What’s happening right now is tragic, but over the last few weeks, I’ve at least gained a little insight into how to work from home effectively. I’m now on my [insert day] and have some things to report. If you’re finding it hard to adjust to the remote lifestyle, check out my top 10 tips to creating a successful and positive work from home experience.

But First, What Is Working From Home?

Working from home is when companies give you an option to perform your job duties outside of the office. Now, for most of us, and thanks for COVID-19, we weren’t really given the option. Working from home was the only option. Now, let’s get right to the tips!

#1. Don’t sleep in

Okay, you can sleep in a little bit – but don’t get carried away! Even though you’re not actually going into work, you’re still going to work. So, you’ll want to set aside some time for yourself in the morning (think of it as your virtual commute). This is your time to get zen and prepare for the day ahead of you. Drink some coffee, read the newspaper, listen to the radio, etc.

#2. Create a schedule and (try to) stick to it

Working from home can be exciting, but it can also be super distracting. In order to keep yourself organized and on track, take some time to plan out a schedule for your day or week. What are the goals you’d like to get accomplished? Write them all down and then get rewarded with that satisfying feeling when you get to cross them off.

Pro tip: Don’t forget to schedule in a solid 30 minute lunch break, some 15 minute breaks in the morning or afternoon, and a clear quitting time!

#3. Keep work and home separate

Speaking of quitting time, you’ll need to set some boundaries for yourself both physically and mentally. Set up a work station in your house or apartment that is designated specifically for working – aka, not your bed. This will help you keep your work life and your personal life separate and therefore make it much easier to “turn things off” when you’re done working for the day.

#4. Go outside

When you work from home for an extended period of time, you tend to forget to go outside. Fresh air and a quick walk around the block can help boost your morale and clear any creative blocks.

#5. Wear actual clothes

I know you’ll probably want to wear your pajamas or a robe or maybe nothing at all while you work from home, but trust me, put some clothes on.  When you’re snuggled up in something comfy or the clothes you slept in last night, it can be hard to focus and stay productive.

#6. Communicate with your boss, coworkers, or anyone

Working from home can be super isolating, especially if you’re not used to it. Not only is it important to communicate with your coworkers to make sure everyone understands their responsibilities and are all on the same page, but it’s also nice just to have some human contact to help keep you sane.

#7. Set aside time to do housework

Yes, working from home provides ample opportunity to get things done around your house. Doing laundry, taking the trash out, vacuuming that one room. Eventually, one thing leads to another and you’ve done everything except what you were supposed to be doing. If household chores are distracting you too much, set aside some time each day to allow yourself to do one chore. Then, back to work.

#8. Don’t snack all day

Having access to your fridge, pantry, or kitchen in general may tempt you to eat all of your emergency snacks. Don’t do this! Try and follow your normal eating routine as if you were still in the office so as not to increase distractions and unnecessary eating.

#9. Get up and move around

If for some reason you can’t go outside, make it a point to at least get up from your chair and do a couple laps around the house, stretches, jumping jacks, anything. You wouldn’t confine yourself to your desk all day in the office, so don’t do it at home either. A few breaks to get your blood pumping will help increase productivity.

#10. Stay positive!

If working from home hasn’t been as easy as you thought it would be, it’s okay. It’s definitely an adjustment that takes some getting used to. If you’re in a temporary WFH position, encouraging yourself to stay positive will definitely help the time go by quicker and may increase your mood as well. Plus, now you know more about yourself and what works for you.

Ready for another few weeks of working from home? We are too. To make your WAH life easier, a telephone answering service like SAS can help. Here are a few things we can do:

• Answer your calls giving you time to do housework and snack
• Take messages while you’re sleeping in
• Help maintain work and home separation by transferring calls only during normal office hours

The post 10 Helpful Tips to Successfully Work from Home appeared first on Specialty Answering Service.

#1. They’re closed

If businesses don’t have the resources to be available 24/7, then chances are you’re going to have a hard time connecting with anybody after hours or over the weekends. If no one is answering, search the company online to see if they have their business hours posted. Knowing their hours in advance can help save time in the future, as you’ll know the right times to call to guarantee someone will answer.

Pro tip: If you’re a business owner that is unable to be available 24/7, make sure you always have the most updated business hours posted online or included in your voicemail message so that your customers are never left in the dark! 

