As an engineering and building maintenance provider, customer service is crucial for keeping projects on track. According to Statistics Canada, the two sectors generated $43.3 billion in revenue in 2023, with more than 60% of clients coming from the private sector.

Meanwhile, Canadian Home Builders’ Association data shows construction-related investments hit $105.5 billion in the same year. A little over 60% came from renovation and repair.

As you know, customers expect immediate responses when they call about equipment failure or urgent compliance issues.

That’s where outsourcing customer service can help. Statista forecasts Canada’s outsourcing market volume to be worth US$10.38 billion by 2029 amid an annual growth rate of 4.23%.

Finding high-quality partners for continuous client engagement will allow internal teams to uphold service standards and retain customers. Let’s examine how you can optimize your engineering and building maintenance business when you outsource customer service.

A 2024 ServiceNow report reveals that brand loyalty is lower among 74% of Canadians compared to two years ago. Over 90% of survey respondents identified quick and real-time support as their top priority. Additionally, 53% of respondents demand 24/7 availability.

You can address this need when you outsource customer service to a reliable phone answering company. Integrating the following service provider’s roles into your workflows can streamline service delivery:

Call triage

Picture this: a commercial client connects to your VoIP around midnight about a critical HVAC failure. Without an after-hours live agent, that caller might resort to a competitor. If they prefer assistance in French, they’re likely to pick the first bilingual alternative they find. With an outsourced bilingual call triage, the customer rep can assess the situation’s urgency level. Then, they can forward the call or make an emergency dispatch to an on-call technician, ensuring a fast response.

Emergency response and escalation

External client support service providers will establish an emergency protocol or call flow to suit your organizational setup.

Data security

The best outsourced customer service partners provide secure tools to integrate your customer or project management systems with their database. This integration creates a secure, auditable record of all interactions. Competent providers also uphold strict data privacy policies to protect contact information, building access codes, and compliance documents from unauthorized use.

Outsource customer service to bilingual phone answering specialists

If you’ve ever had a French-speaking customer struggle to explain a technical issue to your primarily English-speaking team, you know how frustrating miscommunication can be. Because your agents aren’t fluent, they can misunderstand key information. When this happens, clients get a delayed response, eroding their trust in your business.

In 2025, talents with bilingual skills will be a top differentiator for customer service hiring managers, according to Randstad. A bilingual outsourced service ensures that no request is lost in translation. Instead, every caller receives immediate and clear assistance.

Customer success through bilingual service also improves your bottom line. Businesses can see their customer lifetime value rise 2.3 times on average when they focus on client experiences, according to InMoment.

Why risk breakdowns in your customer service when you wouldn’t dismiss a failing system in your project? In engineering and maintenance, reliable and quick support can mean the difference between a happy client and a lost contract.

Outsourcing customer service isn’t about convenience anymore. It ensures that you handle each issue promptly and that no caller waits endlessly. In choosing a phone answering provider:

• Assess your company’s call handling requirements (nature and volume of general inquiries, service requests, and emergency escalations)
• Find a call centre with engineering experience, bilingual support, and CRM integration
• Established call routing procedures (from non-urgent to critical emergencies)

Are you ready to integrate 24/7 support? Follow these steps and start optimizing by contacting our team today.