When you own or manage a business that is “on the grow,” you need to pay attention to every detail.
Every interaction with your company counts for your prospects and clients – from the way you present your products and services to the way you handle customer complaints. But the first threshold clients normally cross is on the phone, and oftentimes through your telephone answering service.
Telephone answering services are a reliable solution for small and growing businesses that can’t facilitate calls on their own. Whether it’s due to an increase in calls or a small staff, a phone answering service can bridge the gap between your abilities as a company and the needs of your clients. They need to be top-notch so that your company makes the right impression with prospects and clients.
If you’re considering a phone answering service for your business, you’re probably focused on what you need from the service. For example, you need to work with a reliable company that picks up calls promptly. You need customized scripts and options. You also need to have all of this for a budget-friendly price.
However, your needs aren’t the only ones that should be considered. Your telephone answering service should also be there to help your customers.
Considering Your Customers’ Needs
Professional phone answering services take time to understand your company, your clients and your needs to pair you with the right services. Before you begin working with a telephone answering service, take some time to think about what a client would expect.
There are the basics needs such as:
- A live U.S.-based receptionist
- A prompt pick-up when the phone rings
- Help with being transferred to the right extension
- Basic questions anticipated and answered
- Seamless integration to your company lines (the client doesn’t even know they being serviced from a different location)
Beyond these basics, there is more. There are also special needs dependent on your unique business and clientele. You may need a telephone answering service to answer after-hours calls and handle customer service issues themselves. You may need them to answer basic questions about your products and services, and make a sale. Your unique business will determine what customers really need from you, and that determines what they expect from an answering service.
As you begin to search for telephone answering service options, think about both your needs and the needs of your clients. Speak with your phone answering service representative about what is possible for your virtual receptionist or virtual call answering team.
