“That initial call with a prospective customer is so critical in today’s world,” Sambrick says. “Studies sug- gest that if a call is not answered, or a representative is rude, the customer moves on to another business. This is a missed opportunity. Along with great customer service, we want to ensure you never miss out on those business opportunities.” WHEN TO OUTSOURCE Leading a small to mid-size tree care company requires you to wear many hats, making it difficult at times to figure out which hats — or business functions — to hand off and when. Determining when to outsource requires taking a step back and analyzing the business. “When the business owner finds them- selves spending significant time and resources on non-core business activi- ties, that’s when we suggest outsourc- ing,” Veloza explains. According to Veloza, outsourcing should be part of the overall business strategy, allowing for flexible scalabili- ty. This enables tree care companies to adapt to seasonal fluctuations in work- load without the need for hiring and training additional staff. Consider outsourcing when: • Administrative tasks become over- whelming for you or your team • Business support tasks are new to your company and you need trained support • The business is growing. Handing off tedious tasks like answering dai- ly phone calls and managing crew schedules frees up time to focus on core business activities. • You’d like to cut costs to increase efficiency “There’s a myth that outsourcing is expensive,” Sambrick says. “But of- ten, it’s cheaper than hiring someone in-house. If you think about it, hiring someone includes overhead costs like insurance, worker’s compensation,
in its administrative processes.”
ensures streamlined operations, com- pliance with industry standards, and efficient scheduling,” he explains. Outsourcing to a service that is knowl- edgeable in the tree care industry provides businesses with a wealth of specialized skills, including manag-
BENEFITS OF OUTSOURCING There are several additional benefits associated with outsourcing: access to a pool of skilled professionals, use of modern technologies, and a higher lev- el of quality customer service. “The goal is to free business owners from the desk so they can focus on strategic tasks and operations,” Veloza says. “The quality of customer service we offer is simply unmatched.” Bilingual Professionals One benefit is that outsourcing gives access to a group of trained profes- sionals that not only focus their entire workday on administrative tasks but are oen also bilingual. “Having access to bilingual resourc- es gives tree care companies a com- petitive advantage,” Veloza says. “For businesses looking to scale, having someone on your team that can speak Spanish is critical. Not only can you communicate more effectively, but you also gain a new market that you other- wise would not.” Modern Technologies Outsourcing may also help expedite emergency protocol when necessary. At My Office Help, tasks are man- aged by humans during office hours. At all hours of the day, however, cut- ting-edge AI technology is employed to decipher between emergency and non-emergency calls. “The AI technology allows us to be more efficient,” Shadowen says. “If it detects a tree emergency, we know to prioritize that call over non-emergency calls.” Customer Service Customer service representatives are oen trained to speak in a respect- ful and friendly manner. According to Sambrick, this alone can go a long way.
ing permits, coordinating crews, and maintaining client records. They also understand tree care jargon, have an established network, and oen hold in- dustry-specific certifications. “Such expertise can handle the intri- cacies of tree care business adminis- tration,” Sambrick says. “This allows the tree company to focus on its core competence of arboriculture while en- suring professionalism and reliability
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