Answering services prove to be adept at helping businesses succeed through a variety of functions.
For professionals that have not contracted an answering service previously, it is easy to write off the service as a sort of glorified answering machine. The reality however, is that an answering service can be a robust, effective tool for increasing profits and productivity in your office. The mistake is made when people assume that the only thing an answering service does is take down messages and then relay them to the appropriate party. Indeed, that is one of the things they do, and they do it exceptionally well. However, depending on the provider of your answering service solutions, there may be any number of other services that could be incorporated into your service package to help your company run more smoothly.
Appointment Scheduling Integration
Some answering companies have software that integrates with your existing calendars. This allows agents to look schedules of your staff in order to schedule meetings or call-back times with clients. Receptionists can also qualify prospects and schedule an appointment for them if they meet your criteria. This all means that you and your staff don’t have to worry about juggling your own calendars or missing an important call, because the answering service has the power to take care of all these scheduling tasks for you.
Call Routing
A good answering service can screen and route your callers as necessary. Based on your specifications, virtual receptionists will handle incoming calls by politely dismissing wrong numbers, screening people you don’t want to speak with, and taking care of the callers who just need something basic that doesn’t require your attention. As for callers who do need to speak with you or someone in your office, the receptionist will transfer that call appropriately. This eliminates frustrating automated menus, people disrupting your staff that shouldn’t be, and callers getting passed around as they try to reach someone who can assist them.
Order Taking Call Center
If your company takes orders over the phone, the convenience an answering service offers is unparalleled. Certain companies will provide agents that can log orders into your ordering system as well as taking general messages from your clients. This completely streamlines the ordering process, saving your customers time and helping you move more product in a timely fashion.
Customer Service Support
An answering service is different from an inbound call center, but there are certain areas where they overlap. If you have some easy support fixes that cover frequently asked questions by your consumers, some answering services will provide their agents with access to your knowledge base. This allows them to promptly address simple concerns within a single call by your customers. One call resolution is incredibly powerful in establishing your company as a customer service champion.
Branding
Most answering services will work with you to develop custom scripts that reflect the brand of your organization. A touch of the voice of your brand in the script helps to reinforce your image in the minds of your callers. This is a subtle but effective way to reinforce the value that your company can offer to customers. It has an especially high impact when using empowered answering service agents that can resolve customer calls in a prompt fashion.
There are even more ways that a telephone answering service can benefit businesses beyond simply taking messages. These are just a few examples and we’d be happy to explore these and other solutions we can provide your company. Simply contact us today to learn more!
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How Answering Services Actually Save Businesses Money