1. How established are the businesses that use answering services:

• 1 to 6 months: 5%
• 7 months to a year: 4%
• 1 year and 2 years: 6%
• Between 2 years and 5 years: 22%
• Over 5 years: 63%

As anyone who runs a business knows, the early stages are the most important, as they set the defining course of your company. According to Small Business Administration data, 30% of businesses fail within their first 2 years, and only 50% make it past 5 years. As you can see from our data, most of our clients’ businesses are over 5 years old. However, many of them are still in the start-up age and rely on our services to help make sure they are on the succeeding end of the spectrum, and not the failing end.

While many start ups need to stick to a tight budget, answering services often wind up paying for themselves in the long run, which is why outsourcing is such a great investment. Small businesses who aren’t able to hire enough staff to be able to answer every phone call or complete tasks in a timely manner look to their answering service to help answer calls 24/7, answer questions, schedule appointments and essentially just give callers a live voice to talk to no matter when they call. As a small business who may be struggling to capture and convert new leads, you can’t afford to miss a single business opportunity.

2. What is the typical number of employees small businesses have that use answering services:

• 1 employee: 18%
• 2-10 employees: 55%
• 11-20 employees: 16%
• 21-50 employees: 6%
• Over 50 employees: 5%

One of the most common reasons why small businesses reach out to us is because they don’t have enough staff, which is causing them to miss important calls, lose customers, and fall behind on daily tasks. When small businesses starting outsourcing to an answering service, they become aware of just how many calls they’ve been missing once they actually stop missing them.

Since 7 out of 10 callers will hang up if they reach voicemail and move on to the next option, many small businesses don’t even have a clear understanding of how much business they’re losing until an answering service starts picking up their calls and getting those would-be lost leads circulating in the sales funnel.

3. What are small businesses are looking for in a telephone answering service:

• A personal 24-hour receptionist: 26%
• Responsive customer service: 31%
• Accurate emergency dispatching: 13%
• Efficient lead capture: 10%
• Live operator coverage during my vacation: 8%
• To see how many calls I was missing: 5%
• Other: 7%

Generally speaking, the number 1 feature small businesses look for when outsourcing is an answering service that can provide a 24/7 personal receptionist experience. Many small businesses want to be available to their customers around the clock, but don’t necessarily have the resources or financial stability to be able to pull it off.

However, when they start outsourcing to an answering service that is both available 24/7 and affordable, they are able to maximize their communication channels, increase staff productivity, offer exceptional customer support, and ultimately allow their brand to thrive.

The post 17 Statistics About Small Businesses That Use Answering Services appeared first on Specialty Answering Service.

Some people believe that message service or messaging service refers to an outdated concept of a switchboard born in the early days of telephony in the 1960’s and 1970’s, with the focus on transferring calls and nothing else. Others may argue the term answering service was minted to show the evolution from strictly transferring calls to transferring calls with the added abilities of message taking and dispatch. And still others believe that virtual receptionist is the union of call transferring, message taking, and traditionally receptionist type tasks like appointment scheduling and information relay (think of the interaction you’d have with a receptionist when you call your doctor’s office).

As a company fully staffed with all variety of telecommunication nerds, we’ve heard just about every term thrown out during tense discussions about message service, answering service, and virtual receptionist service like automated answering, 24 hour availability, order taking, live operator, 800 number, oncall management, remote support, blah blah blah. We’d be here forever listing all the industry jargon.

We’re outsourcing peacemakers, and to all of this we say “What’s in a name!” What does it matter what you call your outsourced receptionist provider? After all, there are thousands of answering service companies in the world, and each generally does the same thing and has the same capabilities. Many messaging services will focus on transferring calls, but will have the capability of building an on-call dispatch or adding front end automation to your live operator line. Answering services may showcase their ability to take messages and transfer calls, but they will also have the ability to answer FAQs, script out detailed call center type interactions, and integrate with the support software you’re already using depending on the provider. Virtual receptionist providers too may be able to provide everything a messaging service or answering service can provide.

Whatever these outsourcing providers prefer to label themselves as, they will all offer a ton of great communication solutions to help your small business meet the needs of your customers. Whether it’s help closing sales, or assistance meeting customer needs in a support capacity, the goals of outsourcing providers are the same:

• Make sure your inbound communication channels are available to your customers 24 hours a day: In an ideal world, customers would only call your business during the normal hours of operation. Unfortunately, that’s not our world. Customers will contact your business at any time, day or night, weekday or weekend, holiday or not, and expect to be helped. And what can you do? You can be there for them. While you probably can’t be available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, an answering service can, and they can do more than just answer your calls. By outsourcing your live chat and email response to the service, your customers can be helped 24/7 through whichever channel is most convenient for them.
• Make it easy for your customers to talk to someone at your business: Making your customers fight their way through an automated maze is almost as bad as not being there for them at all. While automated support does come in handy, most people prefer to speak to a live voice when they call, and not your machine. Using an answering service means laying off your answering machine as your go-to customer service representative.
• Filter out calls that don’t need immediate attention: Customers will call for just about anything. And most of the time, their requests do not need immediate attention. For the calls that are not urgent, having your answering service or virtual receptionist screen and filter through them allows your in-house staff to prioritize their workload accordingly. Additionally, allowing your service to answer basic questions can help reduce the number of calls your staff have to return. When your employees are able to focus on the more pressing issues, they can address them quickly and efficiently, and continue providing the same level of service that your customers are used to.
• Ensure that new customers won’t look elsewhere, and current customers are happy: When potential customers have a hard time reaching a business, there’s not much holding them back from simply moving on to the next available option. In fact, 7 out of 10 callers will hang up if they reach voicemail. That means you have a 70% chance of missing out on new business by having your voicemail field your calls, which is not good for any company. While on-boarding new customers is important for any growing business, keeping your current customers happy is just as important. If your customers are having issues and jumping through hoops to talk to someone, they’re not going to be your customers for long. Answering services can not only help get more leads in your pipeline, but they can work to keep your current customers happy, too.
• Reduce your small business expenses: Running a business is expensive, especially if you’re just starting out. Instead of spending money to hire more staff in-house, hire a receptionist service for a fraction of the price. With a virtual receptionist, you don’t have to worry about adding another employee to the payroll, paying for overtime, benefits, bonuses, or insurance. And, answering services usually offer multiple pricing plans that can typically scale up or down with your business. So, you can increase plans during your busy season to ensure you have coverage, and then decrease back down to a lower plan during your off season.
• Keep your employees happier: Employees that feel like they’re drowning at work won’t be happy, won’t be working for you much longer, or both. An easy way to alleviate some of the pressure is by outsourcing simple tasks to your virtual receptionist. For example, while your in-house receptionists are busy checking clients in and getting them settled, your answering service can handle inbound traffic, and schedule appointments. Another great way to take some of the heat off your staff is by having your service take care of data entry. Some answering services can integrate with software you’re already using, which means the information they gather from your callers can automatically create or update your CRM or start tickets in your help desk. The less work  your employees have to do, the happier and more refreshed they will be when handling the more important tasks like closing deals and meeting with VIP customers.
• Unify business communication and ensure efficiency: Outsourcing companies can help you streamline communications by offering a single point of entry for contacting you. You want to make it as easy as possible for customers to contact you, and if you have separate numbers for sales, billing, and customer service, it can get confusing. With a single number setup, an outsourcing provider can take those calls and route them internally either with an IVR or live receptionist to make sure customers are getting transferred to the right department.
• Help your organization understand and analyze the types of calls they receive: Outsourcing gives you insight into the types of calls your business is receiving, which helps you better identify weaknesses in your organization. With all calls coming in through a single funnel and labeled properly, you’ll easily be able to identify trends, which you can use to modify processes, adjust articles in your knowledge base, or change your trajectory with some of your business processes. For example, if your answering service reports show an increase in calls about your pricing after you made a change in the formatting of your invoices, you’ll know pretty quick that the new invoice format isn’t resonating well and needs to be adjusted to reduce calls.

