge-wise) or logistically (at home, in the office, or out providing
services). Your TAS software can be cloud-based, which means that it can be accessed from
anywhere. So even if you don’t have a designated office space for your business, you can have
someone available to answer phone calls through the TAS from any location in which they are
working. If your small business takes orders or offers consultations over the phone, you might
want TAS software that records and transcribes calls so you can ensure that you have every detail
exactly right.

How does this all add up to increased customer satisfaction? All these tools and features come
together to make customers feel more valued and cared for. If customers are able to reach
someone helpful in a timely fashion and receive the help they need in an equally timely manner,
they are significantly more likely to become repeat customers.

Where can you find TAS software that offers all these features and more? At CallShaper. Our
new state-of-the-art telephone answering service platform will help you take control of your
phone communications and immediately boost customer satisfaction. Request a demo today.