#2. They use an answering service, but forwarded to the wrong number

Many businesses use an answering service to help with customer communication, but if they’re forwarding their calls to the service manually, they may have keyed in the wrong number. Answering services provide businesses with a number that is specific to their account which they can use to route their calls to. Some businesses choose to advertise this number separately, but most choose to forward their lines to it. However, if they are not forwarded correctly or forwarded to the wrong number, their calls will not be able to connect. This may cause customers to hear a beeping noise, they may reach the wrong number, or they may hear nothing.

If you run a business that uses an answering service, definitely become familiar with call forwarding. Before going live with your customers, place test calls to verify that your calls are being routed correctly. If you’re not in the office, it’s also a good idea to learn how to forward your lines remotely. Forwarding is a feature that is controlled by your phone provider, so how you are able to forward would depend on them. However, here are some ways you can forward your calls remotely:

• Call your phone provider to have them forward the line for you.
• Access your phone provider’s online portal to forward calls.
• Discuss with your phone provider how you can set up a schedule so that calls forward automatically at a certain time.

#3. They left their phone off the hook

Business owners and their employees are sometimes so busy that they forget to breathe, so it’s no surprise they may forget to put their phone back on the hook. If this is the case, callers may hear beeping or a busy signal. The best thing to do in these situations is to shoot them an email asking why you’re not able to get through, which should make them check their phone and see the problem!

#4. They didn’t pay their phone bill

If a business doesn’t pay their phone bill, their lines will eventually be shut off. Unfortunately, this means that customers won’t be able to connect. Usually when a phone line has been shut off a caller will hear a message that says “You’ve reached a non-working number. Please hang up and try again.” While this message doesn’t necessarily mean that the phone line has been shut off due to non-payment, it’s never a good sign. The possible non-payment issues can be from any of the following sources:

• Non-payment on their toll free number
• Non-payment on their virtual phone number provider
• Non-payment on their main business line
• Non-payment on their VoIP telecom provider

#5. The business is ran from a cell phone and they’re in a dead zone

Small start up companies usually begin out of a garage or some storage unit before the business is able to garner enough funds to rent out an actual office space, and often times those entrepreneurs are conducting business right from their cell phones. Unfortunately, garages and storage units don’t have the best cell reception, which means some calls may have trouble connecting.

#6. Their phone line is experiencing problems

Phone lines can go down for a number of different reasons, like storms, power outages, or internet shortages (for the folks that are using VoIP phone systems). If your phone lines are experiencing problems, here are some tips to help see you through the storm:

• If your business has a toll free number that goes down, let your customers know they can still reach you by calling your main number directly.
• Hire an answering service to help handle calls while your lines are down. Your customers will be able to call your forwarding number directly, and they can even add temporary instructions for the operators to let callers know what the situation is.
• If possible, update your voicemail, website and social platforms with temporary messages so customers are aware you’re experiencing issues.

#7. They only have one line, and all support reps are already on the phone

If a business only has one phone line to call for customer service and all support reps are already on the phone, any new incoming calls may fall into a queue, may reach voicemail, or may just hear a busy signal. In order to avoid this from happening, businesses can hire an answering service to help field all over flow calls to maximize customer satisfaction and reduce the risk of callers hanging up.

#8. They got a new phone number

Sometimes businesses change their phone numbers but forget to alert their customers, and if a new or existing customer can’t get a hold of you, you run the risk of losing valuable business opportunities. If your business does happen to get a new number, here are some ways to make sure your customers always know how to reach you:

• Advertise your new number online (including  your website and social channels)
• Send out a mass email to all of your current customers alerting them of the change
• Add a temporary signature to your emails that includes your new business number
• Check with your phone provider to see if you can respOrg your old number to your new number, in case customers are still calling the old line

#9. They’re avoiding all calls by picking up the phone and hanging it up

Running a business is hard, especially when they’re trying to get their feet off the ground. Sometimes small businesses are so bogged down with work that the thought of taking on any more is so stressful they just can’t do it. If this is the case, you may have trouble connecting with a business because they’re dodging calls until they can get their head above water. Or, maybe they just plain don’t feel like talking.

Pro tip: If you want to run a successful business, do NOT do this! Hiring an answering service is an affordable alternative to help alleviate some of the pressure, and they can ensure your callers are never hung up on again.

