It’s that time of year again. The temperature is beginning to dip and for some, snow is on the forecast. It’s time you took a break. You also need to grow your business over the holidays – especially this year! But how do you balance the two? And who’s going to answer your customers’ calls and chats during the holiday season?
In the trades, every customer counts – especially for small businesses. On average, 50% of people struggle to completely disconnect from their work during the holidays. But what if you could still be available for your customers and be able to sit down for dinner with your family?
Here are 7 ways you can grow your business over the holidays.
1. Be available
Why do you think twice about taking time off? Is it that you could miss customers?
Every missed call is a missed opportunity. And you can’t rely on voicemail to save you either. 80% of your customers will hang up when they reach voicemail, and go somewhere else. So become 24/7!
Having your phone with you at all times is one way, or you could have professional virtual receptionists answer for you. Whether it’s a burst pipe from the cold, a serious restoration emergency, or to schedule a routine service, you’ve got it covered.
No more missed calls or missed opportunities. For emergencies, your on-call team is alerted immediately. For less urgent calls you’ll get messages and updates sent via the AnswerForce app. So when you’re back at work, your immediate actions are stored in one place.
2. Know your customer
Your business is personal, so how can someone else give it the same care? You could save everyone’s name and number, ready for when they call, but so can an answering service.
When selecting an answering service, find one with a personal touch. It makes your business stand out and memorable the next time a customer needs you.
With AnswerForce Verified Contacts, customers only need to give you their information once. All you need to do is upload your customers information and our team will know exactly who’s calling.
It’s this kind of service that makes you stand out from the competition. Customers hate repeating their details over the phone and you risk losing them. This is why Verified Contacts are so important when answering your customers during the holidays.
3. Collect every lead
Some customers call just to ask questions about a job. With rising inflation rates remodeling is a much easier option for many than moving.
It’s not an emergency call, but definitely one worth capturing if you’re a home service pro. But it adds up when you’re taking multiple calls or live chat conversations a day. Especially when you’re the one about to carve dinner.
It’s tempting to say they’ll leave a voicemail or send you an email, but will they? 95% of customers look to skip the automated response to get to a live person. Meaning they’ll just as happily skip you for a competitor’s service.
Using a Virtual Receptionist removes that responsibility. Capture every lead AND leave yourself available to carve dinner, play ball, or argue politics with family members.
4. Qualify every lead
It’s difficult to have one ear on your customers and the other on the NFL. How else are you supposed to qualify every lead? There’s no point in agreeing to every job opportunity, only to find they aren’t a good fit.
A Virtual receptionist can qualify every lead. Receptionists are specially trained for your industry too. This leaves you with plenty of time to focus on your family or the game while also being able to grow your business.
5. Integrate your operations
Running a business is no simple task. Aside from doing the job you set out to do, there are employees to manage, customer service calls, marketing, and accounts to keep straight. It’s the same as a spinning plate act in the circus.
Letting any of these aspects fall behind can spell disaster for your business.
That’s why being able to integrate all your business software is vital to keep any company running. It’s even more important when you’re taking time off during the holidays, leaving your business unattended.
Services like AnswerForce help integrate your call data into your field service software and other business platforms. So while you’re catching up with friends this holiday season, your business is keeping up with every new update.
6. Keep your calendar full
Time can slip away over the holidays. Whether it’s enjoying back-to-back football games or time with your kids, the pressures of your business become a distant memory. But when the holidays are over, it all comes flooding back. And it can be overwhelming.
Seamless appointment setting means your business stays up to date even when you’re away. When the follow up on a call is an appointment, estimate, or call back, it’s scheduled directly into your calendar. So you’re ready and available for business as soon as the holidays are over.
7. Be open on every channel
While you’re spending time with the family over the holidays, it’s not just calls you’ll miss. 75% of customers prefer live chat and social media channels to communicate with businesses. Yours included.
These are all perfect customers that you could be missing during the holidays. You may even miss them during regular hours if you don’t have a live chat service.
Get a Live chat service to ensure you are available to your customers during the holidays on every channel. Your customers will thank you for being easily accessible and your business will benefit from being more available.
How AnswerForce can help
AnswerForce understands how important time with your family is during the holidays. We also understand how important keeping your business running is.
That’s why with teams dedicated to the service industry, you can relax in knowing your business is answering customers 24/7.
Want to find out how we can help? Schedule a demo today and talk to our team about how your business can continue to grow this holiday season.