There are few universal facts of life, but surely one of them would be that everyone needs to work. From the time we walk into the office every morning, cup of coffee in hand and laptop bag swinging off our shoulders, we know that we're going to be busy. Sometimes our days go exactly as scheduled, but it happens less often than we would like. Between important meetings and dealing with customer issues, it can seem like there aren't enough hours in the day to get everything done we'd like to.
This take-whatever-comes-up approach can have serious repercussions; according to a survey from Blackberry subsidiary Good Technology, 80% of people spend on average eight hours outside of work working, whether that means checking emails or something more involved. The encroachment of work duties into a person's free time can not only be toxic to their morale, but also their relationships. While many companies are offering perks in an effort to reduce this overwork epidemic, such as unlimited vacation and four-day work weeks, it is still endemic to modern society, in countries all over the world.
Constant distractions = unproductive workdays
"It took about 200 years for unions to get us a 40-hour work week and it took smartphones about 5 years to completely take them away". - Bob Sullivan
We live in the age of distraction, which in no way means someone pulling out their cell phone or checking their social media accounts for a few minutes here and there. For some, the operational tasks listed above may be seen as distractions, preventing them from accomplishing what they set out to do in the course of a day. In the modern office environment, distractions are constant, whether it's answering phones to personally speak with customers and colleagues or habitually checking email. Ultimately, distractions limit our ability to get meaningful work done.
Focus on core competencies
One sure-fire way of reducing the number of distractions is by ensuring that they don't reach you in the first place, and there are few better ways to do that than delegating and outsourcing. If your phone was ringing less frequently but you were still receiving the same amount of calls, would you be able to get more done with your day?
Virtual reception let's you choose
One of the most convenient reasons to consider a virtual receptionist service or other inbound answering service is that you can choose when to receive word of new messages. Customers and clients are happy because there's no complicated extension system for them to navigate, and you can be secure in the knowledge that any important or urgent inquiries will be triaged to you so that you receive them in a timely fashion. In deciding to outsource, you are reclaiming your workday from some of the distractions that make actually working more difficult.
If you're looking for an expert answering service that wants to help you take your life back, Telelink can help. With more than 50 years of experience, we understand that your time is valuable and that you may not want to work around the clock. Click here to learn about how we can put our award-winning answering solutions to work for you.