#10. There’s nothing wrong with the line but they’re avoiding your Caller ID

Maybe the business you’re trying to reach doesn’t want to be a business anymore? Maybe you’ve been making prank calls to them all day. Maybe you burned them on a job and they don’t want to talk to you any longer? Either way, if a business is avoiding your calls, here are some tips to help get you through:

• Block your number
• Call from your friend’s phone
• Get a new number
• Buy a burner phone

#11. You called at the exact time they were making an outbound call

Just your luck, right? If you called a business at the exact same time they were making an outbound call, you may hear a busy signal, or it may go right to voicemail. No worries! Hanging up and trying again will usually help get you through. When you do get through, you should try suggesting that they get more phone lines. I mean, it’s 2019 for crying out loud!

The post 11 Reasons Why A Business Isn’t Answering It’s Customer Service Line appeared first on Specialty Answering Service.

Developing your account to create more personal interactions is what’s really going to lead to the most successful outsourcing experience for both you and your customers. For a small business or a startup who has never used an answering service, getting the right mix of knowledge to the virtual receptionist can be the difference between outsourcing success and failure. That’s why it’s essential to develop your script and/or choose the right receptionist style that will represent your business the best.

Step 1: Understand your options and avoid scripting pitfalls

Your approach to scripting should be different depending on if you’re using an answering service or a call center. For example, a standard answering service is typically set in a non-scripted environment, meaning that the operators handling your calls will have a general outline of the questions to ask or information to gather, but they do not have to follow an actual script, whereas a call center service is set in a scripted environment where the operators are required to closely follow a script in order to get through a call.

Once you have a clear understanding of your options and you’ve decided on the type of service that will work best for you, the next building block to creating a personal answering service is to avoid scripting pitfalls. Often, when businesses sign up for an answering service, they try to set up their call handling the same exact way their calls are handled in-house. While it is important to make sure your service and your business are working in tandem, it may not always be feasible to set them up exactly the same way. Here are some ways to avoid errors:

• Arm your answering service with 5-10 frequently asked questions that your operators can easily answer.
• Add a driving question upfront to help steer the call and avoid callers from rambling.
• For complicated scenarios or irate callers, set up a warm transfer to your in-house support team.

Tip: When setting up your account, consider the customer experience first. For example, having your answering service get deeply involved with asking multiple questions will probably lead to more questions on the caller’s side, which your operators probably will not be able to answer.

Step 2: Know who is answering your calls

Taking advantage of any level of a free trial period is a great way to get to know who is answering your calls before you start to open up all of your traffic. A free trial gives you and your team the freedom to place test calls as if you were an actual caller so that you can get an idea of what  your callers will experience. It also provides a great opportunity to see what’s working or what doesn’t flow so well so that you can make the appropriate scripting adjustments. When you do finally send calls over, you can be confident that everything will already be running like a well oiled machine.

Aside from the mechanics of the call, you want to make sure that the customer service representatives answering your calls are representing your brand as perfectly as someone in your own office would. The more you work with your answering service and express your goals and ideas, the more they can customize your account to fit your needs as closely as possible.

Tip: Continue placing test calls throughout the duration of your time on service so that you can always stay in the loop and address issues as they come up instead of waiting to hear about them from your customers.

Step 3: Work closely with your customer service team

Having a good relationship with your answering service’s customer service team is important, as they are the ones that will help guide you whenever you need help or have questions. Working closely with your service encourages everyone involved to be on the same page, which makes the process of bouncing ideas and making updates that much easier. When your service is aware of your goals and has your business’s success in mind, you are able to maximize your outsourcing experience and ensure your customers are always receiving personalized care.

Tip: Schedule monthly script reviews with your answering service to make sure everything is still running smoothly. If anything happens to change within your business (like pricing, services, etc.) make sure your answering service is aware. 

Step 4: Adjust your protocols to remove interactions that feel cold

Once you get the initial blueprint designed and script built, you might find that some protocols you have in place just don’t flow naturally. Questions or protocols that may have been important for you to include in the beginning may not be as necessary if you see that callers are having a hard time understanding, or your invoices are getting too high due to the length of your calls.

The most important aspect to consider when working with your answering service is how your customers will feel about their experience. Asking question after question can feel monotonous and may wind up frustrating callers more than helping them. If your customers are hesitant to reach out when they need you, take that as a cue that something needs changing.

