#1. Think 24/7

One of the most vital requirements your business may have for the perfect answering service is making sure the service is available 24/7. Because one of the answering service’s main goals is to make sure your business is always open, being able to rely on an answering service on nights, weekends, and holidays is crucial. If you’ll be relying on your answering service to capture leads and dispatch urgent calls, seriously think about a service that is open all day and night. While many answering services do offer 24/7 availability, it may come at a cost.

For example, some services may charge an extra fee to answer your calls after 9pm or on a holiday. Another caveat may be that the answering service only offers live support up until a certain time, and then switches over to an automated system. Answering services that offer 24/7 live support at no additional costs are the services that are truly there to help your business succeed, and is definitely a feature you should be looking for.

#2. Operators Are Representing Your Business

The right business answering service can make or break your company. The professionalism of the operators are one of the most important features you can look for in an answering service. Without great operators, you’ll have a difficult time ensuring all of your customers are being taken care the same way as your own employees would take care of them. For most businesses, one of the key components to a great service is the operators ability to properly represent the company they are answering for. Some businesses require a lively, energetic operator – while others, like funeral homes or medical practices, will require their operators to be calm and composed. Beneath any personality requirements is the operators ability to be nimble, to adapt to the needs of the caller, and be able to evaluate every situation and react accordingly. Because every caller is different, you’ll want to look for agents that can adapt well.

#3. Personalize Your Callers Experience

If you want to maintain continuity between the calls you handle in your own office and the calls the answering service is handling, you’ll need to make sure your answering service is as personal as can be. You won’t want your answering service to use generic call handling templates as that won’t make your clients feel like they’ve called your office. Generic call handling makes your customers feel like a number – personal call handling makes your callers feel like you care. In order for an answering service to feel like a part of your business, you’ll want to make sure their call scripting can be customized to your specific business needs. An answering service that answers and handles each call the same way for every business isn’t really helping anyone. Sure, gathering a name and number is important, but each business has different needs that should be able to be met by the service.

Since all businesses depend on customer loyalty, a personal answering service will let your callers know how important their business is. You love your customers, and a personal experience will show them how much you really do love them. Make sure you take the time to work with your answering service and personalize the experience as much as you can to make sure your business is being reflected.

#4. Know Your Budget

You’ll find telephone answering services ranging from $0 to start on a free trial to just about any price you can imagine. Most services do not have a flat rate structure but instead charge based on line activity. The more traffic you put through the answering service, the more expensive your price. So, if you have a high volume business – you can do the math there. Other answering services have different pricing tiers which offer allotments in use. With this, the cost is more affordable but you need to have a predictable monthly call volume for the cost to make sense. If you know your budget, your call volume, and how you plan on using the answering service, you can dictate the best pricing model for your business. Here are two common answering service billing structures:

• Per minute billing: In a per-minute billing structure, you are billed by the minute. Similar to a cell phone plan, these types of structures usually provide an allotment of minutes to use each month before having to pay for overages. A good answering service will offer several different plans depending on your call volume, and may even change your plan automatically if you happen to go over your usage threshold.
• Per call billing: In a per-call billing structure, you are billed by each call that comes in. Within this billing structure, it doesn’t matter how long your calls are. However, your answering service may charge extra for any messages sent, and calls that need to be dispatched may count as a separate billable call.

Pro tip: If your answering service offers both per-minute and per-call billing structures, it may be helpful to see which structure would be most cost-effective for you. Your service should be able to pull reports that break down your average monthly usage, which will help determine the better billing structure. 

#5. Evaluate Features Before You Buy

Before signing up with an answering service, always check to see if they offer a free trial period. This is a great way to get a feel for the service before having to pay, especially if the service requires you to sign a contract. If they do offer a free trial, here are some tips on getting the most out of that trial period:

• Place test calls: Placing test calls will give you an idea of what your customers will experience when they call. It’s also a great opportunity to make sure there are no hiccups with the call handling.
• Make updates: If there are any issues, the free trial period is a good time to iron out kinks and make necessary changes before going live with your customers.
• Test various features: Like this post suggests, answering services can typically do more than just answer your calls. The trial period is a good time to get acquainted with the various features they offer, and if they’ll work with your business structure. For example, you can test out their appointment scheduling software or see how their on-call dispatching system works.

#6. Consider You’ll Need an Online Interface

Some answering services offer email, text, or fax transmission of messages without the ability to check those messages online. While piecemeal messages may work for some, most businesses prefer having the ability to see their current and past messages online. With a web portal, you’ll have more control over reviewing your messages. While customer portals will differ from answering service to answering service, some common features may include:

• A log of call of your calls/messages
• The ability to listen to call recordings
• Access to your call handling and the ability to make updates in real time
• On-demand access to reports
• The ability to upload and manage your on-call schedule

#7. Emergency Dispatching System

No matter what type of business you run, you’ll most likely have a need for urgent dispatch. Whether you’re dispatching hot leads or urgent medical situations, you’ll want to find an answering service that can work closely with your in-house team and can adhere to your schedule(s) accordingly. Here are some things to look for in an answering service’s dispatching system:

• Are they available 24/7? Usually businesses use their on-call system for urgent issues that happen after-hours. If an answering service’s dispatching system is not available when you need them most, they probably aren’t the service for you.
• Can you make updates on your own or do they have to be submitted? Having to wait to submit changes can be detrimental if you’re in a bind. For example, say your on-call technician has a family emergency and can’t cover the shift. However, it’s already after-hours so your answering service’s customer support team is unavailable for immediate changes. When your answering service gives you access to an online portal or mobile app that allows you to make changes in real time, you can save the hassle of reaching out to customer service, and make the changes all on your own.
• Can you upload your existing schedule? Having the ability to upload your existing schedule right into your answering service’s system is a great time-saver and eliminates the need to do double the work.
• Are they HIPAA compliant? For medical practices, this is a big one. A HIPAA compliant answering service will not leave any patient information on your voicemail or through any messages. You would either be able to call your service back or log into a secure online portal to retrieve the message.

