Over 50% of customers prefer to contact customer service over the phone.
A phone answering service for your business can play a vital role in ensuring that your business stays connected with clients, partners, and prospects.
However, not all answering services are created equal. To make the right choice for your business, it’s important to consider the various factors that can come with looking into working with a phone answering partner.
Let’s look at some of the important factors to consider to get the best solution for your business.
Factors to Consider
Can they provide tailored services?
One of the key factors to consider when choosing an answering service is its ability to tailor its services to your specific business needs.
Every business operates differently, and a one-size-fits-all approach might not be your best option. Look for an answering service that takes time to understand your business, your industry, and your clientele.
Without taking the time to understand all aspects of your business, can you really rely on them to represent your business?
Script Management
Importance of Scripts
Scripts are super important for an answering service, they’re pretty much the backbone of how representatives will manage your calls. These scripts should be tailored to match how your business sounds and what it stands for.
But here’s the thing: we don’t want to sound like robots reading from a script. It’s important to stick to the script to keep things professional, but we also want to respond to customers like regular people.
That’s what makes conversations feel genuine and friendly. So, while scripts are essential for consistency and professionalism, you should always look for a human touch to make sure your customers feel heard and valued.
Updating Scripts and Processes
Scripts and processes will inevitably change as your business grows or your brand evolves. A good answering service should make it easy to do this quickly.
To ensure seamless updates, consider the following suggestions:
- Regular Reviews: Check and update scripts and processes regularly as your business evolves.
- Clear Communication: Keep communication channels open with your answering service provider for quick updates.
- Training and Feedback: Provide training for agents on any changes and gather feedback for continuous improvement.
Handling Urgent and Priority Calls
Strategies for Prioritizing Calls
Urgent and priority calls require a different level of attention. When evaluating answering services, inquire about their strategies for prioritizing calls based on urgency.
A reliable service should have well-defined protocols to identify and handle urgent matters promptly.
This feature is especially crucial for businesses that deal with time-sensitive issues or emergencies.
Quick Response Time
Response time and answering quickly are critical aspects of efficient call handling. You want to work with an answering service that emphasizes prompt response times.
Whether it’s answering simple questions or dealing with urgent issues, a service that’s quick to respond makes customers happy and shows that your business is on the ball.
Oh, and by the way, the industry standard is to answer 80% of all calls within 20 seconds! Keep that in mind when evaluating your options.
Missed Calls and Performance Issues
Strategies for Recovery
Missed calls can result in missed opportunities. Always inquire about the strategies the answering service employs to address missed calls.
Whether through automated callbacks, escalation protocols, or other recovery measures, a proactive approach to addressing missed calls is very important in maintaining customer satisfaction.
Continuous Improvement
A commitment to continuous improvement sets apart a reliable answering service.
Understand the service’s approach to analyzing performance data, gathering feedback, and implementing measures for ongoing improvements.
A service provider that actively seeks ways to improve its performance contributes to the long-term success of your partnership.
Call Recording for Quality Assurance
Leveraging Call Recordings for Training
Call recordings can be used to ensure quality assurance as well as for training purposes. A good answering service will use these recordings to check how well their agents are doing and to help them get even better.
Make sure to ask the service how they use call recordings for training and improvement.
Also, it’s important to follow GDPR guidelines to let customers know their calls are being recorded and to consider if recording calls is necessary for your business.
Ensuring Quality in Every Interaction
Quality assurance is paramount in maintaining a positive image for your business. An answering service that places a strong emphasis on ensuring quality in every interaction contributes to building trust with your callers.
Look for services that have robust quality control measures in place.
Holidays and After-Hours Support
Handling Increased Call Volumes
Holidays and after-hours periods often come with increased call volumes. Ensure that the answering service you choose has strategies in place to handle surges in calls during these times.
Whether through additional staffing or other processes, the service should be equipped to maintain the same level of efficiency during peak periods.
Strategies for Holiday Coverage
Holiday coverage requires careful planning. Inquire about the service’s options for providing continuous support during holidays.
This could involve having a dedicated holiday schedule, ensuring adequate staffing, and communicating effectively with your business to accommodate any specific holiday-related requirements.
Also, don’t forget to ask about bank or public holidays to ensure they are covering your business if you are working those days.
Transparent Pricing and Hidden Costs
Understanding Pricing Models
Pricing transparency is crucial when selecting an answering service. Understand the various pricing models offered and choose one that aligns with your budget and call volume.
There are usually various options to consider such as:
- Per minute pricing
- Monthly packages
- Customized pricing & packages
The important thing is to get clarity on the pricing and understand what you are getting for your money.
Avoiding Unexpected Expenses
Hidden costs can disrupt anyone’s budget and impact the effectiveness of the service you get as a result.
Before finalizing an agreement, thoroughly discuss and understand the potential for additional fees or unexpected expenses.
A transparent service provider should be open about any potential extra charges, allowing you to make an informed decision.
Scalability
Planning for Growth
As your business grows, so do your communication needs. Choose an answering service with scalability in mind.
Inquire about the service’s ability to accommodate increased call volumes, additional services, and evolving business requirements.
Scalability ensures that your communication remains adaptable to the changing needs of your business.
24/7 Coverage
Benefits and Considerations
24/7 coverage offers the benefit of round-the-clock availability for your callers.
Understand the specific benefits and considerations associated with 24/7 coverage. Whether it’s serving an international clientele, catering to different time zones, or providing enhanced customer support, explore how the operating hours of the provider align with your business goals.
Adapting to Different Time Zones
If your business operates in multiple time zones, adapting support to those time zones is crucial. Ask about the answering service’s strategies for managing calls across diverse time zones.
This could involve having dedicated teams for specific regions, utilizing technology for time zone recognition, and ensuring consistent service quality regardless of the time of day.
Standout Features for Top Answering Services
Comparative Analysis
When you’re researching the different providers in the market, it’s always a good idea to compare what each one offers. Look at the different services and options they have and see how they match up with what your business needs.
Whether it’s fancy technology or special services they offer, understanding what’s out there helps you pick the best fit for your business. But remember, just because it sounds good on paper, doesn’t mean it’s right for you.
Unique Offerings in the Market
Every answering service has something special to offer. It could be their technology, knowledge about specific industries, or special service packages.
By finding out what makes each service unique, you can pick one that’s more than just basic call answering — you want the perfect match for your business needs.
Pick the right service, for you!
To pick the best answering service for your business, think about what you really need.
Consider things like customizing services, changing scripts, how quickly they respond, and if they can handle special tasks.
By considering all of these things, and asking the right question, you can choose the right service that helps your business communicate better and contributes to the overall business success.