So we say, stop arguing about what to call outsourcing companies. It doesn’t matter what you refer to them as, as long as you consider how any one of these can positively impact both your business and your bottom line.

The post Answering Service vs. Message Service: What’s In a Name? appeared first on Specialty Answering Service.

If you’re an answering service newbie, navigating the outsourcing landscape can be confusing at best, so don’t venture into the jungle alone. To get you started on your journey, we’ve posted 76 examples of scripts from a variety of industries so you can get a taste of what an answering service is capable of accomplishing. Within the industry specific scripts below you’ll find:

• Samples of warm transfer scripts
• Scripts for transferring calls
• Welcome message or greeting scripts
• Scripts for customer service
• After hours scripts

#1. Accounting/Tax Services & Consulting

In the Accounting industry, businesses could include tax preparation companies, investment firms, and funding services. Below are 3 of our script examples from various financial companies.

• Mortgage Consultants
• Financial Services
• Tax Relief

#2. Advertising/Media & Entertainment

In the Advertising and Entertainment industries, businesses could include DJ’s, party planners, magazines, marketing firms, broadcasters and event venues. Below are 3 of our script examples from various advertising and entertainment companies.

• Product Design
• Mobile Media Marketing
• Newspaper Company

#3. Auto

In the Auto industry, businesses could include auto and RV rentals, tire supply shops, and auto parts dealers. Below are 3 of our script examples from various auto companies.

• Auto Detailing
• Auto Service
• Auto Dealership

#4. Banking & Insurance

In the Banking and Insurance industries, businesses could include student loan consolidation, financial advisers, and credit unions. Below are 3 of our script examples from various banking and insurance companies.

• Credit Services
• Investment
• Insurance

#5. Cleaning/Janitorial

In the Cleaning and Janitorial industry, businesses could include dry cleaning, junk removal and commercial cleaning services. Below are 3 of our script examples from various cleaning companies.

• Maid Services
• Window Cleaning
• Carpet Cleaning

#6. Computer Service & Software

• Computer Security Services
• IT Services
• Software Company

#7. Construction & Restoration

In the Construction and Restoration industries, businesses could include flooring specialists, general contractors, pavement companies and mold removal. Below are 4 of our script examples from various construction companies.

• Roofing
• Home Improvement
• Restoration
• Painting

#8. Crisis Center

In the Crisis industry, businesses could include outreach services, rehab centers, whistleblower hotlines and sexual abuse hotlines. Below are 3 of our script examples from various crisis centers.

• Drug Addiction Hotline
• Gambling Addiction Hotline
• Domestic Abuse Hotline

#9. Education & Government

In the Education and Government industries, businesses could include colleges, school districts, translation services, government officials and training centers. Below are 3 of our script examples from various education and government services.

• Academic Tutoring
• Local Government Service
• Housing Authority

#10. Electrical & Utilities

In the Electrical and Utilities industries, businesses could include gas and water utilities, renewable energy providers, and electronic services. Below are 3 of our script examples from various electrical and utility companies.

• Electrician
• Solar Power Service
• Elevator Service

#11. Environmental

In the Environmental industry, businesses could include water sanitation and testing, trash and recycling plants, tree trimming and stump removal. Below are 3 of our script examples from various environmental companies.

• Fire Protection
• Landscaping
• Pest Control

#12. Equipment Rental & Service

• Trailer Rental
• Appliance Repair
• Construction Equipment Rental

#13. Food & Beverage

In the Food and Beverage industries, businesses could include vending machine suppliers, grocery stores, produce markets, and bars. Below are 3 of our script examples from various food and beverage companies.

• Catering
• Bakery
• Restaurant

#14. HVAC & Plumbing

• HVAC
• Plumbing
• Refrigeration

#15. Law Firm

In the Legal industry, businesses could include divorce lawyers, workman’s compensation lawyers, civil lawyers, and general practice lawyers. Below are 3 of our script examples from various legal firms.

• Personal Injury
• Criminal Defense
• Immigration

#16. Transportation

In the Transportation industry, businesses could include moving companies, car rentals, hauling services and animal transportation services. Below are 4 of our script examples from various transportation companies.

• Limousine
• Towing
• Taxi Services
• Medical Transportation

#17. Medical

In the  Medical industry, businesses could include pediatric offices, OBYGN and women’s health centers, physical therapy centers and hospitals. Below are 6 of our script examples from various medical services.

• Chiropractor
• Counseling
• Dental & Orthodontic
• Family Practice
• Home Health & Hospice
• Surgical Center

#18. Travel

In the  Travel industry, businesses could include convention centers, spas and resorts, and cruise planners. Below are 3 of our script examples from various travel services.

• Vacation Rentals
• Travel Agency
• Tour Booking

#19. Veterinary

In the  Veterinary industry, businesses could include specialized care like equine veterinarians, exotic animal veterinarians, zoologists and pet grooming. Below are 3 of our script examples from various veterinary services.

• Animal Hospital
• Mobile Veterinarian
• Pet Cremation

#20. Other

If we missed your industry in the list above, don’t worry – we have more! Below are an additional 14 industries that may be more specialized or may better fit under what you’re looking for.

• Church
• Funeral Home
• Locksmith
• Manufacturing & Engineering
• Non-Profit Fundraising
• Personal Training
• Photography Studio
• Property Management
• Real Estate
• Retail
• Salon & Spa Studio
• Security Services
• Telecommunications
• Web Design

The post 76 Examples of Answering Service Scripts appeared first on Specialty Answering Service.

#1. Answer phones

Can an answering service do it? Yes!

It’s no surprise that “answer phones” would be on the top of our list. Not only do businesses deal with ringing phones on the daily, but answering those phone calls is what answering services excel at! As long as your company has people calling, you need people answering. An answering service can help take some of the load off by answering calls that might otherwise reach a voicemail or sit on hold, and help convert them into more business.

#2. Transfer calls

Can an answering service do it? Yes!

In addition to answering calls, answering services can take messages or transfer calls as needed, just as your regular in-house receptionist would. Usually services will be able to set up specific protocols depending on the type of call which would help determine how that call is handled. For example, a call from a new client might result in a warm transfer to your sales team, whereas a call from an existing client might just result in a message.

#3. Make outbound calls

Can an answering service do it? Yes!

Making calls is just as important as taking calls, and answering services can help with this, too. Depending on the type of outbound calling you need, from telemarketing and market research to simple follow up calls and reminders, doing this in house may be cost prohibitive. However, answering services use smart call center technology like predictive dialing, which helps reduce time in between phone calls and increases agent productivity. So, having someone tasked with this will be worthwhile!

#4. Greet visitors

Can an answering service do it? No

Virtual receptionists are great at greeting people on the phone, but not so good at doing it in person. While a regular receptionist would be able to greet visitors all day long, virtual receptionists at an answering service would not be able to greet visitors who may come into your establishment. If your business has a lot of foot traffic,  you may want to keep an in-house receptionist on staff to make sure your customers are greeted with a friendly face each time they visit.

#5. Generate reports

Can an answering service do it? Maybe

Unless your answering service agents can access your internal system and are trained on how to generate specific reports, they most likely won’t be able to help you with this. However, many answering services offer dedicated agents that are specifically trained on your account and your account only. Taking advantage of a dedicated agent could be a more cost effective alternative than hiring more staff.

#6. File paperwork

Can an answering service do it? Maybe

Your answering service would not be able to file paperwork for you. However, if your business uses a CRM (customer relationship management) platform like Salesforce to manage customer data, an answering service could potentially update records through a simple integration each time they take a new call.

#7. Respond to emails

Can an answering service do it? Maybe

Depending on their capabilities, it’s possible that your answering service could help you respond to emails. Typically this would be done through the use of a dedicated agent service, where operators would be handling your account only, and would therefore be able to access your specific software and learn your protocols. Other services may be able to receive incoming emails and then dispatch calls accordingly based on the service request or need.

#8. Make sales

Can an answering service do it? Yes!

