In 21st century America, we live our lives on our smartphones. We pay our bills, catch up with loved ones, adjust our thermostat and even order groceries from our devices. It’s easy to assume that our business calls, emails, and texts should also be funneled through this singular, personal smartphone. This is especially true in the early stages of launching a business. When you’re trying to keep costs low and stay connected around the clock, it makes sense that you’d handle your business over your personal line.
As your business grows, though, the convergence of business and pleasure may begin to blur lines. Using your personal phone line for work inevitably leads to conflict. The good news? There are options beyond simply buying another phone and phone number. Not convinced you need to separate your personal life from your professional life? Keep these reasons in mind when deciding whether or not to partner with a call center for your business.
Safety Isn’t Guaranteed
Consider the dozens of apps you likely have downloaded on your phone. Whether for business or pleasure, your phone opens you up to very real security risks. Our personal information is at a constant risk of being stolen. Simply using your cell phone to order something online could lead to a hacker stealing your credit card information. With so much on the line, why publicize your personal phone number for business matters?
By having a second phone number associated with you and your business, you can keep your personal information separate from your professional life. By partnering with a call center, you can ensure your personal data is protected while maintaining your mobility and the convenience of a smartphone. With a virtual number, you can have phone calls screened by dedicated virtual receptionists who can forward only the most pressing of callers to you.
The Downside of Accessibility
When you share your personal phone number with clients and customers, you give them a lifeline to call any time of day or night. While staying accessible to the needs of your customers is important, it’s also crucial that you maintain a healthy work/life balance. Taking an evening off becomes impossible when your phone simply won’t quit ringing.
With a virtual receptionist on board and a dedicated business line for your customers, you’ll be able to take a mental vacation from work any time you’d like. Because virtual receptionists work 24 hours a day, seven days a week, you’ll stay open to callers while still catching up on quality time with the family. Your virtual receptionist can even help resolve common issues your customers call about. Best of all, a virtual receptionist can forward you only the most important calls to your private phone line as needed.
Even Smartphones Have Their Limitations
Our devices are on the cutting edge of technology, with transformative new features launching seemingly every day. Even so, smartphones are limited in their capabilities. If you’ve ever tried call recording or putting someone on hold on your cell phone, you’ll know this exact struggle. While it’s true you can take customer calls on your personal cell, the call-processing capabilities of your device likely make it chore. Even the matter of setting up a voicemail box that’s appropriate for both personal and business callers can be a struggle.
By working in lockstep with a call center, you can ensure every caller is treated to the most professional experience possible. Because customer service is so important, your virtual receptionist can work from a script created by you and your team. You can’t always control what’s going on in the background of your cell phone calls, but business calls received at a call center can ensure professionalism every time the phone rings.
Bolstering (or Undermining) Professionalism
When you and your employees use personal phones for business, it can send the wrong message to callers. People expect professional answering service treatment, and you can’t always deliver when you’re answering from a personal cell. You’re also limited in the oversight you can have over your employees’ customer service skills.
A call center, on the other hand, can guarantee that every customer is treated to the same quality service you’d hope for every time. By working with virtual receptionists, you prioritize customer service and the reputation of your company.
If you’re still not convinced you need to ditch your personal cell phone line for business, we invite you to see how good your business calls can be with a call center on the job. By taking advantage of MAP Communications’ free, week-long trial of our live virtual receptionist service, you’ll better understand the value that comes with such a platform. We know you’ll be impressed by the stellar service we offer each of our clients and their customers.
Here are a few other articles you might be interested in:
Why It’s Time to Cut the Cord on Voicemails