Crane service is one of the most customer oriented service businesses in the business to consumer game. People who call towing services are often quite emotional because their car is stuck or they have a flat and no backup. Of course, they were on their way to the most important business meeting.
When this customer calls your store, and you’re on the phone, does the customer call an answering machine or a human?
If you answer that they will get an answering machine, how comfortable will it be for people stuck in Podunk? Not too. The answering machine may give a brief message that you will return the call as soon as possible, but your client wants assurance that a callback will be imminent and that you are truly open.
A small shop is of little use to a full time receptionist. Calculating the number and nature of calls over a short period of time, perhaps two weeks will allow you to decide whether you need a full-time person for telephone duties or one of the high-tech tow answering services that can integrate seamlessly with your business.
High Tech Crane Answering Service
- Most towing companies will need to have 24/7 phone coverage if they are shipping trucks after regular business hours. However, crane operators can and should demand more from their answering services. Dedicated crane answering services include:
- Most modern services will give you service guarantees such as notifying your driver within a certain time limit (minutes) of the location they will need next
- Communicate estimated time of arrival to customers
- Give the driver a credit or debit card authorization or check authorization
- Your company mandates how messages are sent; SMS, e-mail, pagers etc
- Operators are trained on your rates, discounts and insurance arrangements and towing clubs
- Modern services give you a toll-free number for advertising. Whenever you need an answering service, you can simply forward your phone to an answering service.
Of course the biggest benefit of a crane answering service is that of a live operator. As a seamless extension of your own staff, carriers can offer customers guarantees. Tow truck customers can also receive status reports if there is a delay or if the truck arrives earlier than expected. But most importantly, human operators give your company a voice and personality. At 2:00 a.m. your operator can offer stranded motorists empathy and reassurance that help will come. The direct telephone operator is the pinnacle of customer service.
In addition, being able to immediately take credit cards and check payments when the truck is still in the field loses its load is a memory. Drivers are busy on slippery and wet nights. The last thing they need to deal with is collecting a dozen tickets as they come. In addition, your driver working with a direct operator can easily check your client’s insurance status and approve payment before the car is connected.
take away
Towing companies are very service-oriented businesses. Towing services that use an on-demand answering service are in a position to provide the best customer service experience for requesting service.
Not only does a towing answering service keep your company on the cutting edge of customer service, there are also important benefits for you.
Bryan Starr traveled for Peak Answering and spoke at SEMA.