Hot tip – virtual receptionists can be a great addition to your sales team! Agents that are trained in sales are able to use up-sell and cross-sell techniques at the time of check out which will help drive up your numbers and save you some green in the office budget.

#9. Handle bookkeeping duties

Can an answering service do it? Maybe

Unless your answering service has access to your billing systems and are trained directly on your particular policies and procedures, then they probably won’t be able to help handle accounting duties like creating and processing invoices. However, they could help triage billing calls, create support tickets, process payments and transfer urgent calls on your behalf.

#10. Provide IT support

Can an answering service do it? Yes!

While an answering service won’t be able to fix computers or re-wire routers, they can definitely act as your tier 1 help desk on behalf of your IT team. By following a scripted workflow, they can troubleshoot basic issues and escalate any errors that are out of their realm of expertise. By having your answering service triage calls first, your IT team won’t be bogged down with calls that aren’t priority.

#11. Manage social media platforms

Can an answering service do it? Maybe

Keeping up with the latest trends on Twitter is not always as easy as it sounds, especially for busy employees. Unless you have a marketing or public relations team specifically designated to stay on top of your social media pages every day, it’s possible you could be missing out on what’s hot. In our current day in age where being present on social media is crucial for a business to prosper among their competition, an answering service with a dedicated team of agents designated to your account would be a great way to stay on top of your social platforms while keeping your employees focused on other tasks.

#12. Handle live chats

Can an answering service do it? Maybe

Many businesses have live chat as an additional channel to funnel customer support and sales requests. Through a dedicated agent service level, an answering service should be able to help you manage this channel as well. As long as they are able to work with the software you are already using and are trained on your specific procedures, outsourcing your live chat support to your answering service is another great way to alleviate the work load on your in-house staff and keep great customer service at the forefront of your operations.

#13. Schedule, cancel, and reschedule appointments

Can an answering service do it? Yes!

As long as you’re not scheduling with a desk calendar and with a pencil, answering services can usually help you schedule, reschedule and cancel appointments. Through web-based software like Google Calendar, answering services can usually integrate with systems you are already using to create a seamless transition. Some services may even offer advanced features like appointment confirmation emails, appointment reminders, and payment processing.

#14. Provide customer support

Can an answering service do it? Yes!

Answering services are great at providing additional customer support to your patrons, since they can usually be available 24/7. Whether you’re using your answering service during business hours alongside your own staff, after hours when you close up shop for the day or both, your virtual agents can help your callers by answering questions, dispatching urgent messages, scheduling appointments and creating support tickets around the clock. Do your customers a favor and ditch your voicemail and opt for live support instead!

#15. Meet with clients

Can an answering service do it? No

While an answering service can help get new customers through your doors, they won’t be able to meet with them personally.

#16. Process orders

Can an answering service do it? Maybe

As long as your answering service is PCI compliant and have the correct systems in place, then they would be able to help your business process orders. By implementing custom FAQs catered to your product catalog, they should also be able to answer questions to assist customers who may be on the fence about buying that new lawn mower.

#17. Water plants

Can an answering service do it? No

Taking care of the office foliage is always someone’s job, but unfortunately it’s one you won’t be able to pass off to your answering service. Unless your operators are located in the same building you are, Nancy from accounting is just going to have to suck it up and keep watering those plants!

#18. Perform HR duties

Can an answering service do it? Yes!

For anyone not familiar with office lingo, HR stands for Human Resources, which is the department that handles hiring, firing, and office complaints, among other tasks. While your answering service won’t be able to hire or fire anyone, they can certainly serve as various hotlines. For example, you could have one line designated as a whistleblower hotline and another line designated as an absence reporting line for employees to use when they need to call out for the day.

The post 18 Office Jobs That Could be Replaced With an Answering Service appeared first on Specialty Answering Service.

There are a number of reasons why call centers leave callers hanging. While they are not ideal, some can be prevented, and others are just par for the course when it comes to outsourced answering services. To help you have a full understanding of what’s going on behind the scenes, we’ve outlined 11 issues that contribute to longer-than-normal wait times.

#1. The service is understaffed.

If the service has recently lost staff, or if they haven’t been able to hire new agents because of rate of pay (which is notoriously low in the call center industry), then you’re looking at a staffing issue with no immediate resolution. It’s kind of hard to answer the phones promptly when there simply aren’t enough agents to manage call volume. However, it’s important to note that unless calls are coming in on a one-to-one ratio of calls to agents, there will more than likely be some hold time, even if it’s only a few seconds.

When you’re looking at things that are out of the call center’s control, such as illness or weather-related absences, those present their own challenges. If the issue is absence due to illness, shift supervisors may be able to call in staff to cover a few hours here and there. And if the issue is weather, this would be an ideal time to utilize any work-at-home staff that the center has on their payroll to improve the calls-to-agents ratio.

#2. There are unexpected spikes in call volume.

One of the greatest challenges that call centers face is unexpected spikes in call volume, which, by their very nature, cannot be predicted or prepared for. There are times of day where call volume is heaviest –usually from 7am to 10am or 2pm to 5pm – and staff is scheduled accordingly to accommodate that increased traffic. But when there is a sudden influx of calls, such as from a promotion that was not brought to the call center’s attention or a product recall, wait times will be longer than the norm. Because there’s no way to predict the duration of the call volume spike, it would not be advisable to call in staff members who are off. This will impact the center’s bottom line and may prove to be unnecessary by the time the staff arrives.

#3. There are expected spikes in call volume.

Even expected spikes in call volume can be a logistical nightmare. Here’s a for instance. Let’s say that a local retailer is running a radio promotion at 1am on a Sunday, and there is an average of 25,000 listeners during that hour. If the call center knows the date, time, and duration of the ad, they can staff suitably to minimize holds. But what if the number of listeners just happens to be double on that particular date? Not only is this unpredictable, but it is unmanageable. Unless management is psychic, there is no way to forecast or adjust for this type of overflow.

#4. The service inaccurately assessed trends forecasted from the previous year.

Speaking of forecasting, this is something that call centers do, year over year, to gauge the anticipated call volume on any given day. Trends are examined from the previous year, and staff is scheduled based on those numbers. But what if the center’s client roster has increased by 500 over the past year? If the increased call volume is not accounted for in the new forecast, the center may be grossly understaffed, and up goes the queue time. When such a situation is not immediately realized or addressed, it will certainly engender ire in callers and clients alike.

#5. It’s the middle of the night.

Call centers are constantly working to ensure that they have appropriate coverage for peak hours and throughout the day. Where this becomes difficult is in the overnight hours. Agents are generally required to be available for all shifts, depending on scheduling needs. However, as one might imagine, most aren’t chomping at the bit to come in for a 12am to 8am shift. This can result in call-outs that are hard to cover when you’re trying to get ahold of unscheduled staff at 12am. That isn’t the only issue, though.

While call trends are examined in advance for scheduling purposes, there is no good way to gauge how many people will be calling in at 3am. What it all adds up to, unfortunately, is extended wait times, for which there is no rapidly available solution. If it gets really bad, supervisors may have to pitch in and start taking calls.

#6. Some agents are slower than others, especially when they are in training.

As with any new employee starting any new position, training is a requisite part of the gig. Many people might be inclined to believe that answering phones is easy stuff. And in certain cases, that may be true. But when it comes to answering phones at a call center, agents are responsible for way more than simply picking up the phone. First off, there’s an entirely unfamiliar software system that they’ll need to learn. They’ll also receive training on:

• Navigating the different scripts that pop up with each inbound call
• Accessing FAQs
• Visiting external sites
• Handling irritated callers

As you might imagine, these things take time. That being said, there are bound to be minor hiccups when an agent is just starting out, and those hiccups will cause minor delays. The more delays you have in a row, the longer the hold times.

#7. Lines are tied up when both an agent and a supervisor are stuck on an escalation call.

