More Towing Companies Are Streamlining Their Business Process
In the towing industry there is no off time and the customers that use them need help immediately. Because of this many towing companies are open twenty-four hours a day. However, employing staff 24/7 can be costly for a small business owner. Furthermore, there are times when the phones lines will be very busy or the towing company will not be able to answer every call received. The last thing a stranded customer wants to hear is a busy line or an answering machine. This also means in business lost, as they will move onto the next company. It is for these reasons that more and more tow companies are hiring outside answering services. Aside from making sure every call received is answered there are also several other advantages to using an answering service.
Notifications
There are about a handful of companies in the US that are equipped to handle the volume and complexity that an outsourced dispatch service requires. Examples of such would be Peak Answering or Concorde Communications. Agents are trained to take every incoming call, obtain all necessary information as quickly as possible, and stay updated on drivers’ locations and availability to complete service requests. They also keep a tow company’s drivers updated on critical information, such as cancelled requests. These agents often handle the dispatching process for multiple towing companies on different systems, and therefore have to be extremely detail oriented not to confuse them. This is why so few outsourced call centers handle emergency dispatch services as well. The training is too complex and too time consuming.
Faster Service
Towing answering service companies can also save time, cut operating costs and increase efficiency/accuracy by employing an around the clock towing dispatch service to manage incoming orders and instruct drivers. Sometimes towing businesses increase revenue by extending operating hours because it is more affordable to pay a monthly fee for an answering service instead of employing people around the clock.
Customer Updates
An emergency dispatch service will also keep a towing company’s customers updated on the current status of their service request. This can include private customers, auto insurance companies and police departments. This greatly helps in increasing customer satisfaction. By keeping them updated of the towing service’s estimated arrival time or pricing information, the customer has received all the information they need during one call and has fewer things to worry about during a stressful and unplanned event.
Transmit Billing Information
Emergency dispatch services will also collect needed billing information from customers. This data and authorization is then communicated to the tow truck drivers. This allows for billing of the customer’s credit or bank accounts to have already been started and cuts down on time, which is essential for drivers. Also customers want the process to be as simple and smooth as possible. Having a driver arrive and start moving their vehicle without interruption for billing questions results in a more streamlined process for the customer and they can get on with their day sooner.
Customization
Also of note is the fact emergency dispatch companies will communicate vital information in a number of different ways. Depending on a towing company’s preferences updates and service requests can be sent via pagers, e-mail, phone, text messaging or radio transceiver. This allows for a smooth integration of business processes and systems between the answering service and towing companies.
Trained Operators:
One question a towing company may have is about the competency of the operators answering the calls. Make sure you provide the most current information so that the operators are up to date on their client’s charges, current discounts, club agreements, and insurance questions. By having informed operators the customer will have uniform and expert service from start to finish. Also customers won’t even be aware they’ve reached an outside company, which helps keep them at ease and builds trust.
Bilingualism
Lastly, one feature not to overlook is having an answering service fluent in both English and Spanish. Spanish is by far the most spoken non English language in the United States. For reference Spanish is spoken by over 38 million people in the United States as their primary language. The ability to speak to customers in a language they understand and are comfortable with is a key part of customer service. Make sure you employ a bilingual answering service that will not cost you extra for bilingual services.