Step 5: Look at the data

Just like you would monitor the quality of service and ask for feedback from customers in regards to your own office and staff, applying the same mindset to your answering service can help you build a more personal experience. Below are some easy ways to gather insight which can help determine how to fine tune your service:

• Listen to recordings: Being able to listen to how your calls are handled is a great way to see how things are operating, and if anything needs updating. If operators are consistently stumbling over the same area, consider removing or re-wording the question. If your callers are getting confused about who they are talking to, consider adjusting your call handling so that the operators are announcing they are with the answering service when they greet callers.
• Monitor hold times: Being on hold isn’t great, but it’s inevitable. However, you can easily monitor hold times by placing test calls yourself or requesting answer rate reports from your service. These reports should show you how many calls hit your system in a given time frame, and how long each one of them waited. If you notice that you have frequent holds, adding a custom hold message will help deter callers from abandoning the queue. You may even want to see if your service can set up a system that allows operators to call back customers who have hung up before reaching anyone, which will help personalize your customers’ experiences.
• Let customers rate the operators: Getting into the mind of your customers is a great way to gather feedback. After each interaction, have your answering service send an email to your callers asking them how they did. This provides a great opportunity to see what’s working, and what needs tweaking. And, your callers will love the extra touch of customer service!
• Run reports: Running reports and collecting data will help determine various metrics like when you have the highest volume of calls or the reason why customers are calling, which will help you make adjustments to better streamline support.

Step 6: Eliminate automation

For your customers to feel a personal connection to your company, they should  be speaking to actual people. While automated systems can come in handy, the best type of support is live support. If you currently have a voicemail set up to catch after hours or overflow calls, or you have a complex auto attendant set up with 37 options, your business is only going to succeed in giving off the feeling that you don’t really want to talk to your customers.

Allowing your callers to talk to a warm body instead of a cold robot helps show that your business is powered by humans, which is much more relatable to your customers, who we assume are also human.

Tip: If you do need to use a voicemail, include your answering service’s forwarding number in your message so that your customers have the option to call them directly if they need to speak with someone. Additionally, if you need to use an auto attendant, make it simple and straightforward so that your callers can still receive live support easily. 

The post 6 Steps To Build A Personal Answering Service appeared first on Specialty Answering Service.

Almost every company outsourcing to a live answering service uses some form of on-call dispatching for their after hours or business hours calls that require immediate attention. And why not! Businesses don’t want to drop the ball on potential sales, and customers with urgent requests don’t want to be left waiting until the next business day to be heard. Letting a virtual receptionist give you a buzz to pass important messages along or transfer callers is a great way to harness the power of an answering service. This leaves customers wondering, “If it’s one of the best tools an answering service can offer, is there a way we can get more out of it, and how should we structure our on-call?”

We are an answering service, so naturally, we have your answers! We looked at hundreds of accounts who use on-call dispatching as part of their script, compared it against any customer service issues for each client related to on-call, and found 6 similarities among the best performing campaigns.

1. Keep the on-call information updated

Just like you wouldn’t let your on-call schedule go outdated in your own office, you shouldn’t let your on-call schedule expire with your answering service either. In order to maintain a successful outsourcing experience, you have to make sure you are always on the same page as your  service. That means if something changes in your office, your answering service should be notified of the change as well. If you don’t, your answering service will wind up making errors that could cost you business.

2. If there’s a problem, we’ll let you know – you just need to act

Whenever our operators encounter a problem with a script, they always log the error for our support team to look into. Our support team then starts a case with the client to alert them of the error so that we can try to come to a resolution. Once our team alerts you of an error, the best thing to do is to respond with an answer, and to do so quickly. The quicker we can get the issue resolved, the quicker your customers can continue to receive the best service possible. Some examples of the most common on-call errors we come across include:

• Expired on-call schedule: If your on-call schedule has not been updated, the system is going to pull the last known configuration and use that as a guide. That means that if Paul was the last scheduled person from 2 weeks ago, the system will continue to dispatch to Paul until you can update the schedule with new information.
• Staff no longer works for the company: Often times we’ll see that businesses update their own company roster, but fail to keep their answering service in the loop. Whenever you add or remove employees, you always want to make sure your on-call staff list is properly updated and your schedule reflects the changes.
• Incorrect phone number: Just like how some businesses fail to alert us with updated employee rosters, they also sometimes fail to let us know when an employee changes his or her phone number. Keeping phone numbers updated is one of the many keys to ensuring successful interactions.
• Incorrect schedule: If you’re not familiar with making updates in our on-call platform, it can be easy to make a couple mistakes here and there. That is why we offer articles and tutorials within our help desk to guide customers in making changes. However, if making updates just isn’t your thing, our customer support staff would be happy to help!
• Schedule is not integrated: In order for our operators to access your on-call schedule, it must be integrated into your script. Many customers think that just adding their schedule to the portal is enough, but they often forget that second step. While our support staff is pretty good at making sure schedules are properly integrated, some do slip through the cracks. If you do happen to add a schedule, send a quick message to our support staff so they can double check your work!

