Minnesota answering service provides cost-saving solution to local company

The winds of change are blowing through the economy as the country’s financial standing begins to slowly rise back to its normal status. But just because things are looking good again doesn’t mean companies aren’t continuously looking for options to cut costs, boost sales and increase productivity.

As an operational consultant, I deal with manufacturing businesses on a daily basis. A lot of these kinds of companies are obsessed with efficiency, and rightfully so; in the manufacturing business, any sort of operational inefficiency can mean the difference between timely deliver of goods and thousands of late orders. To fulfill orders on time, floor personnel must be consistently focused on the task at hand. The concern among floor managers is that menial tasks can interfere with daily productivity, and the concern is not unjustified.

This is the exact sort of concern my friend Robert had when we went to lunch on a laidback Friday. I had knocked off early and was planning on heading home for a few cocktails after the lunch, but Robert seemed genuinely concerned about the future of his business. I decided to act quickly after he had regaled me with his story.

It seemed productivity was being hindered at a crucial focal point: communication. Missed communication between internal staff and business-to-business transactions was severely cutting back on customer satisfaction and internal operations. With the amount of noise on the factory floor and the demands of their jobs, foremen and other floor personnel were missing calls from managers who needed to communicate various tasks including reprioritization and the like. At the same time, managers walking the floor were missing crucial communications from clients and distributors. When they were in their offices receiving calls, floor productivity would slow down.

Even automation needs a human element. And so does communication – but what Robert hadn’t realized is that communication wouldn’t have to be performed by internal staff. I had heard about a nationwide answering service from a fellow consultant in my department, and I decided to pass the information along to Robert.

The operator answering service employs trained staff members 24/7 to handle any sort of incoming communication you designate, including phone calls and email. The email read and response service is especially useful, as employees at the Minnesota answering service can filter emails and respond according to pre-designated guidelines. And, of course, the nationwide answering service can handle incoming phone calls from managers and clients and either direct calls accordingly, take messages, or respond to inquiries based on internal scripts and your company’s knowledge base. Messages can be delivered to the appropriate staff members by any means you require – email, text, fax, phone call, etc.

Robert was skeptical at first about the operator answering service. But when I finally convinced him to give them a try, productivity turned around immediately. The manufacturer showed a 50 percent decrease in late orders by the end of the month. Calls missed from clients were now fielded in a professional and timely manner, increasing sales. In the end, the Minnesota answering service saved Robert a ton of cash, and he could not be happier.

About the Author:

Gary Holthaus is a Minneapolis-area consultant who specializes in productivity optimization for a wide range of companies. His article features information on http://www.answerunited.com/states/mn.htm and http://www.answerunited.com