Running a business from home can feel like a disadvantage, but it’s no secret that the way small businesses operate is changing – remote work is more prevalent than ever.
It’s very possible to sustain a business from home as successfully as from any office. The key to competing with larger, more established businesses is recognizing your advantage: superior service.
A survey conducted by American Express found that 81 percent of respondents thought smaller companies placed greater emphasis on service than bigger companies. Customers are also willing to spend 13 percent more with a company they believe provides excellent service.
If your business provides excellent, stress-free service to customers, it won’t matter if you’re based from home or from the most beautiful office in the city. Virtual phone systems help you do that in two main ways.
- They give your business a more professional appearance, eliminating any issues with credibility that may arise from running a business from home.
- They optimize your business communications, ensuring an effortless phone experience to team members and potential clients alike.
A Professional Appearance
People who call you don’t need to know you’re running your business from home. Choose a local or toll-free number to use as your business number on any of the devices you already have.
The auto-attendant feature is especially useful for small businesses wanting to appear more established: auto-attendants answer your calls with a customized message and guide the caller through menu options to route their calls to the right person. This simple addition makes your business look more established while simplifying the often headache-inducing process of reaching someone via telephone–something bigger businesses often struggle with.
Optimized Business Communications
The same features that enhance your business’s appearance also make communicating with your clients and team members super easy. Routing calls to any device at any time means you can work from anywhere and missed calls are a thing of the past.
Thanks to the auto-attendant, connecting callers to the right team members — even remote ones — is almost as easy as handing them the phone yourself. The convenience is invaluable. Each user has their own extension as well, so callers can reach specific people immediately.
The Bottom Line
The vast majority of people who contact you will do so by phone. Ensuring that their phone experience with you is an effortless one is the first step to them choosing your at-home business over a larger competitor. With a virtual phone system, they’ll reach who they need quickly every time, which is likely not the case with larger businesses.
The features that come along with a virtual system make sure you’re perceived as professional and committed to providing excellent service. All that’s left is what you’re already good at — providing the service.
Photo via Shutterstock
Aira Bongco
Customer service matters so having a system to address their concerns is a must. I agree that it affects your image on a professional level.