#8. Make Things Easy

Your answering service needs to be easy to use, and easy to make any changes. If you select a provider that makes it difficult to make script changes, make simple updates like changing a text message number or email address, or update your on-call schedule, it will hinder your company’s ability to work smoothly with your answering service provider. The point of an answering service is to help make running your business and handling day to day communication tasks easier – not more difficult. If you’re able to take free trial periods, you’ll need to spend a bit of time testing. Take advantage of any live demos to find out if the service you’re considering is user-friendly enough for your business and employees. Otherwise, you may find that your answering service is more of a pain to use and it’s not helping anything.

#9. Check 3rd Party App Compatibility

One of the issues you may have in finding the right answering service solution is that the system may need to be compatible with any software you’re currently using in your office. Because some software and calendars don’t play well with others (i.e. there is no API and operators may need to log in to post updates), the task can be a bit of a challenge. Depending on how important the integration is, you may need to rethink how important it is for your answering service to use it. If you do find a service that works with the software you’re already using, most integrations will push information gathered by the operators directly through to your software, updating it in real time and simultaneously cutting down on the amount of work you and your staff have to do since you won’t need to log into multiple systems to retrieve your data.

#10. Don’t Forget About Security

In many cases, your answering service will either be housing sensitive information or passing information back and forth between systems you’re already using. For medical practices or eCommerce companies, finding an answering service that is either PCI and/or HIPAA compliant is essential. If a medical or eCommerce company is using an answering service that is not compliant, they could be held accountable for any violations, which may result in thousands of dollars in fines, a loss of business, an even jail time. For these reasons, make sure the answering service you use is secure. Below is a break down of what it means to be both PCI and HIPAA compliant, and how answering services adhere to those rules.

• PCI Compliant:  To combat the increase in security data breaches, The Payment Card Industry and the Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) were created. In order to maintain PCI compliance, companies who accept credit card information must complete a yearly self-assessment and pass a quarterly security scan. Some ways that answering services maintain PCI compliance is by requiring employees to work in paperless environments and turning off call recordings when taking payment information.
• HIPAA Compliant: HIPAA, or the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act was created to help regulate and protect the private health information of patients. In order to maintain HIPAA compliance, answering services cannot send any patient information through text, email or voicemail. All messages and calls should be stored in a secure online portal that customers can log into using a username and password. Answering services who are HIPAA compliant should also sign a BAA with  your company to securely disclose private information.

An Answering Service Is An Essential Business Tool

Remember, a telephone answering service serves a much greater purpose than just answering your telephone lines, taking messages, and dispatching important calls. It will make your customer service stronger, your day more productive, and callers won’t fall through the cracks like they do with voicemail.

The post 10 Things to Consider When Choosing an Answering Service appeared first on Specialty Answering Service.

If it was up to us, we’d say all of them! But if you’re looking for the most dynamic and informative content on our website, we’ve boiled it down to the seven most exceptional posts. All of the following feature valuable tips, useful insights, and authentic recommendations from some of our most valued employees – and none have fluff we’d consider useless.

1. 3 Inexpensive Marketing Ideas to Get Your Small Business Phone to Ring

Why you should bookmark it: As any small business owner knows, an effective marketing strategy is key in getting customers to recognize your brand. However, if you’re just starting out, a solid marketing plan may not be in the budget just yet. Lucky for you, we’ve already done the research and found 3 Inexpensive Marketing Ideas to Get Your Small Business Phone to Ring. Whether you incorporate 1, 2 or all 3 ideas, your small business will soon be ready for lift off!

2. 5 Tips Every Small Business Owner Should Read

Why you should bookmark it: Whether you’re just starting out as a business owner or you’ve been around for a while, there’s always something new to learn. For example, a social media presence may not have had a huge impact on businesses 5 years ago, but today is a whole different story. To learn some more trick of the trade, check out these 5 Tips Every Small Business Owner Should Read.

3. 7 Questions to Ask When Choosing a Dispatching Service

Why you should bookmark it: Most, if not all, medical practices and HVAC companies requires staff to be on-call after hours in case of emergency. However, small businesses usually don’t have the same kind of budget a larger business does, which means they may struggle in this department. While small business owners may think that outsourcing is out of their budget, they can actually be a great asset and can help keep your business connected 24/7 at an affordable price. If you’re looking to outsource your after hours business communications, here are 7 Questions to Ask When Choosing a Dispatching Service.

4. How an Answering Service Can Help Your Seasonal Business

Why you should bookmark it: If you run a landscaping company or a pop-up holiday shop, then chances are your business isn’t busy all year round. However, that doesn’t mean you need to completely shut down. After all, you still need to make money, right? If you’re trying to figure out how to keep the operation going without breaking the bank, you’ll want to check out How an Answering Service Can Help Your Seasonal Business.

5. 5 Tips on Setting up a Virtual Receptionist to Make Your Small Business Look Big

Why you should bookmark it: All businesses need to start somewhere, but it can be difficult to attract a customer base as a small business. Many people look to fellow customer experiences before they decide to purchase an item or hire a company’s services, and some are hesitant to trust a small business due to the lack of expertise. However, if you’re a small business owner trying to gain a larger following, you’ll want to check out these 5 Tips on Setting up a Virtual Receptionist to Make Your Small Business Look Big.