As part of the training process, agents are walked through a number of scenarios, including those where calls must be escalated to a supervisor. More often than not, a skilled agent is able to talk a caller down from a heightened state and complete the call professionally while addressing the caller’s concerns. But there are times when even the best agents struggle and need a lifeline. That is where escalation calls come in. Without arguing, an agent will let the caller know that they will connect them with a supervisor to field their request.

Once the supervisor is on the line, they take over. Yet, that does not mean that the agent is free to take another call. It is the agent’s responsibility to remain on the line silently and listen as the call is brought to a resolution. Then, after the call closes, they have a quick recap with the supervisor about what happened and how to address such issues in the future. Depending on just how upset the caller is, you could wind up with both an agent and supervisor tied up for upwards of 15 to 20 minutes on one call. Naturally, the call queue suffers.

#8. Super lengthy or complex scripts are causing a backlog.

Some scripts are so long and complex that they extend calls based on everything that the agent has to accomplish from start to finish. Call center programmers do work with clients to build clear, concise scripts. However, depending on the industry or call type, that is not always possible. Agents typically receive specialized training on expediting calls when it comes to the most challenging scripts, but that won’t necessarily reduce call duration. If there aren’t many agents working a particular shift, and several calls come in on a tedious account, there is nothing for callers in queue to do but just wait it out.

#9 There is improper call distribution management at the floor level.

Managers on the call center floor are tasked with watching the minute-over-minute and hour-over-hour trends in call volume, and ensuring that there are enough agents available at any given time to handle the traffic. What this might look like is rearranging agents’ breaks slightly to accommodate an influx, changing lunch hours, calling staff to come in a little early for their shifts, or asking staff to stay a little later than scheduled.

If call volume is not being monitored appropriately and adjusted for in real time, this can present a problem. In the best-case scenario, managers are on top of things, and agents are shuffled as needed. In the worst-case scenario, even with expert monitoring and organization, call spikes can’t be completely ameliorated with scheduling modifications. The result? Long holds.

#10. Calls are stalled in the ACD system.

ACD systems, aka automatic call distributors, are used by call centers to distribute inbound calls evenly based on the number of agents that are currently available, or based on other factors, such as skills-based routing. Calls are held in a queue and dropped to the appropriate agent immediately following their previous call. Ninety-nine percent of the time, ACDs work like a charm. However, like practically any other piece of software on the planet, they may be inclined to produce random “glitches.”

In such cases, it may be that a call hangs out in queue and never actually reaches an agent. Eventually, the caller will realize that they’re going nowhere fast, and they’ll hang up. This will quickly resolve the problem. But there’s no way to account for this type of spontaneous occurrence. And thus, there’s no way to correct the hold time it will create for that one in a thousand unlucky caller.

#11. The service is suspended or interrupted due to inclement weather.

Although a rare occurrence, inclement weather can cause a complete breakdown in a center’s ability to assist their clients. Even with power backup and network redundancies to account for natural disasters and other untimely visits from Mother Nature, there isn’t always a failsafe. For example, during a recent hurricane, a call center in a directly-impacted area was damaged to the point of being out of service for several days. While their local clients might have anticipated such an issue, their national clients were left high and dry. Certainly, clients are always informed of minor or major service interruptions as soon as humanly possible. But given delays in sending out service announcements, coupled with delays in clients receiving and acting on those announcements by unforwarding their phones, there are bound to be a string of callers who receive the dreaded “this line is not in service” message.

For those who aren’t currently working with a call center, the list above will serve as a heads up of the snags that your customers may encounter when trying to reach you. And for those who can’t go a day without your call center, now you’ll know what could be happening when hold times hit. The good news is that none of these are the norm. If they were, call centers would not be in business.

A call center’s success is dependent upon limiting or eliminating hold times and providing the most professional experience possible for your customers. When a long call queue is brought to your attention, feel free to reach out to your customer service team to pinpoint the source of the problem. They’ll not only get to the bottom of it for you, but they will do everything in their power to secure a prompt resolution, whenever possible.

The post Top 11 Reasons Why Call Centers Have Hold Times appeared first on Specialty Answering Service.

What is Call Forwarding?

Call forwarding is a standard phone feature that allows a person or company to direct their calls to another number. For example, if a company was in a meeting and couldn’t answer the phone, they could forward their number to an answering service who would field calls for them until they were ready to handle them again.

There are 3 basic types of call forwarding: All Calls Forwarding, No Answer Forwarding, and Busy Forwarding – but the way in which you are able to forward really depends on your phone provider. Some phone providers allow you to set scheduled times in which your phone can forward automatically, some you have to manually forward, and some only offer specific types of forwarding, like all calls, conditional, busy, etc.

All Calls Call Forwarding

All Calls call forwarding is the most popular type of forwarding. Like it’s name suggests, when All Calls call forwarding is set up, all of your calls will route to the number you’ve chosen without ever ringing on your phone first. For example, a business usually forwards all of their calls to their answering service after hours when no one is in the office.

No Answer/Conditional Call Forwarding

Conditional Call Forwarding gives you a chance to answer your phone first before it forwards to another number. For example, an incoming call may ring on your office phone 3 or 4 times before being routed to another number. With conditional call forwarding set up, you still have the chance to answer the call yourself, and if you can’t, your callers won’t be routed to your voicemail as they will be routed to another number of your choosing. This other number could go to someone else in your office, a cell phone, an answering service, or really wherever you choose to send it! Some phone providers allow you to set the amount of rings or seconds before the call gets forwarded as well.

Busy Call Forwarding

Busy Call Forwarding is a type of call forwarding that will route your calls to another number in the event your phone line is ringing busy. For example, if you are already on the phone, any other incoming call will route directly to another number instead of hearing a busy signal.

If your phone has multiple lines or if you have a feature like call waiting set up, your busy call forwarding setting may differ. Since forwarding varies depending on your provider, you would need to contact them to see how those scenarios would affect your forwarding.

5 Tips on Call Forwarding with an Answering Service

If you’re using an answering service, there are a few ways you can route calls accordingly. Whether you are forwarding your calls or having your customers dial the number directly, you should follow these 5 tips to make sure the transition from your business to your answering service is as smooth as butter.

#1. Talk to Your Phone Provider

Before you start using an answering service, check with your phone provider to make sure they are able to forward calls. While most providers do offer the forwarding feature, some providers have a more complicated procedure that may take up longer than what you had originally expected. For example, to forward your line under most phone providers you would dial *72 followed by the number you wish to forward to and it’s done. However, there are some providers that have to forward the line for you, and it may not be as quick and easy. So, before you start using a service make sure you know exactly how your forwarding feature works so that you don’t waste any time. For people using an answering service’s free trial, you could waste valuable time if you can’t get your forwarding set up quickly.

#2. Know the Different Types of Forwarding Available to you

Make sure you become familiar with all of the types of forwarding your phone provider offers, and set up a game plan for how you want your calls to be forwarded. For example, do you want to set up a schedule where your calls automatically forward between certain times, or do you want to manually forward them just when you get busy? If you’re manually forwarding them, do you want to have the option of answering before your service or do you want your service to just handle all of the calls? Becoming familiar with your options before using an answering service is another great way to ensure you’re not wasting time and money.

#3. Don’t have Call Forwarding? No worries!

While forwarding is the preferred method when working with an answering service, it’s not the end of the world if your phone provider doesn’t offer it. Some other options include:

• Google Voice: If you’re dead set on forwarding your lines but your phone provider doesn’t offer it, another option would be to use Google Voice. While this would require you to get a new phone number, Google Voice is a service that won’t put a dent in your wallet (because it’s free!) However, there are some connectivity issues that come along with using Google Voice.
• Advertise the Number: If you are unable to forward your line, advertising the number your answering service gives you is an option, albeit not always a good one. In most cases, you cannot take the number with you if you decide to leave service, so you may want to advertise sparingly. For example, posting the number on your social platforms and on your answering machine is easy enough to update, but printing the number on your business cards would be a nightmare to change.

