Are you tired of dealing with constant missed calls? Do you have a receptionist, but have you noticed that they have trouble keeping up with your higher client volume?
Do you feel like most of your business calls actually come in over the weekend?
If so, then it sounds like you need a phone answering service.
In this post, we’ll tell you a few of the most important things that you should be on the lookout for when you’re in the market for a call answering service.
By its end, you’ll be prepared to find an affordable and high-quality service — and you’ll make sure you get it right the first time.
1. Understand Their Availability
When you’re in the market for a phone answering service, it’s likely because you’re tired of spending half of your workday returning missed calls.
It can sometimes seem like half of your client base calls you well after you’ve left the office for your day — or over the weekend.
Wouldn’t it be nice to spend more time actually working at work, instead of playing phone tag?
To make it happen, you need to ensure that the service you’re considering a service that offers 24/7 availability. After all, you know that business doesn’t always happen during traditional working hours.
Never miss an opportunity, and always be available to your customers — without needing to give out your personal cell phone number.
2. Ask About Pricing And Contract Structure
Another key thing you need to make clear when you’re looking for a company to help you manage your phone lines?
The overall contract and pricing structure.
First of all, ask whether you’ll be on a month-to-month plan, or if it will be structured in a different way. Make sure you’re familiar with the base costs of your service, as well as the costs of additional features you may need.
Inquire about the potential cancellation fees, and ask if any free trial periods are available to you. Make sure that you also know the general call answering rates, and how those change according to where the caller is located.
Ask if the company will be able to scale with you as your business grows.
3. Ensure They Offer The Features You Need
Of course, one of the essential things to take into consideration when hiring a phone answering service is if they can actually provide the features your company needs.
For example, are they able to provide appointment booking and scheduling? What about callbacks? Will they be able to call your clients and remind them of an upcoming appointment?
When it comes to lead management, how will they follow up with leads?
These are all just a few of the features that your business could need to increase conversion rates and provide better customer service.
For a more detailed list of the potential services that a quality phone answering service will provide, take a look at this site.
4. Inquire About Employee Training
When a receptionist from a professional phone answering service speaks to one of your customers, they become a representative of your business.
That’s why you want to make sure they have the proper training on both a larger and company-specific level to put their best foot forward.
This means that not only should they have basic answering service training. They should also be able to integrate specific scripts and brand messaging tactics according to your unique business.
Ask about how they train employees, the licensing and certification they have, and whether or not they can provide monthly call reports when requested.
Of course, the best way to get an understanding of the quality of an answering service is to speak with a past customer. Make sure that you ask them the right questions to determine whether or not the specific company will be able to meet your professional standards.
5. What Happens If Phone Lines Go Down?
Almost half of all business owners state that they’re slated to lose an astounding $5,000 for every hour they suffer from a power outage.
And whether your company would lose a lot more or a lot less than $5,000 an hour, the truth is that it will impact your bottom line in some way.
When you’re in the market for a quality phone answering service, you want to be sure that they have the technology in place to keep your phone lines up and running for as long as possible.
You also want to know that, when a power failure is inevitable, they’ll work to get you up and running again as soon as possible. Ask which kinds of backups they use? What methods do they have in place to protect your data in the event of a power loss?
What’s the average length of their downtime, and how have they handled outages in the past?
Knowing this will help you to breathe easier when facing a storm or electrical failure.
Need A Professional Phone Answering Service?
When you’re tired of dealing with missed calls and countless voicemails, it’s time to work with a professional phone answering service.
They’ll allow you to spend less time chained to your desk and more time actually running your business.
Plus, these services will also ensure that your customers are always able to get in touch with your business at their convenience. Let this service take your business beyond the traditional 9:00-5:00 — and grow as a result.
Ready to find the service that’s right for you?
Use our site to make it happen.
Then, keep reading our blog for more epic branding tips, marketing plans, and business strategies.