6. 18 Tips for Creating the Best Answering Service from SAS Employees

Why you should bookmark it: If you’re looking for solid advice on how to set up a successful outsourcing experience for your small business, then you need to go right to the source. Check out these 18 Tips for Creating the Best Answering Service from SAS Employees and learn everything from how to structure your greeting to creating the most efficient call script directly from our own employees here at SAS.

7. Improve Lead Response Time with a 24 Hour Answering Service

Why you should bookmark it: In the world of business, leads are an important factor in gaining new customers and growing your brand. However, many small businesses struggle to contact leads in a timely manner, which winds up hurting their efforts instead of helping. If you don’t have the funds to hire more employees to add to your team, learn how you can Improve Lead Response Time with a 24 Hour Answering Service instead.

The post 7 Answering Service Posts Every Small Business Owner Should Read appeared first on Specialty Answering Service.

So how are businesses staying a step ahead of growing customer service expectations? For starters, they’re letting telephone answering services like SAS handle their front-end customer service 24 hours a day. We asked some of our employees for their best tips on how to use an answering service to strengthen the customer service relationship between businesses and consumers.

This article highlights our employees advice on every stage of the customer service process, from greeting and information gathering to tier 1 technical support and dispatching requests out of the scope of the virtual receptionists capabilities. You’ll learn more from this article than you would if you interviewed every employee in every answering service in the United States!

Tips for how to structure your greeting

• “Your business’s greeting is often times the first impression customers get of your brand. In order to ensure a solid first impression and a successful outsourcing experience, you’ll want to create the best answering service greeting possible.  That means you should stay away from greetings that don’t flow naturally and greetings where the operator has to say a complicated company name. Remember, what sounds good in your office may not always sound good in an answering service setting.” – Barb Albert
• “If your answering service will be handling all different types of calls on your behalf, a good idea is to add a driving question in your greeting to help steer the call. For example, asking “Are you calling to schedule an appointment?” will often result in a streamlined interaction whereas “how may I help you today?” may result in a 20 minute phone call.” – Kathy Galdi

Advice on what types of requests you want the answering service to handle

• “From appointment scheduling and order processing, to integrating with your CRM and following complex workflows, answering services can handle pretty much everything. However, that doesn’t mean they should handle everything. I suggest thinking of the few most common types of calls your in-house staff typically handle, and set your answering service up accordingly. The more you pile on your answering service, the more chances there are for errors.” – Matt Cohen
• “If you’re having your answering service go out to your website to look up a product, process an order or schedule an appointment, it’s always a good idea to create clear-cut instructions for the operators to follow. It’s important to remember that the operators are not familiar with your site and may be just as lost as the customers calling for help.” – Chris Middlecamp

Observations on what frustrates customers the most when speaking with a virtual receptionist and advice on how to mitigate

• “Sometimes when callers reach the answering service, they are upset because they are expecting that their issue will be resolved right then and there. While virtual receptionists are capable of solving issues, some things are better left for your own staff to handle. If your callers are upset that they’re unable to reach your office directly, it’s a good idea to let your service say they are the service, and why they are answering instead of you. For example, they can say “Thank you for calling, you’ve reached the overflow answering service for Dr. Smith’s office. We help handle calls when she’s visiting with patients. How may I help you today?” This tells callers upfront who they are speaking with, and why.” – Gabby Rolette
• “If  your callers are upset that they’re speaking to an answering service instead of your own staff, it could just be because your answering service is not set up to handle the same types of tasks your callers are used to being helped with. An easy way to mitigate this is to update your call handling! For example, if your answering service is currently not set up to schedule appointments, and your callers are frustrated at having to wait for a call back, see if your service can integrate with  scheduling software you’re already using which will help alleviate customer frustration and cut down on the amount of work your in-house staff have to do.” – Esther Cardin

Tips on escalations to your own on-call staff

• “If your script is set up to transfer or reach out to your on-call staff, you’ll want to make sure it’s as seamless a transition as possible. I always suggest that our customers get familiar with making on-call updates in their portal in case they need to make a last minute change and customer service isn’t readily available to make them.” – Sheila Forth
• “Many businesses that we work with implement on-call systems for escalations or urgent calls. If your business wants to set up an on-call system with your answering service, make sure it’s simple and straightforward. The more complicated your procedure, the more likely it is that operators will make mistakes.” – Stephen Wildemann

Advice on how to work with your answering service to solve problems

• “Your answering service is going to want to see your business succeed, so you should never hesitate to reach out whenever you have problems. With that being said, keeping a positive, professional demeanor when addressing issues will help make solving your problems a million times easier.” – Kaila Hamaday
• “If you’ve been having issues with calls, it’s a good idea to make a record of each individual call’s timestamp that you can present to your service. The more information they have up front, they quicker they can jump right into getting them reviewed for you, or the quicker they can work on making updates if the issue is regarding your script’s workflow.” – Danielle Viglione

Guidance on what makes a great customer service interaction

• “Great customer service is paramount when creating customer loyalty and ensuring customer satisfaction. For me, a great customer service experience entails speaking with a friendly, knowledgeable agent and being helped quickly.” – Annie Baker
• “When I work with customer service, I want to know that I matter. Receiving a check in phone call from a support rep after I’ve had an issue with a company is a simple, effective way to say ‘we care about you’.” – Jessica Rosado

Advice on how the answering service should deal with angry customers

• “If your answering service is dealing with angry customers, they should have systems in place to help them. For starters, they should always be empathetic and let the caller know they understand where they’re coming from. Deescalating situations can be difficult, but ultimately customers just want to know they’re being heard. If that doesn’t work, transferring the call to a supervisor usually works.” – Kelly Dunbar
• “Dealing with angry customers is never fun, but it comes with the territory of customer service. If your business tends to get a lot of irate callers, it’d be a good idea to implement a transfer option in your script in which the operators can transfer the caller to an experienced team member in your own office.” – Mollie Williams