#4. Make Test Calls

Once you’ve forwarded your line, test the line just to make sure it was connected successfully. If you’re not sure what you should be listening for, you can always call the number you’re forwarding to first. For example, if you’re forwarding to Specialty Answering Service, you would typically hear a custom greeting that would play prior to an operator getting on the phone. These greetings usually say something like: “Thank you for calling ABC Plumbing, we will be with you in a moment. For quality assurance this call may be recorded.”

#5. Know your Forwarding Number

Make sure you’re familiar with the number you are forwarding to. When using an answering service, they will provide you with a phone number unique to your business. Do not lose this number! Write it down, tape it to your computer, email it to all of your staff so everyone in the office knows what the number is and how to forward in case you aren’t able to do it.

What Happens if My Line Comes off of Call Forwarding?

Occasionally, you may see that your line has come off of call forwarding. This can happen for a number of different reasons, like if you happen to lose power or if your phone has been disconnected. If your phones are forwarded all the time, it may be good to test the line every now and then to make sure calls are still being routed appropriately. Scheduling recurring tasks on your calendar is a great and easy way to remind yourself to test your line every couple of weeks or so.

If your line ever does come off of call forwarding and you are not around to re-forward them yourself, you can try contacting your phone provider who should be able to forward the line for you remotely. However, it’s important that you know your forwarding number like the back of your hand so you don’t accidentally give your provider the wrong number to send calls to. Yikes!

The post 5 Tips on Call Forwarding with an Answering Service appeared first on Specialty Answering Service.

• Abandoned Call: When a caller hangs up before any conversation happens with the operator.
• Answering Service: An answering service is a type of service that can manage both inbound and outbound business communications for various industries. Often times used by doctors, laywers, and HVAC companies, among others.
• Application Program Interface (API): API is a way for customers to access specific parts of a software program to build other software applications.
• Auto-Attendant: An auto-attendant is a computerized virtual assistant that allows a caller to assist themselves using their keypad or voice. See “IVR (Interactive Voice Response)”
• Automatic Call Distributor (ACD): ACD  is a system that receives incoming phone calls and routes them to the appropriate destination or distribution. For example, if a business has an IVR on their line for callers to press 1 for English or 2 for Spanish, the ACD system would distribute those calls to the appropriate extension.
• Automatic Number Identification (ANI): ANI is a service that provides the Caller ID of an incoming call.
• Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR): ASR is a system that lets callers speak their selections instead of punching in numbers on their keypad. For example, when an automated recording asks the caller to “please say the name of the person you wish to speak to.”
• Average Handle Time: The average amount of time it takes for an operator to answer a call (including hold time) and do everything that needs to be done with the caller. This includes the time the caller is on the line, plus any tasks the operator must do after the call ends (reaching out to the on-call, filling out a form, etc.)
• Average Wait Time Before Abandon: The average time a caller waits (while being on hold) before hanging up.
• Bidding, Submitting a Bid: RFP’s and RFQs (see below) are often connected to sales leads with a “bidding process”. This is where a company/organization will consider at least a few different call centers’ proposals, looking at things like price, experience/history of the company, capabilities and other factors.
• Blended/Shared Agent: A blended or shared agent is a call center operator that is answering calls for many different companies.
• Call Center: A call center is sometimes an interchangeable name for an answering service. They usually employ a large amount of operators and can handle a high volume of phone calls. In addition, they are usually able to accommodate more advanced call handling protocols like appointment scheduling and order placing.
• Call Hunting/Line Hunting: When an inbound call rings at one destination a few times, then at another if unanswered at the first location, and so for. For example, someone might have a number ring to their office four times and if there is no answer, it will then ring to their answering service.
• Call Log: Records of interactions between call center agents and callers.
• Call Paths: Within a script, you can usually set up multiple call paths that allow the operators to select different call reasons. For example, you could have a path for appointments, a path for billing, a path for emergencies, and a general path for all other calls.
• Cold Patch/Transfer: During a cold patch or a cold transfer, the operator would blindly transfer the caller through to the designated number, without checking if someone is available first.
• Cross-sell: Selling an additional product or service to a customer at the time of sale. For example, an operator taking orders from a non-stick frying pan infomercial might try to cross-sell a set of non-stick mixing bowls as well. It’s almost always a related or similar product.
• Customer Relationship Management (CRM): CRM is a software that allows businesses to manage all of their client data. There are many CRMs on the market, and sometimes answering services can integrate with one or multiple different CRMs.
• Customer Service Representative (CSR): CSRs can also be known as operators, virtual receptionists, agents, etc.
• Dedicated Agent: A dedicated agent is a call center operator that is only answering calls for one particular company.
• Dialed Number Identification service (DNIS): DNIS allows a user to determine which telephone number was dialed by a customer. This feature allows answering services to determine how to handle an inbound call (i.e, which account and script should be pulled up based off the number that the call is coming from).
• Direct Inward Dialing (DID): DID  is a number that is attached to an incoming phone line. Call centers can identify which incoming calls are for which clients based on the dialed DID.
• Dispatch: Dispatching is another name for reaching out to the on-call personnel.
• Do Not Disturb (DND): DND is a function on most office phones. When activated, incoming calls are unable to ring on that particular phone. When a call comes in for a phone that is set to “do not disturb”, many office phone systems will automatically transfer the caller to another destination, such as a call center.
• Email Response: Responding to emails is a type of service that some answering services provide instead of or in addition to handling incoming phone calls.
• First Call Resolution: When an operator is able to handle what a caller needs the first time they call, eliminating the need for them to call a second time.
• Forwarding/Call Forwarding: Forwarding your phone line allows you to send all of your calls to another number. It is a feature that is controlled by your phone provider and can be done in several different ways. For example,  you can forward all of your calls to another number immediately, you can forward your calls if your own line is ringing busy, or you can forward if you don’t answer within a certain amount of rings or seconds. Typically you would dial *72 on the phone you are wanting to forward, followed by the number you wish to forward to.
• Free Trial: A free trial is what an answering service may offer potential customers to try out their service for free to see if it would be a good fit for their business.
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): FAQs should be added to every account so the operators can help callers answer basic questions that may come up. Some common FAQs could include your business hours, your location, your business name and concept, and any services/products you provide and/or sell.
• Grasshopper: See “Hosted/Virtual PBX”
• Help Desk: A help desk is a service that provides information and technical support to users. Some answering services can act as a help desk for a business by answering questions and troubleshooting basic issues.
• Hosted/Virtual PBX: A system that uses an off-site PBX system, provided by a company like Grasshopper. With this kind of service, the user forwards their phone number to Grasshopper. When callers dial the number, a pre-recorded message greets the callers and asks them to dial extensions set up by the company. If an extension isn’t available, it can be setup so that the caller is transferred to an answering service instead.
• Interactive Voice Response (IVR): IVR allows the caller to press different options on their keypad to be directed to different numbers. For example, and IVR would allow a caller to press 1 for English and press 2 for Spanish. Some IVRs also allow the caller to speak into their phone to request different options instead of manually pressing a number.
• Live Answer: Live answer means that a live person is answering your calls instead of a robot or a voicemail.
• Longest Delay Queue (LDQ): The longest time a caller has to wait in a queue before being connected with an operator or hanging up.
• Message Ticket: A Message Ticket is a general message that the operator takes.
• OpID: OpID is a shortened name for Operator ID. Each call center operator is assigned a specific ID number. This comes in handy when calls need to be reviewed for quality assurance.
• Overflow: People might use an answering service when they get too many calls for their office staff to answer, choosing to have the excess (overflow) calls automatically go to an answering service.
• Patching: Connecting a phone call to another destination, such as when an operator patches a caller to someone in an office.
• Private Branch Exchange (PBX): PBX usually refers to an office’s telephone system which connects individual phones to both each other and to the public telephone network.
• Perfect Greeting: A perfect greeting is a recorded message that plays prior to an operator getting on the phone. Usually the recording would say something like: “Thank you for calling ABC Plumbing, we’ll be with you in a moment. For quality assurance this call may be recorded.” However, they can usually be customized accordingly.
• Portal: Most answering services offer an online portal where you can log into view your messages, update your call handling, download reports, etc.
• Queue: Queue is the time spent when a caller is waiting for their call to be picked up. It is also the time spent in between on-call dial outs. For example, a company may want their answering service to call the first on-call tech, then wait 5 minutes before going to the next tech. The 5 minute interval would be considered a queue.
• Reach On-Call: After a call is disconnected, the operator would reach out to the designated on-call personnel a pre-programmed number of times. Usually operators can reach out indefinitely until someone answers, since the caller is no longer on the line. This is different than a transfer because after the operator reaches the on-call, they relay the message and disconnect. The on-call personnel would then have to call the person back on their own.
• Request for Proposal (RFP): RFP means a customer is wanting their service provider to submit formal written proposals.
• Request for Quotation (RFQ): RFQ means a customer wants a written price estimate for service that meets their requirements.
• Script: Similar to a script in a play, a call script is what the operators read off of to handle your calls and can usually be customized per your business needs.
• Session Initiation Protocol (SIP): SIP is technology used for controlling VoIP communications.
• Simultaneous Ringing: Similar to call hunting, but instead of going from one location to the next until answered, the call rings simultaneously at all phones at the same time.
• Trouble Tickets/Issue Tracking System: Software that allows companies and their help desk operators to record problems reported by callers and follow them until they are resolved. For example, an operator answering for an IT company might “open a trouble ticket” when someone calls in complaining that their network is down.
• Trunk: The physical phone “lines” that come into a call center. The number of trunks a call center has available affect things like availability and hold times.
• Unified Communications: Organizing and consolidating the many different kinds of communication (phone, fax, email, instant messaging, etc.) so that someone can contact  you at any time, using any method. For example, someone might not be able to take a phone call because they are in a meeting. A Unified Communications solution might include having an operator take their calls during this time and send messages via email.
• Up-sell: Selling a higher-end product or a larger quantity of a product at the time of sale. For example, when taking and order for a regular “vodka tonic”, a bartender might try to up-sell the customer on getting a “Grey Goose and tonic” (a better quality – and more costly – brand than regular vodka).
• Virtual: Having the features or qualities of something that isn’t real in a physical sense.
• Virtual Receptionist: Usually virtual receptionists are performing the same tasks as answering services, so these terms often refer to the same thing.
• Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP): VoIP allows a user to make or accept phone calls via the internet, and not through a phone provider. Vonage, RingCentral, 8×8, OnSIP, BroadVoice, XO Communications, Broadvox and Lingo are all examples of VoIP providers.
• Warm Patch/Transfer: During a warm patch or a warm transfer, the operator would place the caller on hold when trying to patch them through. If the person on the other end is available to speak, the operator would introduce the caller, transfer them through and  then disconnect.
• Web/Live Chat: Live chat is a system in which clients can chat with customer support via the internet. Some answering services offer live chat in addition to inbound and outbound call handling.

