Business Answering Services

More information on Business Answering Services

Written by Steven Bryan

In the corporate world, you rarely get a second chance to make a good first impression, especially with a client over the phone. Customers want to feel confident that they can reach you when they need help, which is why adding business answering services could be exactly what your company needs.

Using modern technology to do things the "old way"

Even after voice mail became common in the office, Benjamin Edwards III, CEO of the investment firm A.G. Edwards & Sons, insisted that clients always be able to reach a human being during working hours. Edwards knew that hearing a recorded voice at the other end of the phone was bad for business and other companies soon followed this line of thinking when developing their customer service efforts.

Companies of all sizes can offer top-quality customer service. Business answering services can field phone calls, take orders, and relay messages, even for someone who is self-employed and working at home. You don't have to be anchored to a phone, and a customer doesn't have to navigate a complicated automated menu of message options.

Benefits of business answering services

In addition to putting a customer in touch with a human being, using business answering services has other benefits as well:

• 24x7 phone coverage. You don't have to keep staff manning the phone during all the time. Business answering services will cover your calls after normal working hours, taking messages from clients and logging technical questions.
• Basic technical support. Some services will train their operators to answer basic questions about your product or service. You would put together a manual, which the answering service would use to school its employees.
• Lower overhead. By making use of a virtual call center, you don't incur the human resources cost on your balance sheet. In some ways, it is like getting a staff of trained operators for the cost of one in-house staff member.
• Online message retrieval. Some companies will post your calls and messages online, so you can retrieve them wherever you are, day or night. This is ideal if you are at a client site or attending an out-of-town conference.
• Toll-free numbers. Clients who live in other states always like having a toll-free number to call. Most answering services will offer an 800-number option, allowing customers to call free-of-charge from anywhere in the country.

Ready to get a business answering service for your company? Submit a free request for quotes and get matched to multiple dealers who will try to get you the best deal.

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