When looking for a live answering service that can seamlessly integrate with your existing sense of business, it’s vital that you choose one that will treat your customers exactly like you would if you answered the phone.
Some Signs a Live Answering Service is a Match
Instead of calling the first guy you find using Google, hiring an answering service means having to ask a lot of hard questions and even doing a site tour when possible. You need to know that your future answering service company is a member of your team, not just someone out to get a payday.
But how can you tell for sure? Here are a few signs to look for in the best live answering services:
- Training is key. Above all else, your answering service team must be well-trained. You don’t want a company that has high turnover and is constantly sending new people to work on the phones with only a day or two of training. These guys will have a hard time establishing a consistent front because employees are always at wildly different places in their education.Ask your answering service what sort of training they offer and how much training they’ll provide for your particular account. Good services won’t be offended and you’ll learn a lot about how your answering service operates.
- Updated technology. It’s always nice to have access to the newest and best technology, but answering services should be fairly up-to-date in order to protect your caller data. This is a must if you handle any sort of protected data, including patient health information.Up-to-date systems and software protect against hackers and keep your callers’ private information private. Ask how often your answering service updates its software systems to get a better tech picture.
- Disaster plans. Many answering services offer disaster recovery, but few are fully prepared for their own disasters. If you want your answering service to operate without interruption, you need to partner with a company that has a plan.Facilities that are designed to withstand local threats like hurricanes and tornadoes, redundant call centers located in other regions of the country and as backup power and telephone lines are just a few contingencies that good live answering services have in place to keep your business running no matter what happens.
When you find a really great live answering service that’s willing to provide you a flexible plan built from the services your business needs, it’s a beautiful thing. The first few weeks with any live answering service can be a little hectic, but in the Long-Term a company willing to train its employees right, that keeps its computers updated and that will always be there for you no matter what disaster strikes it is the best live answering service around.
