Why do I need an Answering Service?

An “answering service” are real human beings that are contracted out to answer incoming calls on behalf of a business. Sometimes, small businesses don’t have the staff or budget to hire staff just to answer phones so they hire an answering service with real people to act as the receptionist and cover their phone calls 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The answering service will redirect the calls more intelligently and interactively than just an answering machine or confusing and complex voicemail “automated attendant” system.

Yes, you indeed can use an answering machine but studies have shown that people really do not like to talk to machines. If your customers are unable to easily reach a human voice, they will hang-up and call somewhere else — that’s a lost business opportunity. Think about when you call a business, don’t you expect someone to be there you can talk to? (Don’t you often press zero repeatedly until you do?)

It is nothing short of annoying when a person does not have a live receptionist — an actual, real human being answering the phone. Let’s face it: When it comes to business transactions, it is almost expected to have a knowledgeable person available to your customers during hours (and sometimes even after-hours). All businesses, whether a physician’s private practice, a small computer company, or a conglomerate, rely on the telephone as one of the fastest and most reliable communication tool in their businesses. Whether they are calling in with orders or calling in to ask questions, you need to have the proper tools for the job and that demands a live receptionist. But having an employee (or employees) dedicated to only answering telephones could prove costly, especially if calls come in erratically. And having random employees pick up the ringing phones while distracted or frustrated could lose clients quickly. What’s the best solution?

Today, forward-thinking employers are contracting people to answer the phones when it simply isn’t practical to do it themselves. The personal touch an answering service provides can make the difference in obtaining and keeping a client, or losing them to the competition. Hiring an answering service assures that you can take calls and messages, provide business and product information, clarify the intent of calls, and even arrange meetings with potential customers without having the expense and overhead associated with additional or inefficient employees.

Choosing the right answering service is one of the most important decisions that your company will make. Since service industry terminology and procedures are very industry specific, many business people find themselves lost when trying to find an answering service. Having a basic understanding of the answering service setup process and guidance from a knowledgeable sales representative can help businesses choose an answering service to meet the needs of the business and stay within budget.

The following are some concepts that you will want to understand when reviewing service options:

Live Person vs Automated
Having calls answered by a live person will be more costly than using recordings and voicemail boxes or combining live operators with automated functions, but research has shown that over 75% of first-time callers that are sent right to voicemail or a confusing auto-attendant will hang-up and call someone else! With that in the equation, having a live person handle calls works out to be much more affordable than the automated system by avoiding those missed opportunities!

Ideal Backup Strategy
Because unforeseen trouble can occur, receptionist services should provide backup plans for their accounts. Uninterrupted energy supplies and backup operators should be in place to ensure that your calls will always be answered. In addition, having an answering service can act as a backup to your own receptionist in the event of a power outage or natural disaster for example.

Estimating Call Volume
Because of staffing issues and system resources involved in the answering service industry, the amount of calls your account will generate is essential to the pricing of your account. The best way to determine your call volume is to look at past phone bills and adjust accordingly for new business growth. If you have a new business and are not sure of the volume of calls, estimate your volume based on planned advertising. The account sales representative at the answering service provider should be able to assist you in estimating where your call volume will be.

Not Always About Cost
Many businesses want to shop for the lowest priced answering service. Keep in mind that you are shopping for representation, and consider the old adage: “You get what you pay for.” If an answering service drastically undercuts quotes, you have to wonder if you are really going to receive the quality you expect. Shop around, but don’t let price be the only factor determining your choice for receptionist services. Take into account the attitude and expertise you receive when shopping around; the length of time the answering service has been in business; the quality of clients that the answering service serves; and the technology the answering service operates.

Since the answering service industry is unfamiliar to many people, the sales representatives at answering service providers are ready to answer many questions from potential clients. Make sure that you ask whatever questions that arise and do not hesitate to have them explain whatever you don’t yet understand. With the right information in your hand and a general understanding of the account setup process, your business should be able to quickly realize all the financial and practical benefits of receptionist service outsourcing with ease and enjoyment! Call us at 1 (877) 877-9473 and let us help get you started.