Natural disasters are unpredictable and can affect anyone. That includes businesses, and in turn, an emergency can affect your immediate ability to recover financially from a disaster. And while it’s true that you can’t prepare for everything, there are certain preventive measures that you can put in place that will help your business survive a natural disaster and even thrive in its aftermath.
In the event that a natural disaster hits your area, it’s very unlikely that you or any of your staff will be thinking about taking phone calls from your clients. In that case, your focus will understandably be on getting yourself and your loved ones to safety. But have you ever thought about what will happen to your business once the natural disaster has passed? How will you get your business up and running again? Will you lose or retain your customers?
Believe it or not, emergencies can end up providing opportunities to oust your competition and make your business grow, attracting more clients in the process. But the only way to ensure a positive outcome for your business after a natural disaster, is by preparing beforehand. One of the most effective and affordable ways to achieve this is by hiring a virtual reception company that can offer you emergency answering services.
Through an emergency answering service, a virtual assistant company will provide backup operators who will be able to take calls even during a natural disaster or emergency. This is possible because operators don’t have to be on-site; for example, if your business is located in Florida, your phone calls could be picked up by operators in Arizona when a hurricane causes a prolonged power failure in your location.
Natural disaster can cause an influx of calls and inquiries, regardless of the type of business that you run. Maybe a patient needs an emergency consultation. Or one of your clients could need to get their plumbing fixed. Perhaps an electrical failure caused damage to someone’s air conditioning system. Even if your on-site staff isn’t able to handle these requests during an emergency, a virtual answering service will be able to schedule appointments that will be waiting for you once the storm passes.
A 24-hour answering service means that your clients will be greeted by a calm, friendly, knowledgeable operator even during a natural disaster. This professionalism, and the ability to take inquiries and messages even during a stressful time, can make a world of difference for your business. Once the emergency has been dealt with, having scheduled appointments can help you and your staff get right back to work. That way, you’ll recover from any disaster in no time.
Statistics show that more than 40% of businesses never reopen after a natural disaster. Furthermore, only 29% of those businesses remain open two years later. Many factors play into these statistics, from the loss of physical resources to difficulty communicating with your clients after an emergency. But with an emergency call center, you can prepare yourself and your business, and increase your chances of having a positive outcome after a disaster.
If you have an emergency answering service working during a natural disaster, you’ll be able to keep an open line of communication with your clients. Word of mouth is one of the most powerful forms of advertising, and pretty soon other customers will be aware of the fact that your business is still up and running, even during an emergency. This can turn a disaster into an unparalleled opportunity to find new customers.
Call center operators will be able to triage each call and determine exactly how urgent they are. If you have on-call staff during an emergency, certain calls could be transferred to your staff, who’ll be able to work more diligently if they don’t have to be in charge of taking each phone call. Operators will be able to use the information you provide about your business to handle each inquiry in a calm, professional manner.
Even though predicting a natural disaster is practically impossible, you can make sure that your business stays up and running during an emergency by hiring an emergency answering service. You’ll even be able to make your business thrive once you get back to work!
Work could be the last thing on your mind during a natural disaster. However, knowing that your clients are in good hands, and that you’ll be able to get back to work soon without losing valuable customers will take a huge weight off your shoulders during an emergency.