3. Understanding what a schedule start-stop time refers to

When creating your on-call schedule in SAS’s portal, the system will require you to select a start/stop time for your on-call rotation. Essentially, this will dictate when your schedule will start and when it will change over to the next person. No matter what time you select, the start/stop time frame runs for a full 24 hours. So, if you select 8am, your schedule will start at 8am, and end at 8am the following day.

If you have the same person on-call all week, the schedule won’t technically “end” but it allows the system to know when one day has ended and another begins. If you have multiple shifts throughout a 24 hour period, you can create a custom time frame. The time frame will still run for 24 hours, but the custom setting will allow you to add multiple different time slots within the 24 hour period. For example, you could have one employee on-call from 8am-2pm, another employee on-call from 2pm-10pm, and another employees on-call from 10pm-8am the following morning. As long as you complete a 24 time frame, you can add as many time slots as you want.

4. A status update is not an on-call update

Not to be confused with an on-call update, a status update is a change you can make within your SAS portal that allows you to provide temporary instructions for the operators. The temporary instructions don’t actually change your call handling, they just add a simple note for the agents. After your set time frame for the status update has expired, the instructions automatically get removed from your script.

A status update is great to use when there are last minute changes and customer service isn’t able to make the update in the time that you need it to go into effect, or you’re on the go and can’t reach out. However, it is not error-proof, and should only be used as a last ditch effort when you need an immediate change. Otherwise, we always recommend updating your actual script or on-call schedule to guarantee your updates are followed.

5. When to use a warm transfer, and when to go cold

Since each customer interaction is different, you probably want to handle different situations in different ways. For example, if a potential customer calls who is interested in your service, you may want those calls warm transferred to your sales team to close the deal. However, if an existing customer calls with an issue that isn’t urgent, you may want to cold transfer them to your support team. If no one is available, they can leave a message for a return call. If you’re not sure what the difference is between a warm and a cold transfer, don’t worry! We broke them down for you below:

• Warm transfer: During a warm transfer, the operator would put the caller on hold, dial the appropriate contact, and see if they are available to accept the call. If they are, they transfer the caller through. If they are not, they either attempt a different number, or they go back to the caller to gather the message.
• Cold transfer: During a cold transfer, the operator would not put the caller on hold to see if the appropriate contact is available. Instead, the operator would just transfer the caller blindly. If the contact was not available, the caller would be able to leave a voicemail for a return call

6. Send it early and we’ll make the updates

If you’re not comfortable making your on-call changes yourself, our support team would be more than happy to do it for you! However, you should always send updates prior to when you actually need them done, so that our team has ample time to complete them, review them, and get them back to you.

When our team is forced to make updates in a pinch, there are more chances for errors. Additionally, if multiple clients are requesting changes at the exact same time, your updates may fall into a queue which prolongs the time it takes to get them done. So, if you need us to make updates, make sure you are sending them to us at least 2 days in advance to guarantee they are done in a timely fashion, and done right.

The post 6 Foundations of a Flawless On-Call Dispatching System appeared first on Specialty Answering Service.

1. Set up Your Greeting

Answering services can greet your callers in any number of different ways. However, for instant activation, a simple “Thank you for calling, how may I help you?” is perfect. Having simple greetings like this are great when your service is just taking basic messages.

To cut down on messages you receive (and keep your monthly invoice as low as possible), you should also setup an automated greeting. The greeting would play prior to an agent getting on the phone, and can be as customized as you’d like. If you’re going on vacation and the office will be closed, you can include that in your message. That way callers will know right away that the office is closed, so they can either decide to hang up and call back when you are open, or they can leave a message with a live receptionist.

2. Decide What Information You Need From Callers

For the fastest setup, you’ll want to gather the most basic information. A great example of basic call handling includes the following 4 questions:

1. Name (first and last): Can I have your first and last name?
2. Phone Number: Thanks! And what is the best number to reach you?
3. Email: Can I also get your email address?
4. Regarding (what the call is about): And what message would you like me to pass along?

3. Let Your Answering Service Know Where to Send Messages

After you’ve got your script together, you’ll need to let your answering service know where to send messages. We suggest providing an email address to keep things simple, and elect to receive a notification for every call. If there are other employees that should be receiving messages, you’ll want to provide your answering service with their contact information as well.

