There may be only 24 hours in a day, but with effective time management, it’s amazing what you can achieve within that time frame. To better manage their time, most successful business leaders delegate lower-level tasks and focus on the tasks that only they can accomplish.
Two of the most commonly outsourced business tasks are call answering service and customer service. Below we will answer and discuss the following questions to explain how call answering services work, and how you can get the most out of working with one.
- What are the best call answering services?
- What do the best call answering services do?
- How do I choose the best call answering service?
What are the best call answering services?
Before determining the best call answering service for your business, it’s helpful to understand the two main options available:
An automated answering service (also referred to as an interactive voice response (IVR) system) interacts with callers using voice commands or keyed-in responses. After pressing “1” for hours of operation, or “2” to speak with a receptionist, and so on, an IVR system will route callers to the correct person, department, or extension.
A live answering service ensures that your callers will have a real human to speak with. These professional agents are trained and experienced, and they perform many of the same tasks as an in-house receptionist. Live answering services are ideal for businesses that have complex needs or callers who require compassionate, personalized service.
No matter which route you take, here are some general things to look for when choosing an answering service partner:
- Expertise
- A great reputation
- Cost efficiency
- Innovative technology
- The features your business needs most
What do the best call answering services do?
The best call answering services are those that go above and beyond to offer their clients the features they need most- and none of what they don’t. As a leading call answering service since 1974, Answering Service Care is proud to offer an assortment of valuable features you won’t find everywhere else:
- Email monitoring services, which monitor your inboxes to make sure that no important messages, alerts, or inbound email tickets go unnoticed.
- Text messaging answering services, to ensure that the customers who prefer texting over calling still receive the same great service.
- Our proprietary Spam Blocker feature, which offers an extra layer of protection by filtering out automated robocalls before they are answered.
- Bilingual live agents to make both your English and Spanish-speaking callers feel more at ease.
- HIPAA-compliant answering services for medical, legal, insurance and accounting businesses that handle private health information.
How do I choose the best call answering service?
When choosing the best call answering service, it’s important to look at your business type and the unique needs it may have. Businesses are not one-size-fits-all, and what works for one may not work for another.
For example, a top priority of a healthcare practice should be to partner with a HIPAA-compliant answering service. This shows patients that you value the privacy and protection of their health information, and it will help you avoid hefty fines due to HIPAA violations.
Law firms, on the other hand, will likely want to partner with an answering service that offers lead intake services. With a solid lead intake and legal phone answering service, you can rest assured knowing you won’t miss an opportunity to grow your business.
After-hours answering services and 24/7 answering services are popular options for real estate companies, service contractors, and other businesses who receive a high volume of calls during non-business hours. Not only does a 24/7 answering service allow you to enjoy your time off, but it helps you accomplish more each workday.