The post 58 Terms You Need To Know When You’re New To Answering Services appeared first on Specialty Answering Service.

Want to test your knowledge on the answering service industry? See if you can answer all 10 questions correctly. If you're feeling real lucky, test your knowledge with our telephone trivia quiz next!

1. When was the first call center created?    Show Me the Answer! 
The answer is B. 1957

1. 1930
2. 1957
3. 1985
4. 1919

2. Who owned the first call center?    Show Me the Answer! 
The answer is C. Time Inc.

1. Sport's Illustrated
2. The Government
3. Time Inc.
4. American Express

3. What decade were call centers moved from manual to automatic systems?    Show Me the Answer! 
The answer is C. 1970's

1. 1950's
2. 1960's
3. 1970's
4. 1980's

4. Approximately how many calls do answering services handle each year?    Show Me the Answer! 
The answer is D. 46 Billion

1. 1 million
2. 500 million
3. 3 billion
4. 46 billion

5. Around how many call centers are there in the U.S?    Show Me the Answer! 
The answer is C. 60,000

1. 500
2. 8,000
3. 60,000
4. 100,000

6. What state has the largest number of call centers?    Show Me the Answer! 
The answer is A. California

1. California
2. Hawaii
3. Pennsylvania
4. Texas

7. On average, what percent of business interactions do call centers handle?    Show Me the Answer! 
The answer is D. 70%

1. 15%
2. 35%
3. 50%
4. 70%

8. What does IVR stand for?    Show Me the Answer! 
The answer is B. Interactive Voice Response

1. Intense Virtual Reality
2. Interactive Voice Response
3. Immediate Voice Recognition
4. Interactive Voice Recognition

9. Approximately how many people are employed by call centers in the U.S.?    Show Me the Answer! 
The answer is A. 2.5 Million

1. 2.5 million
2. 10 million
3. 800,000
4. 4 million

10. What percent of telemarketing companies comprise the answering service industry?    Show Me the Answer! 
The answer is C. 80%

1. 15%
2. 75%
3. 80%
4. 25%

Answers: 1. B,   2. C,   3. C,   4. D,   5. C,   6. A,   7. D,   8. B,   9. A,   10. C

The post Answering Service Quiz: Test your Knowledge Of The Industry appeared first on Specialty Answering Service.

1. Your Procedures are Too Complicated

Every company wants their customers to be happy, and a factor in customer happiness is how fast you respond to their problems. If a customer is reaching out to you with an issue, you want them to be helped swiftly and confidently. After all, happy customers are what drive growth. However, if you’re letting a virtual receptionist answer your calls, you should know that expecting too much from the operator can be detrimental. For example:

1. If your script has more than a few call options, or reasons why someone would be calling, you’ll probably want to simplify your protocol. This is especially true if the operators are opening the call with a simple “how may I help you?” Since the operators aren’t as familiar with your business as you are, having too many options can result in operators genuinely unsure of why someone is calling, which would result in more work on your part. We recommend answering the phone with phrases like “Are you calling for service or support?” or “Can I schedule an appointment for you today?”
2. If your script has the operators going out to a complicated web form to submit data, you could be setting the operators up for failure. Usually, when someone is asking questions to complete a form, it’s not going to be a linear conversation. There’s going to be some back and forth like “Why do you need that information?” or “I’m not sure, can you tell me how other people answer that question?”  Since the operators won’t be able to answer every question they’ll be asked, it’s likely going to lead to an awkward interaction – and an unhappy caller.

Having an overly complicated protocol is a sure fire way to force unnecessary mistakes and set the receptionists up to fail. When setting up your call handling with your answering service, it’s important to go over the essentials and configure the script accordingly so that both you and your customers’ experiences are as smooth as butter. Check out these tips to make the best answering service scripts for your business!

2. Your Script is Too Simple

On the opposite side of the spectrum, you also don’t want your script to be too simple and create more work on your end. For example, if you schedule appointments in your office but are just having your answering service take the caller’s name and number for a call back, you’re definitely not getting the most bang for your buck. Contact your answering service, discuss what they can do well, and take advantage of the features that your answering service offers.

Unless you’re looking for basic message taking, we recommend that every script should have at least two paths, or call options. One option should be geared towards something specific like scheduling appointments, requesting service, placing orders, etc., whereas the other path should be a general option for any other call that doesn’t fit into the first option. Of course you can have more than two, but as mentioned previously, you don’t want to go over board and add in every possible scenario someone may call in for.

3. Too Many FAQs

Similar to having an overly complicated script, you also don’t want to have too many FAQs. It’s definitely important to provide essential information to the people handling  your calls, like what your business hours are, your prices, if you provide service after hours, etc., but you don’t want to over burden them. If you add 3 pages of information, the operators are going to spend a lot of time searching through that data to try and find the answer they are looking for. This overshare of information can result in:

1. Higher usage, which means higher invoices.
2. Annoyed customers who just want their questions answered quickly.
3. Long pauses while the agents page through your FAQs.
4. Operators giving up after not being able to find the question they are looking for.
5. Many transitional phrases (bare with me for one moment, just a minute please, etc.)

