A home service business can live or die by the number of appointments booked each day. An appointment is a billable moment, and a full schedule results in more revenue. A calendar with holes means fewer billable hours and lost income. Creating ways for customers to schedule and manage appointments can increase your overall revenue. Businesses typically explore two routes to book more appointments: internal improvements and an answering service.
Internal Process Improvements to Book More Appointments
Increasing Productivity
Increasing productivity to maximize appointments sounds good, but it's easier said than done. Your receptionist may try to optimize the schedule by calling clients between tasks, playing phone tag on voicemail messages, or skipping breaks so the phone is never unattended.
But when the solution is "work harder," it doesn't solve the problem and often causes more issues. When the only path to more appointments is pushing harder, your employees burn out and customer care declines.
Hiring an Assistant
Instead of juggling all the work, some businesses hire an assistant to keep things booked solid and revenue flowing. But one assistant can only handle so much. If they're on the phone with one client, they can't answer the next call. Even if a caller leaves a message, they might not pick up when you call back.
missed calls delay appointments -- if they happen at all. Not to mention, hiring an additional employee adds another salary to the payroll.
Using an Answering Machine
Today's customers want immediate help. Over 70% of callers hang up when a call goes to voicemail. If they can't reach you on the first try, they'll call your competitor -- and the first person who answers the phone and books the appointment wins the job.
Trying Online Scheduling
As an alternative to additional staffing, many have tried web-based scheduling tools that let customers book appointments online. These work when customers are comfortable with technology or have a simple appointment with no questions.
Most online scheduling tools don't handle cancellations, rescheduling, or customer service questions. The result is missed opportunities that you cannot reclaim.
Making internal process improvements alone won't always help you book more appointments. Some solutions lead to declining quality or increasing expenses. You need outside help. One proven solution is a telephone answering service.
How an Answering Service Helps You Book More Appointments
The right answering service cares about your customers just as much as you do. They act as an extension of your team and are flexible to meet your needs. Here are the top benefits for home service businesses:
- Available 24/7: Your answering service is staffed around the clock to book appointments whenever your customers call. No more worrying about who covers the phones during lunch. Offering 24/7 live answering puts you ahead of competitors who send calls to voicemail after hours.
- Integrated with Your Schedule: Your answering service can access your online calendar to book appointments directly. And if you don't have a web-based solution, emvia provides one so everything works from a single system.
- Answers Customer Questions: Your answering service handles inquiries from customers who need answers before they commit. Don't lose a job because of an unanswered question or a confusing online form. Let your answering service capture those missed opportunities.
- Takes Cancellations Quickly: Cancellations happen. When they do, the sooner you know, the sooner other customers can fill those openings. Your answering service takes the cancellation fast and works to book another job in that time slot.
- Verifies Appointments: Some customers book far in advance and forget. A timely phone call, email, or text reminder reduces no-shows and keeps your schedule full. Your answering service handles this so your team can focus on customers who need help right now.
Book More Appointments with emvia's Live Answering Service
When it comes to booking appointments, an answering service is the sure way to keep your schedule full without the usual headaches. Whether you're an HVAC contractor, plumber, or electrician, emvia's live operators answer every call, book jobs, and keep your revenue flowing.