Tips on hold times and how to approach it

• “While hold times can’t be avoided 100% of the time, there are some ways to reduce your customers’ chances of being placed in the queue. For example, I always advise customers to let us know in advance of any planned changes in volume, like airing a new product or campaign. That way we can make sure we are staffed accordingly.” – Courtney Pizzi
• “We can’t promise there will never be a hold – no answering service can. But adding a custom recorded greeting your callers can listen to if there is a hold is always a good rule of thumb.” – George Nave

Must-have advice for anyone using an answering service

• “You should think of your answering service as an extension to your business. Any changes you make in-house should be reflected in your service. It also doesn’t hurt to check in every couple of weeks just to make sure everything is running smoothly.” – Kevin Kozeniewski
• “Working with your answering service and making sure everyone is on the same page is key. That means if your service’s support or sales reps are making suggestions on how they think your procedures will work better, you should probably take their advice.” – Matt Baker

The post 18 Tips for Creating the Best Answering Service from SAS Employees appeared first on Specialty Answering Service.

We asked a range of experts from our own company – including customer service team members, operators, and sales staff – for their best tips. This article highlights our team members advice on every possible greeting type – from answering calls during business hours to the best ways to answer them after hours to how the service should answer if they’re managing your calls 24/7. You’ll learn our best tips in a fraction of the time it would take you to learn what works and what doesn’t by trial and error.

Greeting advice if the answering service is only answering during business hours

If your answering service will be handling calls explicitly during business hours, I tell customers to include that information in their upfront greeting. That way, your callers will know they are not reaching your actual business directly, and their expectations won’t be as high, plus the calls will be handled faster. Below are some examples of greetings you can implement:

Automated greeting samples: The two examples below are great because not only do they let the caller know they’ve reached the right place, but they also encourage them to stay on the line instead of hanging up and trying to call back later.

• Thank you for calling Cool Air HVAC. If you are getting this message, it means that all of our agents are currently on the line. Please wait and an operator will be with  you momentarily.
• Thank you for calling, you’ve reached the overflow line for Smooth Sailing Caribbean Vacations. Please wait for the next available representative.

Live greeting samples: Having your operators say they are with the answering service or having them ask a driving question up front is a good way to discourage callers from asking questions that the operators may not be able to answer, but that the customer may expect if calling during business hours. And, it helps keep the call moving in one direction saving you money!

• Hello and thanks for calling Cool Air HVAC. The office is currently busy, so you’ve reached the answering service. How may I help you today?
• Greetings from the Caribbean! Would you like to book your next vacation today?

Kevin Kozeniewski, Sales Manager

Tips if you have multiple reasons why someone may be calling

If you’ll be using your answering service to handle all inbound traffic, that’s going to result in different call scenarios. Why not add an automatic greeting that allows callers to select which option they are calling for? For example, if they’re calling for sales, they can press 1. If they’re calling with a billing issue, they can press 2. IVRs are a great way to help streamline calls without eating up live operator talk time. Below are some examples of IVRs you can implement in your own office:

Automated greeting samples: I like to encourage customers to use IVRs when they have multiple departments or call scenarios that may come up. The IVR allows the caller to choose their own path, and decreases the risk of human error as the operators may accidentally transfer to the wrong person or department.

• Thank you for calling Bright Smiles Dental. If you’re calling to schedule, cancel or reschedule an appointment, press 1. If you’re calling for our billing department, press 2. If you’re calling for the doctor, please press 3. For all other inquiries, please press 4.
• Thank you for calling Jefferson Automotive. If you’re calling for parts, please press 1. If you’re calling for service, please press 2. If you’re calling to schedule a showing, please press 3.

Live greeting samples: Unless your answering service script is super simple, adding a screening question in the live greeting is a great way to steer the call and helps keep the operator in control of the interaction. And if you have many reasons why someone may be calling, having your #1 reason stated in the greeting, like ‘are you calling to schedule an appointment’, will lessen the operator decision making process and eliminate most human errors.

• Hello and thank you for calling Bright Smiles Dental. Are you calling to schedule an appointment?
• Jefferson Automotive, this is [OpName]. Are you calling for sales or service?

Courtney Pizzi, Customer Service Representative

Greeting tips if the answering service is handling calls 24/7

If your answering service will be answering and handling calls 24/7, you’ll want your greeting to be on the generic side so that it can account for all types of calls, no matter when they come in. Below are some examples of generic greetings that can be used any time, either with your answering service or in your own office:

Automated greeting samples: When setting up new accounts, I often recommend either of the below examples because it allows our customers to have a lot of freedom with using the service. When you keep your greeting simple, you don’t have to worry about changing it for specific occasions as it can be used for basically any situation, at any time. Keeping things vague is great for around the clock outsourcing.

• Thank you for calling Amazing Grace Hospice, we’ll be with you in a moment.
• Thank you for calling Elevated Elevators. All of our agents are currently on the line, but we will be with you shortly.

Live greeting samples: The two greeting examples below are great for simple accounts that don’t have a specific time frame of using the service. The greetings are generic, and typically what you’d hear on any given day when calling a business.

• Hello and thanks for calling, my name is [OpName]. How may I help you today?
• Elevated Elevators, how may I help you?

Matt Baker, Sales Representative

Greeting advice if the answering service is only handling after hours calls

If your answering service is only handling calls after hours, it’s a good idea to announce that in your greeting so callers are aware. Below are a few examples of greetings you could implement, depending on how you wish to use your after hours service:

Automated greeting samples: For clients who are specifically using our service after hours, I always advise they include that information in their recorded greeting. That way their callers will know that the office is closed before reaching anyone, which helps weed out non-urgent calls and helps keep their monthly invoices low!