4. Add FAQs

With calls come questions, so adding the basic frequently asked questions is important. FAQs will help operators answer questions appropriately instead of taking messages when they don’t have to. Since we’re focusing on a speedy setup here, you’ll just want the following FAQs:

1. Where you’re located
2. What are your business hours
3. What is your phone number, fax number, and email address
4. What does your company do

If you’re just going on vacation, you may also want to add some information about when callers can expect a call back. Will they have to wait until you return, or will someone else be able to reach back out in your place?

5. Make Test Calls

Prior to forwarding your line, make a test call just to make sure everything is perfect. The last thing you want is to spend extra time refining your account when you could be doing other things (like practicing your snorkeling technique).

6. Get Going!

Once you’ve provided all of the necessary information to your answering service and you’ve tested the line, it’s time to get moving. Go ahead and set up call forwarding on your phone (or post the new number for your customers to call directly) and leave the rest to the agents handling your calls.

Pro tip: If you know that you’ll be using an answering service to field your calls and you will NOT be advertising the number they give you, make sure to contact your phone provider in advance just to make sure you have the forwarding feature set up on your phone. If you’ve set up everything else and you get stuck because you can’t forward, well that’s a boat no one wants to be in.

The post 6 Tips for Instant Answering Service Activation appeared first on Specialty Answering Service.

In the call center industry, both live-operator and automated solicitation calls use autodialer technology – telecom software that enables a telephone system to call out to hundreds of numbers consecutively. The benefit to the answering service is instant, as the service can maximize marketing efforts while minimizing the time it takes to dial number after number. While this level of efficiency is great for answering services, it’s not so great for business owners who are receiving solicitations on the regular.

If you’re using an answering service, you don’t want to pay for usage not directly tied to your business. However, since all calls that an answering service fields are billable, you’re inevitably going to pay for some sort of inbound telemarketing. With a per-minute plan, this may not affect your bottom line that much, as most per-minute rates bill by the second. But for per-call clients, the tally can quickly rack up, eating into your plan allowance.

While no business can stop solicitation calls entirely, we’ve put together some information below that should help you limit those inbound hits, and simultaneously reduce the cost of your answering service.

As a consumer, am I protected against robocalls?

Absolutely. Unless you’re RoboCop, and your mother board is giving you a shout out, companies can’t just dial up consumers whenever they want. In fact, according to the Federal Communications Commission, robocalls and telesales are their number one source of complaints. That’s why Congress approved the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) in 1991. In a nutshell, without prior consent to call or text your home or cell phone, autodialers and automated telemarketing are against FCC regulations. Registering your numbers on the National Do Not Call Registry is the first step to stopping the madness. Bear in mind, though, that there are a few exceptions to the FCC’s rules, e.g., emergency alerts, political polls, charities, and debt collectors.

What about small businesses whose personal phone is also their business phone?

If you’re a business owner, even if your personal landline or cell phone is being used for work, then the aforementioned regulations apply. In other words, it is still within your rights as a consumer to list those numbers on the National Do Not Call Registry. The tricky part comes when businesses are trying to stop solicitation calls from other businesses. Unfortunately, there is no provision for Business to Business calls under FCC regulations.

B2B calls, when business A is trying to solicit sales from business B, are perfectly acceptable. If you’ve outsourced customer support to an answering service, solicitation calls can quickly jack up your monthly usage. Operators are trained to hang up on robocalls. But hanging up on a live caller? That would be pretty darn unprofessional, not to mention that some solicitors are adept at keeping an operator on the line until they get the information they want.

As a business owner, what recourse do I have?

There are a few things that you can do to reduce or eliminate solicitation calls altogether.

The basics…

1. If you can identify which numbers are from solicitors, ask your phone provider to block them from ever getting through to your line. Taking matters into your own hands, you can likely block callers yourself, directly from your phone or online account. It may also be possible to prohibit calls from “private” numbers or toll free numbers.
2. If you haven’t already done so, add your phone numbers to the National Do Not Call Registry. Remember, even if your home or cell phone doubles as your business line, you are still entitled to the same protection that consumers are afforded. After your numbers have been on the registry for 31 days, if you’re still receiving robocalls, you can file complaints against any businesses that simply won’t leave you alone.
3. For robocalls hitting the answering service, consider the effective software solution of including an upfront IVR that instructs callers to press 1 to reach an operator. As clever as autodialers might be, they can’t press buttons. IVR isn’t free, but the fee is generally minimal, and the benefits will far outweigh any out-of-pocket cost.