So, while it may seem like a good idea to add as much information as you can, you’ll really want to live by the K.I.S.S method and keep it short and sweet. Try and pinpoint the most important and frequent questions you get asked, and leave the rest up to you and your staff to answer.

4. Not Enough FAQs

While having too many FAQs is a mistake many people make, not having enough is also poor planning. Ideally, you want the virtual receptionists handling your calls to be equipped with the perfect amount of information. Think of it like Goldilocks – you don’t want too much information, and you don’t want too little. Again, figure out the most important questions so that you can arm the operators with the appropriate answers. Here are some basic FAQs every account should have:

1. What are your business hours?
2. Where are you located?
3. Is there an actual store front or are you an online retailer?
4. Do you have a website?
5. Is there a fax number?
6. Can customers email you? If so, what’s the address?

While basic FAQs are helpful, you should also include industry related questions like:

HVAC/Plumbing/Restoration/Construction

1. What services do you offer?
2. What are your prices?
3. Are you available after hours? If so, is there an after hours fee?
4. Do you offer both residential and commercial services?

Medical 

1. Do you accept insurance? If so, what types?
2. Can patients pay out of pocket?
3. Which physicians are at your practice?
4. Does your practice offer different services? (chiropractic, therapy, orthodontic, etc.)

Property Management/Real Estate

1. Do you sell and buy properties?
2. What properties do you manage?
3. Do you provide lock box codes?
4. Do you provide after hours maintenance?

Legal Firms

1. Is there a free consultation?
2. What cases do you take?
3. Who are the lawyers at your firm?
4. What are your fees?

Of course not every business will be the same, but when coming up with FAQs, you should put yourself in your callers’ shoes and think “what would I ask my company?”

Pro tip: As your company changes, make sure to keep your answering service up to date on all changes as well. That means prices, business hours, location, etc.

5. You Don’t Have an Automated Greeting

An automated greeting is a feature that many answering services will offer. An automated greeting is a recording that greets the caller prior to connecting them with an operator and it assures them that they’ve reached the right place. If your answering service offers it, you should definitely have one on your line. For example, Bob’s Plumbing may have a greeting that plays before a call is connected to an operator saying something like ‘It’s a great day at Bob’s Plumbing! You’ve reached our appointment scheduling service. Please hold on the line and an operator will be with you in a moment.”

While having a service is great, no service can promise that there will never be hold times. So, if there is a hold, you’ll want to make sure that your callers hear that greeting prior to hearing any sort of hold music.  The custom greeting will let them know that they’ve dialed the correct number, and that someone will be in touch with them soon. Having your calls go right to hold music sounds unprofessional and is a sure fire way to get your customers to hang up. Yikes!

6. You Aren’t Telling Callers They Are Speaking With The Answering Service

Usually people can tell if they are speaking with someone from the office or an answering service, especially if you are a small business. If you try to cover up that you are using an answering service, your callers may get annoyed and feel distrust towards your company. Transparency is an important aspect of business to customer relationships, so we recommend having the operators tell your callers up front that they are speaking with a service. For example: “Thank you for calling Dr. Joe’s Dentistry, you’ve reached the answering service. Can I help you schedule an appointment?” That way your callers will know right away that they’re talking to a service and will not be let down when they think they’ve reached the office only to find out later that they did not.

Often times we find that when businesses want the answering service to act as though they are actually in the office, it can lead to confusion and unhappy customers. While you may provide helpful FAQs for the operators so that they are able to answer caller’s questions, they still aren’t going to know everything. So, if your service is pretending to be the actual receptionist and they aren’t able to answer something, it doesn’t look good for your company. However, you can avoid that mess altogether by just being truthful up front.

The post 6 Rookie Mistakes Businesses Make With Their Answering Service appeared first on Specialty Answering Service.

General

What is a virtual receptionist?

A virtual receptionist, or a virtual assistant, is just like a regular receptionist except they are not in the same location as you. They typically can do all of the same tasks a normal receptionist can do, like book appointments, place orders, transfer calls, take messages, etc. but they most likely won’t know all of the details of your business like an in-house receptionist would.

Do receptionists work remotely?

Sometimes! Some answering services employ both in-house and remote agents, depending on availability. While it’s usually easier to have all of the agents in one location, some operators just work better from home. Call centers tend to get noisy which can sometimes be overheard through the operator’s mic, so, allowing some agents to work from home (assuming they don’t have loud pets or children) could be a great alternative to help eliminate some background noise.

How should an answering service answer my calls?

There are many different ways an answering service can answer your calls. They can answer with a general greeting like “how may I help you?” they can answer the same way you would answer in your own office, or they can answer with something more specific like “hello and thank you for calling, are you calling to schedule an appointment?” While having a generic greeting may seem like a good idea, it’s always important to keep in mind that handling calls in your office will be a different experience than having an answering service handle your calls. Since the receptionists at an answering service are not as familiar with your business as your own receptionists, having a more specific greeting usually works better in terms of streamlining calls.

How do answering services know how to handle my calls?

After you’ve decided to sign on with an answering service, you’ll most likely speak with an intake specialist who will ask you questions regarding your company and what it is you are looking to get out of the service. After going through that process, they’ll take the information you’ve given them and program the account accordingly. Then once everything is programmed, the operators will use that call handling, or script, to handle your calls specifically.

What is customer service outsourcing?

Some businesses may be too busy to handle everything themselves, so they may outsource their customer service. Anyone who needs an issue resolved will go through the answering service, who would be able to take a message or transfer calls accordingly. If your answering service also handles email and chat support, there are companies available to outsource that as well. Some services can even integrate with various CRMs, so not only can they handle your customer service calls, but they can also push data through to your support CRM which means less work you’ll have to do.

What are the benefits of outsourcing customer service?

If your business is open from 9am-5pm, then that only leaves an 8 hour time frame of when your customers can call with questions and concerns. Sure, 8 hours may seem like a lot of time, but for people who are also working during that time frame, they may not be able to reach out. So, outsourcing your customer service allows your customers to receive help even after you’ve closed up shop for the day. In addition, if you’re too busy during the day to get to every phone call, your answering service can help during business hours as well!

What services do hotlines provide?

Hotlines provide many different services, depending on how you use them. Compliance, or whistleblower hotlines can be used to report incidents or fraudulent behavior in the workplace, and can be done so anonymously.  An employee call off hotline could be used for employees calling out of work, and recall hotlines can be used for companies that are recalling products. Essentially, hotlines can be used for many different things!

What is a whistleblower hotline?

A whistleblower, otherwise known as a compliance hotline, is a hotline that allows employees to report workplace incidents. Many companies choose to outsource these calls to a third party in order to help ensure anonymity. In addition, outsourcing these calls may encourage employees to report incidents without fear of retaliation.

What is considered “after hours” with an answering service?

Typically, answering services handle calls 24/7, so what is “after hours” really would depend on your company specifically.

Can you use landline phones with an answering service?

Sure! Answering services work on the premise of call forwarding, so as long as your phone (whether cellular or landline) can forward, you shouldn’t have any problems connecting with a service.

Are all services BBB accredited?

Since it is not a requirement for answering services to be BBB accredited, not all of them are. While the BBB is very fair when it comes to posting reviews and resolving cases, it shouldn’t be a make or break type deal when searching for an answering service. However, if they are not accredited by the BBB, you should do some more research to see if they are a part of another organization, like a local chamber of commerce.

What is a good answering service for my business?

While there are many options out there in terms of answering services, finding one that is suitable to your business can be tricky. First you’ll want to outline what it is you are trying to get out of a service. Do you need help capturing leads? Do you need help scheduling appointments? Do you need after hours coverage for emergency calls? Once you have figured out what you would use your answering service for, then you can begin the journey of finding which one works best for you. Most services will offer some sort of free trial period, which is a great way to test a bunch and see which one works!

What gets outsourced to call centers?