• Thank you for calling ABC Plumbing. You’ve reached us after hours. If this is an emergency, please stay on the line to be connected to one of our operators. If it is not an emergency, please call back during normal business hours. Thank you.
• Thank you for calling. You’ve reached the after hours answering service for Johnson Pediatrics. Please remain on the line and someone will be with you in a moment.

Live greeting samples: For customers who may not want a recorded greeting, or for those customers who just want to make it extra clear for their callers that they’re reaching the office after hours, it never hurts to use one of the below examples so callers don’t expect an immediate call back.

• Thanks for calling ABC Plumbing. The office is currently closed for the day, but I would be happy to assist you. How may I help you?
• Hello and thank you for calling Johnson Pediatrics. Are you having an emergency?

Barb Albert, Customer Support Manager

The post 4 Tips For The Best Answering Service Greetings appeared first on Specialty Answering Service.

We’re so thankful for receptionists and everything they do for businesses. After all, it’s what our company is built on! We see firsthand, everyday, how much power our virtual receptionists have to make a business successful. So, in honor of National Receptionists Day, we asked 5 of our own amazing virtual receptionists to share their insights and offer advice to help other receptionists perform to the highest standard every day.

What is the biggest challenge you face as a receptionist? How do you overcome it?

• Diane Carpella: The biggest challenge that I encounter is that almost every call I take is so different. Although most calls go according to script, some take a different direction and force me to think on my feet. In these cases, I’m always thinking about how to be helpful to the caller and also keep the client happy.
• Lydia Ginsberg: Keeping the right attitude is difficult because so many calls have such a different feel. One moment I am speaking to someone who is going through something very exciting and the next I may be speaking to someone who is calling because they don’t have any heat in their home. Listening and empathy are key in these situations.
• Natalya Anderson: People can be so rude sometimes. I need to constantly remind myself not to take things personally. It’s helpful that part of my bonus is tied to me being polite under any circumstances. It’s also helpful knowing that all of my calls are recorded. I know that I can’t lose my cool, no matter how rude the caller on the other line is.
• Felicia Jordan: I don’t feel people really talk as much anymore. With texting and Facebook, a lot of people are rarely on the phone unless they have to be, and sometimes don’t even know really how to talk. It’s frustrating to have to keep bringing the conversation back into something concise which allows me to do my job.
• Talia Malone: Wearing so many different hats is not always easy. One call I am answering for a tow truck company, the next a funeral home, the next a doctor, and then a restaurant. I’m fortunate to have all of the instructions laid out nicely for me, but it’s still a challenge to be so many different receptionists.

What do you feel is the most important part of your job?

• Diane Carpella: Consistency. I feel a caller should get the same high level of service, no matter when they call. No matter the circumstances, no matter what I am dealing with, I need to deliver a level of service that our clients have grown to expect.
• Lydia Ginsberg: Smiling. In training, we were taught to smile. That the callers actually hear this through the phone line. I remember thinking that was silly, but it turns out to be true. If I am smiling it comes through and rubs off a little on the caller.
• Natalya Anderson: I think the fact that I am the voice of the company I’m answering for is so very important. Many people who call a company for the first time actually end up reaching an answering service. It is vital for me to make a good first impression.
• Felicia Jordan: For me, efficiency is the most important part of what I do. The most successful phone calls I’m consistently evaluated highly on on are the ones that are the most concise. When engaging in a shorter call, less can go wrong and the client isn’t paying for wasted agent time.
• Talia Malone: Manners, like saying “please” and “thank you”, are the most important for me. It makes me feel good to make someone else feel good just by being polite. Plus, manners are a way to show the caller that they are important to you. It works the same with co-workers.

What advice do you have for receptionists today?

• Diane Carpella: Practice empathy. You don’t know what the caller is dealing with on their side. Think beyond the way that they are treating you on the phone call. They may be going through something very difficult in their life. This isn’t about you. It’s about the caller.
• Lydia Ginsberg: Take pride in your job. What you are doing is very important. You’re not a key member of just your company, you’re a key member to the thousands of small businesses that you answer for. Too many operators just look at the task and not the bigger picture.
• Natalya Anderson: I guess to always be learning. There are so many resources out there, articles, videos, tutorials, that can help you do your job better. Use them. I know I do! By taking your job seriously enough to try to learn about it, makes you a better agent. The better an agent you are, the more likely you are to succeed.
• Felicia Jordan: What works for me is showing up early, staying late, not gossiping, and not complaining. My mother gave me that advice, and it works. It’s amazing how you stand out in this day and age by flying under the radar.
• Talia Malone: I would say to treat every caller like you want to be treated. Kindness really does spread. If you treat someone well, you will be treated well in return. It doesn’t always seem to work out that way when you are on the receiving end of an irate caller, but it always comes back to you.

So on Friday, May 10th, in honor of National Receptionist Day, recognize everything your receptionists do to help your business grow!

The post 5 Receptionists Offer Their Best Advice in Honor of National Receptionists Day appeared first on Specialty Answering Service.

So, what are the criteria for determining if an answering service is the best? If it’s expensive, is it worth it? If there are no reviews, can you trust it? If the service is all sunshine and lollipops for  one small business, will it be the best choice for yours? There are so many questions to ask, but still no one to guide you in the right direction – until now. So, how do you find the crème de la crème, the Cadillac of all call handling, the best of the best of all answering services? Read on to find out.

