Does Your Business Need an Answering Service?

   

Telephone answering services – answering services, for short – are companies that take calls for other businesses. In addition to simply answering calls and working as receptionists, answering services also perform a variety of other tasks, including appointment scheduling, customer service, order entry, service dispatching, and more.
For small businesses looking to enhance their image, improve customer service, and boost efficiency without drastically increasing their costs, an answering service may be the perfect solution. So, how do you know if an answering service is right for your business?

Examine your needs

Before you can decide whether an answering service could be helpful to your business, you need to examine how the phone is being used in your organization and how those processes could be improved.

For example, say you are a small HVAC company. You have a few people that work in your office, and a few technicians that handle work.

On a typical day, you probably receive several calls inquiring about your services, a couple more scheduling appointments, one or two confirming or changing their appointment, and a handful of other calls from vendors, telemarketers, and the like.
Now, because of your size, you likely maintain regular office hours. Since there’s a need for your service after hours, it may be beneficial to provide the same level of support after hours as you do during the day. Thus, you have a need for a service that answer calls and provide service similar to what your office does during the day.

Compare to answering service capabilities

Once you have examined what your business needs and where telephone support could be useful, you need to look at different answering services and consider whether they can realistically provide what you are looking for.

While telephone answering services are typically able to provide similar services, some are more advanced than others. For example, some services may only take and deliver messages while others may integrate with your business software and perform more detailed tasks.

If you need really advanced work, like technical support, then an answering service may not be able to meet your needs.

Is there an overlap?

Now that you know what you could benefit from and the capabilities of answering services, look for overlaps. If answering services can perform the services you need, then it may be a beneficial relationship. Since answering services typically charge based on usage, they are a cost effective option for companies who need support but don’t want to pay the cost of hiring and staffing additional employees.

About the Author

Melanie Cartwell is a blogger with Continental Message Solution, a leading provider of small business telephone answering services and call center outsourcing solutions.

Customer Service by Shay

Because I can not be a guest or at this time send a recorded voice bite. I would like to send my advice for the blogtalk show December 3, 2009. I chose this advice because lately I been hearing and seeing Bad Customer Service in many businesses. Why, Not Sure because Customer Service is the Life Blood of any business. Last week I called to discuss a concern on one of my account. You would think, that the person would greet you with some Telephone Etiquette, WRONG! This young lady was in a bad mood from the beginning and I said to myself Shay Do your thing and show her what you Know!

First and Foremost I always wait until they pull up my account before I begin talking, this way we both are on the same page. Oh, before I call I always have my information in front of me and that way I know exact what I’m talking about. As you get older your mind does wonder…LOL

Now to make a long story short I use some of my best Telephone Business Etiquette and in hopes she would catch a hint! I think she did, because by the time I finish we were laughing and leaving with a greeting Have A nice Day!

OK Here are a few Telephone Etiquette I would like to advise for the year 2010!

1. Use proper manner when speaking with someone: The act of using the telephone and speaking someone through the phone line is so common, such that most people fail to practice proper manner when doing this familiar act.

2. Prepare yourself before the call: During your preparation, you have to specifically focus on what you need to say to avoid missing out on any information. This is specially true when making business phone calls, avoid speaking without thinking about what you are about to say.

3. Start the Conversation with the right words: You can use variety of polite greetings and introduction that will impress the person you are speaking to. But most importantly, you have to do this genuinely, Your ability to showcase a positive attitude during a phone call is first and foremost evident in your choice of language to use. Thus, choose those words correctly.

4. Speaking Clearly: Your ability to speak clearly and get your message across is important to ensure a successful communication system. Despite the advancements in communication technology, your ability to speak clearly is the most focal point in being fully understood.

5. Establishing Rapport: The more they feel comfortable speaking to you, the more interested they’d be with what you have to say. Voice toning is a nonverbal factor that reflects your personality to the person you are speaking with on the phone, as well as affect your ability to communicate effectively.

6. Listen Attentively: One of the most unethical practices one could exhibit during a phone call is failure to listen to what the other is saying on the phone line. After all, you would not want it for them to not listen to you while you are speaking.

The six practical tips I have listed above concerning the proper etiquette when speaking on the telephone, it all boils down to the golden rule. Try to treat others via phone the way you would want them to treat you. Putting forth the need to establish respect and dignity is even more important if you are making phone calls for business reasons.

I hope my six tips can help make your 2010 a Great One!

Peace & LuV,
Shay
My Network

« Previous Page