Really, anything could get outsourced to a call center. Marketing agencies could outsource their outbound lead capture to a service, medical practices could outsource their urgent after hours calls, lawyers could outsource all of their inbound calls while they are in court, etc.

Why or when would an answering service put me on hold?

Answering services may put you on hold due to high call volumes. If there are more calls coming in then there are agents answering, you may get put on hold until the next available representative becomes available. While no answering service can guarantee there will never be holds, Specialty Answering Service prides itself on having the highest answer rate in the industry.

What kind of equipment would you need to start a phone answering service?

Aside from telephones, there is a lot of equipment you would need to start a phone answering service. You would need computers, headsets, various software like ACD (automatic call distributor), computer telephone integration (CTI) and interactive voice response systems (IVR), not to mention employees and an effective business plan.  If you’re looking to open up your own answering service, check out our helpful infographic to learn the basics.

What numbers are available to use?

Answering services will partner with a phone provider who will give them access to a bank full of numbers. Usually that bank includes both local and toll free numbers. However, most answering services are unable to provide vanity numbers (numbers that could spell out something, like your company name). If you were looking for a vanity number you’d have to purchase one separately, and then use that number to forward to the service.

How do I forward my lines to the service?

Typically to forward your line you’ll dial *72, followed by the 10 digit forwarding number your answering service provided you. Then to remove your line from forwarding you would dial *73. However, the protocol in which to forward really varies based on phone provider, so you would want to contact them first to learn how. You can also check out our help desk article for instructions on how to call forward as well!

Can I use Google Voice with an answering service?

Yes and no. While Google Voice is great because it’s free, it does come with some complications. Due to it’s inability to accept more than one call at a time, not all of  your calls could connect to the service. For this reason, there are some answering services who will not work with Google Voice, but there are others that will. If your service does allow you to use Google Voice, there may be some features that you won’t be able to utilize, like recording your calls (as the pre-recorded message makes the calls from Google Voice bounce back). At SAS, we find that some of our clients have no issues while using Google Voice, while others can’t connect at all.

Pricing

What it the average cost of an answering service?

The average cost of an answering service really depends on how you’re using it, in addition to the service itself. Some services bill per minute, others bill per call, and some just charge a flat rate. In addition, if you’re only getting a few calls a month as opposed to a larger volume, the prices would fluctuate accordingly.

Is a credit card needed to start service?

Typically, yes. Most services will require a credit card to be used for the first invoice and/or a certain period of time after you’ve started. However, other services may be more flexible and allow for other types of payments.

Is call patching included?

Most answering services are able to patch calls. However, how they charge for that time will vary. If your service bills per call, then that patched call would typically count as one call, whereas a service that charges per minute could calculate the time spent on the actual call. At our advanced service level here at SAS where calls are charged per minute, the cost of a patched call is reduced to a fraction of the actual minute rate of a normal call. So, services can really fluctuate how they price in that area.

Is billing done by the call, by the minute or by the month?

It can really be any of the three, but most likely a combination of per call/per minute and per month. Most services will track your usage (either by the minute or by the call) each day over the course of a calendar month, then send you an invoice based off that usage. Depending on what plan you’ve chosen and what that plan allows, you may have to pay a base rate in addition to overages (if there are any) or you may just pay a flat rate. Since your usage will really fluctuate each month, if you’re not on a flat rate service, your invoices will most likely vary from month to month as well.

Do I have to sign a contact?

Most services will usually not make you sign a contract, as they typically operate on a month to month subscription basis. However, that doesn’t ring true for every service. Some services may require that you sign a contract that binds you to at least 1 year of service, so if you are not ready to make that sort of commitment you’ll want to make sure you research the service prior to providing any billing information.

Do I have to pay extra to use a toll free number?

It depends on your service. Some services will charge a small monthly fee to utilize one of their toll free numbers, whereas other services will not charge you extra.

Features

Is an answering service a scheduling service?

They can be! Some services just offer basic call handling (taking messages and transferring calls), whereas others are able to schedule appointments, place orders online, take payments, etc. While many answering services can schedule, how they schedule will vary. Some can schedule right on your software, others provide their own scheduling software, and some can schedule on web based applications like Google Calendar.

Is there an autoplay message before a call is answered?

Usually answering services have the option to record calls for quality assurance. Depending on the state in which the call center is located, they may or may not have to announce to the caller that the call is being recorded. So, some answering services may have a standard “for quality assurance this call may be recorded” greeting on the line, some may be able to create a custom greeting specific to your business, or some services may not have any automatic greeting.

Are all calls recorded?

Not always! Some services may record all calls for quality assurance, where as others may give you the option of whether or not you want your calls to be recorded. Some services may even store all of your recordings in an online portal which would allow you to listen to them and provide feedback.

Can the agents have British accents?

If your answering service is in the United States, chances are the agents are not going to have a British accent (although you may get one every now and then). There are several answering services that offer bilingual support, but usually just for people who speak Spanish. An answering service’s option to offer this feature is more so based off availability than not wanting to offer that sort of service. For example, a call center in Florida may have more availability to Spanish speaking agents than a call center in Vermont would.

Can hold music be changed? What hold music is available?

Usually the hold music that an answering service will use is standard across all of their clients, and is typically very general (much like elevator music). If Company A wants country music as their hold music, but Company B wants rock, there usually isn’t a way to accommodate both. However, it may be able to be changed overall if enough people speak up about it.

Can answering services make outbound calls?

While most answering services handle inbound calls, there are some that can also be used for outbound calling as well. This may be an extra charge depending on your service, or there may be prequalifications, so make sure you do your research beforehand.

Do answering services send messages by SMS?

Typically, most answering services are able to send message via both email and text. However, some are able to send faxes and pages as well. Depending on how your service bills, you may or may not be charged for any messages that get sent.

Do all services have apps?

No, not all answering services will come with a mobile app. However, some may come with other applications, like the ability to integrate with various CRMs or the ability to schedule appointments using a web based platform like Google Calendar.

What professional answering services use Salesforce?

Aside from SAS, there are probably other answering services that use Salesforce. Not only do we use it to manage our own client data, but we also offer it as an integration on our advanced service level. This means that you can link up your CRM within the portal, then whatever information we gather from your callers can pass through the integration to your CRM.

When using a smart phone with an answering service, do the messages need to be encrypted in order to maintain HIPAA compliance?

Usually if your answering service is HIPAA compliant, your messages will not need to be encrypted. Your service should give you access to a secure online portal and/or mobile app that stores all of your messages without being encrypted. The messages you receive on your phone or email should just have standard language that alerts you of a new message.

Industries

What companies outsource their customer service?

When most people think of answering services they think of doctors offices and HVAC services. However, many different companies can use answering services. While Specialty answers for many different industries, there are some answering services that only handle calls for specific industries.

Are there any liabilities for physicians using an answering service?

When physicians (or any medical professionals) use a third party business associate, there could be some liabilities. You’ll want to make sure your service is HIPAA compliant, and you’ll also want to see if they are able to enter into a Business Associates Agreement with you, as they will be collecting personal health information (PHI) from your callers. If your service has ensured you that they are up to code on HIPAA, then there shouldn’t be any issues.

Are answering services HIPAA compliant?

Yes and no. Some answering services have adapted to being HIPAA compliant while others are still a bit antiquated. For the services that are HIPAA compliant, they will usually give you access to a secure online portal where all of your messages are stored. While faxing messages is considered HIPAA compliant, emailing and texting them are not. So, in those cases services will usually send a standard message that just lets you know that there is a new message and to check your portal for details.

Can services answer for any sized business?

Absolutely! Answering services can handle calls for any sized business, big or small. Small business usually need the extra help but can’t always afford to hire a new employee, whereas a larger company may be too busy to handle everything themselves and therefore need to outsource specific calls, like customer service for example.

What is the purpose of a doctor’s answering service?

There are many reasons a doctor may use an answering service. However, typically doctors (or any medical practice) use answering services to help schedule appointments and to dispatch urgent calls after hours.

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