Roofing is a competitive and often localized industry. Businesses that operate in the sector are usually small companies that are constantly trying to maintain a competitive edge. While what services you offer and the quality of those services matter over other things, there’s one more aspect that can make or break your roofing company. We are talking about customer care and servicing. Unless you are a step ahead in serving and offering support to customers, you cannot expect to retain them or acquire more. The simplest way to redefine support and customer engagement is by using an answering service from a top company like Signpost. In this guide, we will discuss this in more detail.
What’s an answering service?
True to the name, an answering service handles and answers calls for your roofing company. From handling general inquiries to customer support and emails, the third-party service provider takes care of everything through dedicated virtual receptionists. These receptionists work above and beyond the usual business hours to ensure roofers remain available 24/7. As the customer, you have the choice to create and tweak scripts to ensure the responses of the team of the answering service match your business and brand values.
In-house vs. virtual receptionists
For small contractors and roofing businesses, hiring an extensive team of in-house front desk executives and receptionists isn’t a feasible decision. There are recruitment and training costs, and with that, there are overheads to bear, such as salaries, benefits, and perks. The management, which usually includes owners and limited staff, must also focus on handling the front desk.
In contrast, answering services and virtual receptionists don’t come with add-on costs but still ensure around-the-clock accessibility. You just need to pay the required amount, and the extended team will continue to manage customer support. Virtual receptionists do the same tasks as regular receptionists, except that they work remotely. Many answering services are based in North America and have experienced professionals, and their work usually reflects positively on your business.
What about AI voice agents?
An AI voice agent is a program that answers incoming calls on behalf of your business. All kinds of small businesses, including roofers and contractors, can benefit from AI receptionists. AI has access to a knowledge base and responds according to the customer query. If the requirements are complex or when AI doesn’t have the answer, it can transfer calls to the business line, which can then be attended by either in-house staff or virtual receptionists.
How do you start with an answering service?
The first step is to choose the right team for your roofing business. Start by looking at whether an answering service has experience in the industry and whether they can offer 24/7 support. Roofing is one of those industries where customers often have immediate requirements and make emergency calls. The selected service provider should have live receptionists to help and capture details. Things that are as important are the pricing and add-on features. For example, can the virtual receptionist handle emails? Can they capture leads? Does the same service offer an AI voice agent?
Transform how your customers see your business
If you have been looking for a simple way to elevate customer service, this is your call to start. Partner with an answering service, and you can use your internal staff for more important tasks. That said, do you still need a front desk team? The short answer is yes. If the live receptionists cannot offer support to a customer or when the issue is too complex, they can always reroute the call or note down the details.
No matter the situation, your customers will have a way to contact your roofing service!