Answering Phone Calls a Personal Approach to a Core Business Need

Posted November 1, 2011 in business call answering, reliable answering services by admin

Being in the industry, we talk a lot about the business benefits of using an answering service, like how the service can help grow your business, drive revenue, and free up resources.

One thing we haven’t talked much about is the personal touch of live answering services. Your customers are important, and you strive to provide the best customer service possible. If you hire an answering service, who exactly will be answering phone calls for you, and how do you know if they will be any good at it?

Whether engaging an answering service or even using in-house employees, business managers often assume answering phone calls is easy. After all, anyone can do it, so why bother creating a detailed procedure or process for inbound calls. The result? Well, do you know anyone who hasn’t had a bad customer service experience at some point?

Changing Gears Quickly

Working as an Agent at an answering service means answering a lot of phone calls, and it often means answering phone calls for many different types of businesses: medical practices, apartment complexes, plumbing companies, and more. Employees have to be able to move seamlessly from talking to someone who needs a tow truck, to someone with a medical emergency, to someone looking for an apartment. While every call is different, every caller should be treated with the same level of professionalism and respect.

The Right Attitude

This isn’t always easy, and the fact is, working at an answering service is not for everyone. As one Agent pointed out, “Sometimes callers are really stressed out, and it’s easy for some people to get flustered when they pick up the phone and are confronted by a caller who is upset. When I’m answering phone calls, I remember that a mom whose son is sick, a guy whose car breaks down, a family whose heater stops working in the middle of January –they’re all are calling because they have problems that they’re understandably worried about. Talking to me is taking a step towards solving those problems. To me, doing my job right isn’t just about applying my training; it’s about having the right attitude and providing a real service to people.”

What This Means for You

So, if you’re considering an answering service or upgrading from your current provider, how do you gauge how good its employees are going to be at answering phone calls for you? You need to do your homework. Investigate the training procedures and professional development opportunities in place for staff members. Make sure you check multiple client references from the provider. Finally, confirm they will be able to customize a program or programs to fit your specific needs, both now, and in the future.

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