#1. Proficient & Happy Operators

Yes, a good answering service is more than just good operators. However, without good operators you don’t really have a good answering service, so it’s important that the service excels in keeping it’s most important asset, the operators, happy. If a company doesn’t adequately train their operators, then you can assume they don’t really care about quality. Not only should agents go through on-boarding and ongoing training courses, they should also be well taken care of. This means that they should be paid sufficiently, their issues or concerns should be heard, and they should love their job.

Being an operator is a super tough gig. Imagine taking a call and passing along a simple message (like first name, last name, and email), then on the next call you’re navigating someone’s calendar you’ve never seen before to try and schedule an appointment.  Because of unnatural gear shifting like this, the industry as a whole usually has a pretty poor attrition rate, or staff turnover rate. However, if a company takes the time to make sure their operators are happy and heard, then the agents are less likely to leave. When they are less likely to leave, the company isn’t wasting resources training new people, which means less errors. And, the longer an employee works at a company, the better they get at their job.  Essentially, happy operators = happy callers, happy callers = happy customers, and happy customers = a booming business.

We recommend asking about the attrition rate with any answering service you consider hiring. Need a jumping off point? The turnover rate, on average, for all businesses in the United States is around 15%. By comparison, the average attrition rate for an answering service / call center industry business is over 30%, almost double the national average, with rates reported up to 50%. When shopping around, you’ll want to make sure you’re contracting with an answering service that is below or around the 30% range.

Pro tip: Agents who are knowledgeable about the industries they answer for are more likely to capture leads as opposed to agents who are unfamiliar with the subject. So, it’s a good idea to place test calls to not only hear how they sound, but to see what they know about the topic. However, keep in mind that operators should not be giving advice in any field (medical, legal, etc.)

#2. Flexible Pricing

The best answering service doesn’t mean it’s going to be the cheapest or the most expensive, but it will have a variety of pricing options available to suit how you plan on using it. Usually, services will bill either by the minute or by the call, with some services offering both pay by the call and pay by the minute pricing models. A service that charges a flat rate or one that only has a few plans is probably not going to be super cost effective, as your usage most likely won’t fall into the plan allotment. No two businesses are alike, and a great answering service will understand that and model their pricing packages accordingly.

You also need to consider that your usage every month will probably differ, so the plan you are on in one month may not be suitable in other months. For example, landscaping companies may have high usage during the spring and summer months, but may have low usage during the fall and winter months. So, as your usage fluctuates, your answering service should fluctuate with you.

In addition, the best answering service is going to want to help you save money, not force you to spend more on minutes or calls you won’t use. Answering services that allow your unused minutes or calls to roll over into the next month, or services that allow you to upgrade (or downgrade) anytime to a plan that will better fit your needs are the services you should be looking for. Some services will make you choose a plan and stick with it via a yearly contract, whereas others will allow you to change plans as your volume changes. Essentially, billing should be transparent, flexible, and easy to understand.

#3. 24/7 Availability

Being the best means being available around the clock. When shopping around for a new service, you’ll want to check their availability. Do they only handle calls during business hours or are they available 24/7? You’ll also want to make sure that if they can handle calls 24/7, you’re not being charged extra. Some services will be available to answer your calls on weekends or holidays, but may charge you an extra fee, whereas others will not charge you.

In addition to making sure your calls are covered 24/7, you’ll want to check their customer support availability as well. If your answering service only provides support Monday through Friday, but you have an urgent issue over the weekend, how are you to get help? Will they reply via email or do you need to wait until Monday? Do they offer self help tools for you to make adjustments and remedy the issue on your own? Is there a helpdesk for you to reference in a pinch?

#4. A Variety of Features

Sure, you want your answering service to answer calls, but is that it? The best answering service is going to do a lot more than just answer your phones, way more:

