Sometimes small businesses need an Answering Service in order to convey the image of a much larger corporation, cut costs, and manage phone call volume.
Following are samples of some 24/7 answering services that small businesses can take advantage of:
Catalog Order Entry
Dealer Locator
Help Desk
Lead Qualification
Pre-Qualification
Live Internet Chat
Receptionist/Help Desk Overflow
Receptionist Message Center
Employee Time and Attendance Tracking
Medical Answering Service
Property Management
Voicemail
Conference & Event Registration
Portray a Professional Image and Reap the Benefits...
Appointments/Reservations
Email Response
Other Service we offer:
Survey/Polling
Brochure/Product Information Requests
Membership Renewals
Insurance Claims Reporting / Information
With an answering service, callers will not realize they are not speaking to your direct employees. Calls can be transferred to your direct line or voicemail, messages taken when you are unavailable, forwarded to you via fax, email, or SMS Messaging. This is a great way to make sure callers always get a live voice on the line. Answering services, call overflow, vacation and sick-time coverage, after hours answering, etc. give small businesses complete tele-messaging coverage.
Answer Service Customer Representatives are trained to effectively handle all calls in a professional manner with speed and accuracy, ensuring that each message contains the exact information needed.In addition, the answering service is responsible for benefits, taxes, and insurance of their own employees. This allows greater flexibility and can lower expenses for the small business.
The following reasons illustrate why small businesses should consider and answering service:
· Customers never get a busy signal or go to automated voice mail.
· Save money and time and answer 24/7
· Filter your calls – avoid sales calls
· Get messages instantly via email or text message
· Present a professional image, and impression of a large company
The quality of customer service for a company can make or break it. An answering service guarantees quality, well trained customer service staff. No amount of technology will ever replace individual attention provided by a live person answering customer questions. An answering service is much more cost effective than hiring a secretary, or trying to handle all calls alone. Having a telephone answering service allows small businesses to focus on the job at hand and give customers undivided attention.Having a telephone answering service is definitely something every small business owner should consider.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Monday, June 16, 2008
Your Company’s Forgotten Entrance
Customers enter your business in three ways:
1. Your front door.
2. Your web site.
3. Your telephone.
You know how important first impressions are. You've chosen the right color of paint, the right furniture, maybe even hired an interior designer.
By now, every company has some sort of web site. Some are more functional than others, but the point is, you've thought about it. You know your customers go online, so it's important to have something for them as they enter your cyber door.
OK, now let's consider your telephone, or what I like to call, Your Company's Forgotten Entrance. Why "forgotten"? Because chances are, you have no idea what is happening right now when someone calls your company and has to wait anywhere within your phone system.
According to Inbound Outbound magazine, 94 percent of your marketing budget is spent trying to get the phone to ring, with 6 percent left over to handle the customer after they call. So what happens when a call comes in to your company? Chances are a transfer will take place to the appropriate person or department. Or they wait as someone is paged. Or they wait to go into voice mail. Or they hit zero to exit voice mail to see when that person will be available. In other words, they are waiting in your virtual "telephone lobby."
How much effort have you invested into decorating that lobby? In other words, what is occupying the attention of those customers that are interested enough in your company to want to pick up the telephone and call you? Do you make callers suffer through the voicemail jungle or do you staff your office with a warm friendly person? Did you know that Time Communications is able to capable of answering all of you incoming calls LIVE and transferring callers to the appropriate person or department?
"But no one goes on-hold at my company." Answer this: Is it anyone's job to watch the phone traffic and keep track? Does your phone system offer Call Accounting so you really know for sure? If so, are you using it? At Time Communications we can offer you reporting that shows every aspect of the calls we answer for you.
A survey of 30,000 callers by USA Business Telephone Today showed that 52 percent of callers hung up before they'd listen to 60 seconds of dead air!
Decorate that telephone lobby with specific information. Don't let them get up and walk out of your lobby (also known as caller hang-ups). Put that untapped asset of telephone air time to use. It's an asset you already own. Remember, THEY called YOU!
1. Your front door.
2. Your web site.
3. Your telephone.
You know how important first impressions are. You've chosen the right color of paint, the right furniture, maybe even hired an interior designer.
By now, every company has some sort of web site. Some are more functional than others, but the point is, you've thought about it. You know your customers go online, so it's important to have something for them as they enter your cyber door.
OK, now let's consider your telephone, or what I like to call, Your Company's Forgotten Entrance. Why "forgotten"? Because chances are, you have no idea what is happening right now when someone calls your company and has to wait anywhere within your phone system.
According to Inbound Outbound magazine, 94 percent of your marketing budget is spent trying to get the phone to ring, with 6 percent left over to handle the customer after they call. So what happens when a call comes in to your company? Chances are a transfer will take place to the appropriate person or department. Or they wait as someone is paged. Or they wait to go into voice mail. Or they hit zero to exit voice mail to see when that person will be available. In other words, they are waiting in your virtual "telephone lobby."
How much effort have you invested into decorating that lobby? In other words, what is occupying the attention of those customers that are interested enough in your company to want to pick up the telephone and call you? Do you make callers suffer through the voicemail jungle or do you staff your office with a warm friendly person? Did you know that Time Communications is able to capable of answering all of you incoming calls LIVE and transferring callers to the appropriate person or department?
"But no one goes on-hold at my company." Answer this: Is it anyone's job to watch the phone traffic and keep track? Does your phone system offer Call Accounting so you really know for sure? If so, are you using it? At Time Communications we can offer you reporting that shows every aspect of the calls we answer for you.
A survey of 30,000 callers by USA Business Telephone Today showed that 52 percent of callers hung up before they'd listen to 60 seconds of dead air!
Decorate that telephone lobby with specific information. Don't let them get up and walk out of your lobby (also known as caller hang-ups). Put that untapped asset of telephone air time to use. It's an asset you already own. Remember, THEY called YOU!
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
What a Call Center Can Do For Your Company
It is a necessity for businesses to maintain regular contact with new and existing customers. This is a large enterprise to adopt. It takes the acquisition of employees, training, and time to manage and reassess the endeavor. Many companies find it advantageous to outsource for this service.
Call centers provide the services needed and are staffed by experienced professionals. Call centers handle incoming calls from consumers and make outgoing calls to generate more sales for your business. More companies are finding this service useful because they are able to maintain relationships with their customers while saving time and money.
Choosing the right call center for you:
When outsourcing for any service, it is highly important to find the right fit for your company.
Consider the following criteria when choosing a call center.
Call centers provide the services needed and are staffed by experienced professionals. Call centers handle incoming calls from consumers and make outgoing calls to generate more sales for your business. More companies are finding this service useful because they are able to maintain relationships with their customers while saving time and money.
Choosing the right call center for you:
When outsourcing for any service, it is highly important to find the right fit for your company.
Consider the following criteria when choosing a call center.
- Choose a call center that can handle the volume of expected incoming and outgoing calls reflective of your campaign.
- The technology in the industry is greatly advancing. Choosing a call center with the latest technology will increase the effectiveness of your campaign.
- Diligently discuss matters of pricing. Different call centers have varied methods of charging their clients. Depending on the nature and size of your campaign, some methods of pricing will be better for your company.
- Ask for references and check them. Learn how the call center runs others' campaigns, handles mistakes, and achieves levels of success.
- Use a call center well-experienced in working with companies of your industry.
- Above all, be comfortable with the key people you will be working with at the call center.
Subscribe in a reader