Live Answering Services are the way of the future. They provide personalized,
efficient and immediately available service. The variety of live answering services that are ready
to provide their utmost to please clients might make your selection process a seemingly impossible
task. Before dwelling in the details it is highly recommended to narrow down your specific
requirements! The size of your personnel should be determined based on the number of calls you plan
to receive. Your phone bills in the past could turn out to be of incredible value in that respect!
Another matter that has a large influence on the number of calls and thereby on the size of the
live answering service you plan to hire is the way your company is advertising. TV and radio
advertisements tend to boost the number of incoming calls significantly. Therefore, if you are
advertising seasonally, be sure to consider the fluctuation in the number of consumer
calls!
Furthermore,
live answering services should offer the technological base and variety of
services perfectly suitable for your company. Your needs and expectations could be quite different
whether you are representing a small business or a large corporation. For instance, in the previous
case a small call center’s basic phone line availabilities and headsets could suffice, while in
case of a large entity with more inbound call traffic, you might prefer additional features, such
as computer screens with instructions and charts.
In an ideal case, live answering services should train even their seasoned operators
to fit your personalized requirements. The agents handling your calls are the first
representatives of your company; therefore it is mandatory that their attitude, knowledge and
professional service reflect company standards and image. The operators should have a clear
understanding of your organization’s activities and they should be able to identify with your
missions and goals. The employee turnover within
Live Answering Services would tip you off regarding the service’s competence.
Naturally, operators might leave from time-to-time, but a well-established business cannot afford
to have employees that come and go.
Once you have defined your expectations, you might turn to issues of a more
practical nature. Companies that are not too familiar with the operation of
live answering services tend to overlook certain hidden technical matters.
Therefore, beware of providers that do not have a back-up energy supply! Imagine the consequences
of a power-outage! This could be fatal in the case of medical facilities, but could also lead to
unpleasant drop backs in a high-profile business.
Another phenomenon, fairly common in the Live Answering Services industry is the
tendency to charge unassuming companies per minute instead of per call. Even larger corporations
that have a generally wide-ranging experience with phone-call turnover and length are often
mistaken when attempting to calculate the length of one phone call. Most customers are not prompt
and to the point, leading to longer conversations on the phone in general. Therefore, it is
generally advisable and seems to be more economic in the long run to be charged by
call.
Finally, although it is tempting to jump for live answering services that offer the
lowest price, try and find the right balance between your acceptable price range and services that
offer you the best value in terms of quality, professionalism and technology!