Use scripting to your advantage…

1. Include a path in your call script specifically for inbound B2B solicitation. Once the operator realizes what the call is about, they can read a standard closing response such as, “We do not accept solicitation calls. Please remove this number from your list. Thank you.”
2. Add a screening question to the operators’ greeting such as, “Are you a current client?” or, “Is this an emergency?” This should filter out the calls you want from the calls you don’t.

Talk with your answering service about what suggestions they have, or ask them to implement the ideas that we’ve outlined. While no solution is foolproof, these points will go a long way towards helping you beat the bots and bolster your small business’ bottom line.

The post What to Do When Telemarketing Calls Are Jacking Up Your Answering Service Bill appeared first on Specialty Answering Service.

When it comes to starting an answering service or call center, you’ll need a lot more than a few phones and operators. The best plan doesn’t leave anything to chance and will help you gain solid footing in a competitive industry. If you’re truly interested in the subject or are researching how to embark on your next entrepreneurial journey, check out our extended resource for a detailed business plan on how to start a call center. We’ve taken the guesswork out of getting started, giving you a comprehensive look at how to build an effective answering service from top to bottom!

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If you’re outsourcing to a service, you have two choices: let the callers know they are speaking with the answering service, or don’t. We’ll dive into the pros and cons of each approach.

Don’t let callers know they’re speaking with the service.

Pros

• They won’t hesitate to provide their information to the operator.
• They’ll know that you are always available when they need you.
• Having multiple people answering your line, along with 24/7 accessibility, will give your small business a big business feel.

Cons

• They will expect their needs to be met directly. If operators can’t give them answers, they may question the reliability of your business.
• Callers will become frustrated, and operators will have a difficult time regaining control of the call.
• Navigating a tense interaction will increase call time, costing you and your customers more in the long run.

But I don’t want my callers to know that I have an answering service. What are my options?

There really is no ideal middle of the road alternative. However, operators can pick up your line in a number of ways that will represent your business professionally, without directly identifying themselves as the receptionist or the answering service. This combined approach should lower callers’ expectations while maintaining optimum customer service standards.

“You’ve reached the after-hours receptionist for ZapAndOutage Electric, this is Jessica. Do you need urgent service?”

• Pro: The operator immediately triages the caller’s needs by asking if they need urgent service.
• Con: Most people will identify “after-hours receptionist” with an answering service.

“Thank you for calling, you’ve reached the off-site receptionist for Peas in a Pod Home Care. How may I direct your call?”

• Pro: The operator is representing your company in the capacity of receptionist.
• Con: Even though “off-site” is stated in the greeting, the caller may still expect the operator to have advanced company knowledge.

“You’ve reached the scheduling department for Dr. Hamond Eggs, this is Hector. How may I help you today?”

• Pro: The operator is representing your company as if he is in the office.
• Con: Hearing “scheduling department” may give the caller the impression that the operator has access to prior appointments or scheduled services.

I still want the operators to act as my receptionist.

If maintaining the appearance of a receptionist is essential to your company culture, there are things you can do to help operators make every call a success.

• Be sure that your account is set up with several well written FAQs.
• Take only basic information from your callers, such as name, number, and a brief message.
• Have a stock answer, such as, “I don’t have that information, but Barbara will explain everything to you when she gets in touch.”
• For advanced questions, always build the option to transfer calls to you or your staff.
• Try to cover all the bases in your script like adding paths for callers asking for specific people or having a list if employees in your FAQs. Nothing is more embarrassing than an agent being asked if Jim works there and saying they have no idea.

Working with an answering service may be a bit of an adjustment, but a confident and empowered operator will make the caller feel comfortable and set the tone for a smooth interaction. Ensuring a positive service experience is fundamental to customer retention, and making calls effortless for both the operator and the caller has an indelible impact on the future of your business.

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On their Facebook page, Target posted, “We are experiencing significantly higher volume than normal to our call centers, causing delays. We are working hard to resolve this issue by adding team member support and system capacity as quickly as possible. We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate our guests’ patience as we build capacity hour by hour until we meet all our guests’ needs.” The retailer even set up a special company hotline to manage the overflow, but that was bombarded, too. And you can bet that Target’s call center is a high volume call center. So what happened?