• Outbound Calling: Answering services answer calls. But did you know they can do outbound calling as well? I know what you’re thinking – “Why would I need outbound calling if I’m not a telemarketer?” Well, telemarketers aren’t the only businesses that make outbound phone calls on the regular. For example, medical offices make outbound calls every day to remind patients of upcoming appointments, and property management and/or real estate companies make outbound phone calls to people who have expressed interest in buying, selling, or renting a home. Even HVAC companies make outbound calls to remind people of upcoming seasonal cleanings or expiring service contracts. So, if you have leads to call or customers to remind, then outbound calling may be a beneficial feature to use with your answering service!
• Appointment Setting: If you’re too busy to schedule appointments yourself, have your answering service do it for you. Many answering services can schedule appointments, but the best answering service will give you different scheduling options. For example, SAS can schedule appointments on your website, on our own scheduling software, or on a web based application like Google Calendar. Other services may even be able to log right into your scheduling software to set appointments, but there are some security risks involved if you decide to go that route.
• Online Portal/Mobile App: The best answering service will also give you access to some sort of online portal and/or mobile app that has all of your account data (including messages) stored in one place. Transparency rocks, and you should have on-demand access to your own data. The portal should be user friendly and easy to navigate, in addition to having multiple features within. For example, Specialty Answering Service’s portal allows you to download various reports, update call handling, listen to and download calls, rate operators, configure various apps, and update where your messages are sent, plus so much more.
• Emergency On-Call Dispatching: Many businesses use answering services to help field urgent calls after hours, so the best answering service will offer emergency on-call dispatching at no extra cost. What makes the service even better is if they allow you to update the schedule at a moment’s notice via an online portal or a mobile app. That way, you don’t have to waste time reaching out to the service when you can just update it yourself, especially if you’re in a time crunch.
• Customizable Call Handling: Being able to customize your call handling is super important. After all, no two businesses are the same, so a service shouldn’t limit you on what you can include. Of course, the service is going to know what works best for their agents, but a great service will work with you to make sure that they’re gathering all the necessary information in a way that will work for both you, the customer, and the agents handling the calls.
• IVR & Voicemail Options: An easy and efficient way to streamline calls is to add an IVR option to your line (e.g., press 1 for sales, press 2 for support). A bad service won’t want you to route calls to automation since they make their money from the time you spend talking to operators, but a good service will offer this option. This will allow callers to press the corresponding option to get them connected to the appropriate department or go direct to voicemail. With answering services, you can either have those options re-directed to departments within your own office, or you can set up multiple lines with your answering service to help keep calls organized. With respect to voicemail, you are usually able to set up a voicemail service where recordings can be emailed to you. While voicemail isn’t the most effective method of interacting with your customers, it’s always a good option to have if all else fails, and it will cut down on your live operator talk time, which is always a good thing for the budget friendly small business.
• App/CRM Integration: Apps are cool, and an answering service that offers app integrations is also cool by default. Many companies utilize customer relationship management (CRM) software to help keep track of and organize all of their client data. So, having an answering service that can help increase productivity by pushing caller information through to your CRM is a total bonus. Some services may only offer a few integrations, whereas others may have a whole list of apps that they can integrate with.
• Order Processing: An answering service that can process orders is a godsend for any eCommerce business. Customers usually go online to place orders themselves, but some people may need a bit more help, which is where an answering service comes into play. The best answering service is going to have agents who are able to go out to various websites and place orders in a timely fashion.
• PCI Compliance: If your service is processing orders and taking credit cards, you’re going to want to make sure they are PCI compliant. PCI (Payment Card Industry) compliance means that ANY company who is processing or accepting payments has to maintain a secure environment. The agents handling the calls should be in a paperless environment, so they are not able to write down any information. In addition, if your service records calls, they should turn off recordings during the portion of the call where the credit card information is being provided.
• Bilingual Agents: Just because an answering service doesn’t offer bilingual agents, doesn’t mean they stink. However, offering bilingual support is a huge come up and can set one service apart from others. If your company gets a lot of calls from Spanish speaking callers, you’ll definitely want to invest in a service that offers this feature.
• Dedicated Agents: A dedicated agent is an agent that is assigned to handle your calls specifically, and is a great feature for companies who need extra attention for their callers. Not every answering service will offer a dedicated agent program, and the pricing structure may vary from service to service. However, it does usually cost less to hire a dedicated agent then it would to hire another employee to work in house, especially since you don’t have to pay for any benefits.
• HIPAA HITECH Compliance: If you’re a medical practice, then using a service that is HIPAA HITECH compliant is crucial. After all, the receptionists will have access to private health information (PHI). Answering services that are HIPAA compliant will not send any patient information via electronic means (this means no texting or emailing you your messages). However, they can still fax them. The best answering service will store all of your messages in a secure online portal, and just send you an email or a text alerting you of a new message when one comes in. If you can, you should also see if you can enter into a Business Associates Agreement to ensure all of your patient information stays protected.

#5. Good Reputation

To put it simply, the best answering services will have great reputations. Checking reviews online can be a helpful insight into how a company operates and treats their customers. Of course not all reviews are 100% accurate, but they’re a good indicator of how a business is performing. For example, if all of the reviews for a company are negative, you can presume that the company itself isn’t doing too hot. On the other hand, if you’re looking at reviews for a company and they’re all 5 stars, you may want to question that as well.

No company is perfect, so if they only have raving reviews, they may be fudging their scores a bit. Some companies could have poor reviews removed, or they could have their own employees leave fake reviews. While this doesn’t happen often, it does happen. The best answering service will have a mix of good reviews, with some less than perfect scores strewn about. After all, you can’t keep everyone happy! If they do have poor reviews, it’s also a great opportunity to see how the company responds to those customers. Do they blow them off or are they willing to work with them to try and address their concerns?

#6. Minimal Hold Times

While no answering service can guarantee there will never be hold times, the best answering service will make it a priority to have the lowest holds possible. Lower holds for you mean more agents in the answering service sitting idle. While this isn’t good for profits, it’s great for customer happiness. Queue times can be avoided by monitoring past trends and staffing up accordingly during peak times, hiring more agents, changing distributions (e.g., simple accounts can be directed to a larger operator pool whereas more complicated accounts can be directed to a smaller group of agents) and asking customers to alert the service prior to sending over large call volumes, if possible.

Some level hold times are inevitable, so you’ll want to make sure that your answering service is not trying to mask hold times or deflect questions. Make sure the service is willing to produce a hold report for whatever period you need data on. Where the answering service industry average for hold times is about 72%, you’ll want to make sure the report reflects that hold times are above 80% on average.

Great answering services will also allow you to add some sort of custom automated greeting to your line that lets callers know they’ve reached the correct place and that someone will be with them shortly. If there are holds, having this automated greeting increases the chance that the caller will stay on the line instead of disconnecting.

#7. Amazing Customer Support

Customer support is the backbone of every company.  They are on the front lines of your business and are the mediators for your customers. The best answering service will put time and effort into making sure that their support team is top notch, otherwise what’s the point? Live answering services are powered by live people, and the living will make the occasional mistake – so a support team needs to be there and armed with recommendations and knowledge to remedy the situation.

Even if you have a great service, if your customers can’t get the support they need in a timely or efficient fashion, they aren’t going to stick around for long. Sometimes, a great customer support team is what keeps a customer around even if the service or product itself is error prone. Some things to look for in a good customer support team are:

1. Friendly, helpful team members.
2. Team members who are proficient and knowledgeable in what they are doing.
3. A support team that is easily accessible, meaning there are various channels to contact them on (phone, email, live chat, social media, etc.)
4. Quick response times.
5. An eagerness to resolve issues in a timely manner. We like to call this “one phone call resolution.”

