Don't Miss That Call: What You Should Know About Business Call Answering Services

When it comes to improving your company's accessibility for customers, a live answering service is a great investment. Working with a live answering service allows you to streamline your company's communications and adapt as your business demand grows. If you're new to the idea of an answering service, here are a few features that may help you ensure consistent, quality communication for your customers.

Overflow Calls

If you aren't ready to commit to using an answering service full-time for call screening, you should consider testing the waters with overflow call management. When you use an answering service for overflow calls, it allows your staff to handle most of the calls that come in during the day. Calls will only go to the answering service if all of the lines are busy when a call comes in.

The advantage to an overflow answering service is that it ensures that everyone who calls your company gets to speak to a live person. In a business age of automated menus, seemingly endless hold music and voicemail, this will be a welcome change and a personal touch that your customers won't forget.

After Hours Call Management

The business environment has grown to a global marketplace, which means that companies are receiving calls at all hours. Customers frequently receive voice mail or other recordings when calling businesses in other countries or time zones, so you can set your company apart by providing an answering service after hours. When a customer is accustomed to leaving messages and waiting for answers, reaching a live person who can answer questions will make a lasting impression.

Call Prioritization

When you work with an answering service that is able to screen and prioritize your calls, you can limit the inbound calls to your office during business hours. Your answering service could handle most of the customer inquiries and basic calls, forwarding only the high priority calls to your office. By shifting the responsibility for the basic customer service calls, you'll be limiting the disruption in your office. After all, a ringing telephone can be disruptive when you're working with a customer. Create a more peaceful and welcoming environment without sacrificing customer service quality by having an answering service prioritize the calls that come through to your line.

Full-Time Call Answering

A full-time answering service provides you with call answering 24 hours a day, every day. You can have confidence that your customers always reach someone who can help them, even when your staff is on vacation or sick. There's no worry about having to cover the incoming phone lines on days when you're short-staffed.

When you hire an answering service for full-time call answering, you can determine how you want to be notified of calls. Some services have a web-based platform for call logs so you can monitor the incoming call activity when you have time. This ensures that you never miss an issue or an opportunity to reach out to a customer for follow-ups.

Answering services are not just for doctor's offices and overnight on-call services anymore. As you can see, there are many different options available for companies of all kinds. If you want to improve your company's customer service, talk to an answering service such as Tel-Us Call Center about your options today.