When you’re under-prepared for what Target’s CEO, Gregg Steinhafel, called an “unprecedented volume” of calls, great service will suffer, and your live receptionist staff will, too. But is there a solution? Though there is no telling when a bad PR event of this magnitude will occur, call center management can take proactive steps to prepare for high volumes of inbound calls. Consider the following:

1. Look to Temp Agencies

Temporary employment agencies offer the convenience of last minute staffing with employees who have already been vetted by the agencies’ human resources personnel, and you can have a revolving partnership with them so that they will immediately know how to meet your needs. It’s a fast way to increase your staff, thus accommodating the influx of calls from security breaches, product or drug recalls, or even wide-reaching ad campaigns. They may even be able to locate workers with specific call center experience. You will still have to train the temps upon arrival, but in much less time than it would take you to personally post an ad for additional help, interview, hire and train each newbie.

2. Offer Overtime

If you find yourself in the middle of a days or weeks-long phone call frenzy, think about offering overtime or bonus time, like a free, floating holiday. Full or part-time workers may be more inclined to help you out if you make it worth their while, and since they’re already trained, it saves you time, too. This also applies to any employees who work from home. So, give them the option to pick up some extra cash or score a little more vacation time. Incentives make every employee’s job just a little more appealing.

3. Perfect Training Methods

It’s simple. Better training makes for stronger, smarter employees. And stronger, smarter employees work faster and more efficiently. When you spend time creating a comprehensive training model that includes scenarios such as the proper handling of call spikes, you’re investing in advanced preparation for the inevitable hair-pulling moments that every call center experiences. A detailed training plan also makes it much easier to show temporary hires the ropes, getting them up and running in no time flat.

4. Don’t Underestimate Online Support

Call centers manage more than phone calls. They can offer services such as email response, live chat, and social media monitoring. Don’t underestimate how significantly a strong online services solution can impact your clients. With e-commerce sales exceeding $200 billion, it’s clear that literally millions of shoppers prefer to conduct business via the Web. That being said, it’s a good idea to make these features part of your portfolio. Just think of how many people you can help in a short amount of time if you are using a multitude of communication channels! It will help you keep costs down, translating into savings for your ultimately very happy clients.

5. IVR Is Your Friend

Interactive Voice Response, aka IVR, is of tremendous value when it comes to triaging panicked phone calls. Cost-effective automation gives callers the opportunity to channel their issues to the right department without being transferred a bunch of times. This makes swift support an attainable outcome for ordinary calls. And in times of crisis, it quickly separates standard inquiries from those requiring immediate attention. The call center may still receive a deluge of requests; but with IVR, callers can help themselves, and they’ll know how long their expected hold time is. In addition, most automated systems offer the option to receive a call back, putting callers in queue so their arms don’t fall asleep endlessly gripping the receiver.

The Bottom Line

Whether it’s at holiday time or from something as unfortunate as a security breach, following some of the guidelines above can help your live receptionist service be armed and ready when those phones start ringing off the hook. So, stay on target and be ready for anything. Working to address issues before they happen as opposed to scrambling for a solution after the fact makes things easier on your team and keeps customers chipper!

The post 5 ways to prepare your live receptionist service for high call volumes. appeared first on Specialty Answering Service.

Here are the top 4 things to consider as you delve into the world of “work at home call centers.”

Where can you find these jobs anyway?

A post on Forbes.com lists the top 100 companies offering flexible jobs from home. Though “work from home” ads are, more often than not, scams, there are actually employers who believe in work-life balance. And there are big-name corporations looking to fill these positions, such as Dell, Xerox, Pitney Bowes, Microsoft, Lockheed Martin, Aetna, and Bausch & Lomb, just to name a few.

What should you say in the interview?

More importantly, here’s what not to say. Don’t say that you have a million things on your personal calendar that will prevent you from working a consistent shift. Work at home call centers need employees who are committed to a certain number of hours back-to-back. Granted, there are virtual office assistant positions that allow you to work whenever the spirit moves you. But remote receptionist services require a steady schedule.

What can you expect when you’re working from home?

Unless you, house plants and the occasional spider are the only living things in your home, expect distractions. Do you have barking dogs? Kids running around? Is your rickety old washing machine making too much noise for you to focus? Yep. These are all interruptions that can easily derail your train of thought. And let’s not forget your cell phone, personal email, and the lure of your cozy bed.

What can you do to keep your job, and your sanity?

Make sure that your home office is comfortable, free of clutter, and has adequate lighting. Take breaks throughout the day. 5 minutes to stretch here and there can make a huge difference in your energy level. And don’t forget to eat! When you’re on a roll (pun intended), you may inadvertently skip a meal. Above all, for heaven’s sake, make sure that your office has a door. This will keep noise out when you’re working, and keep work from being on your mind when you’re not!

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