#8. Efficient Script Development

Similar to great customer support, the best answering services are going to get you started off on the right foot, or the right voice! An intake specialist, or often a sales representative, is going to take the time and carefully discuss your businesses needs and goals before the account is programmed, and before the receptionists answer their first call on your behalf. The intake specialists’ goal is to make sure that the account is set up how you envisioned. A good intake team will take extra time to work with you to refine your call handling, while a poor intake team will rush through the process. This could result in errors, unhappy customers, and an eventual loss of business. A good intake team will ask you questions like:

1. What type of calls will we be answering for? (emergencies, appointments, orders, etc.)
2. How do you want calls handled during business hours as opposed to after hours?
3. Are calls being transferred or is the service just sending messages via email/text?
4. If callers ask for you, what would you like us to tell them?
5. Should we say we are the answering service or would you like us to act like the receptionist?
6. Should we screen callers depending on if they are a new or existing customer?
7. What types of automation tools do you use, like CRM software of lead management software?

#9. Free Trial

Last, but not least, if a company is confident with their product or service, they’re going to let you try it for free. Trial periods could last anywhere from 1 week all the way to a month, but usually fall somewhere in the middle. The best answering service will work with you diligently during this time frame so that they can iron out any kinks you may come across. Of course they’re going to want you to eventually sign up for service, but what they want more than that is for you to be happy. Happy customers leave positive reviews, and recommend your service to others. So, one happy customer could really lead to 10 more.

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#1: Lead the way with a custom greeting!

Do you have a business name that’s a little difficult to pronounce? Maybe it’s so complicated, even you get tongue-tied trying to say it. If that rings true, then place the company name in a recorded opening greeting instead of having the operators say it. Even better, have the greeting professionally recorded to really wow your callers.

• A recorded greeting means customers will immediately know that they’ve reached your office, and your business name will sound the same on every call.
• Customize your recording with an advertisement, a professional tone, something a little more upbeat, or even an English accent!

#2: We’re at your “answering service.”

When callers think we are your receptionist, they may expect the operators to have a certain understanding of your products, services, policies and procedures. There are always a few basic FAQs listed in your account to help the operators, but allowing us to represent you as an answering service is the ideal situation for both operators and callers alike.

• Letting callers know they’ve reached the service sets the tone for a more relaxed call flow and will help disengage callers who normally push for answers.
• Your customers may not receive the immediate answers they’ve requested, but they’ll have peace of mind knowing that their message will reach the correct person or department.

#3: Keep your FAQs short and sweet.

Frequently Asked Questions can empower operators and help move calls along. You may be thinking, the more FAQs the operators have, the better they’ll be able to answer customer questions, right? Wrong. Having the operators field a bunch of questions may sound like a great idea, but the more questions they have to weed through, the longer calls will take, and the more likely customers will become frustrated.

• Some things are better off explained by you and your staff, and it’s really is okay to let callers know that the appropriate party will get back to them.
• Make your FAQs as clear and concise as possible. When operators can confidently assist your callers, they’ll feel more at ease answering your calls.

#4: The best calls begin with the right questions.

There is usually a primary reason why your customers need to reach you. With that idea in mind, updating your live greeting to triage callers’ requests will steer the call in the right direction from the get-go. For example, an after-hours HVAC contractor may want the operator to say, “Are you calling for emergency service?” Similarly, a medical practice might open with, “Are you calling to schedule an appointment?”

• The more efficiently we can approach your calls, the smoother the operators can transition through your script.
• The end result is less overall usage, lower monthly bills, and an increased number of satisfied customers!

#5: Just the basics, please.

Keep your script simple. If you are utilizing an answering service to screen callers and determine which leads to call back, then stick to the basics you’ll need to get the conversation going. While asking everything from blood type to favorite pasta may seem like a good idea in theory, it’s really not. More questions mean more time spent on each call, which means a higher bill.

• If your answering service is asking for an abundance of information, callers may assume that the operators have in-depth knowledge of your products and services.
• It’s a good idea to whittle your call script down to the key questions you’d like us to ask. We’ll collect your basic requirements and leave the heavy lifting to your experts.

Keeping your protocols simple and taking advantage of recorded greetings and voice talent are some of the ways your company can improve it’s outsourcing and help create the best answering service for your callers. Specialty Answering Service offers a treasure trove of experience and can give you the best suggestions to make sure we’re creating the best experience – it’s simply a matter of letting us guide you to creating an experience that will dazzle, instead of deflate.

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We’ve designed a rating system accessible in your SAS portal to be so simple it only takes a few seconds to start evaluating our operators. Your input helps us shape the way the call center agents approach each call, and the more we know about their performance, the better training we can provide. That means enhanced call handling overall, and happier customers for your business!

Here’s how to access the operator rating system:

1. From the portal home page, click on the Details icon for the call you’d like to rate.
2. In the upper right corner of the Call Details page, you’ll see the picture or ID number of the operator who took your call. There, you can click on your star rating – choose from a 5-Star “best answering service experience ever”, down to a 1-Star “not so hot” interaction. To really help us understand how to answer calls for your brand, you and even add a message with specific notes about the interaction between our agent and your caller. The more information we have the better!
3. Now just click the Rate button, and you’re done! The information you submit about our agents is confidential, so no worries there. It’s also invaluable to helping shape your answering service experience.

Pro Tip: You can also evaluate telephone calls from the main page of your portal. Just click on the speaker icon and rate the operator while you’re listening to the call.

So the next time you listen to a call, take a few seconds to give our call center agents feedback on how we can improve your calls. Help us help you! At SAS, providing you with the very best customer service experience is our top priority.

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