When your team has to field more calls than they can manage, you need support. Working with a call answering service is an excellent way to reduce the workload for your employees and ensure every customer gets taken care of. You know you need this support, and now choosing the right answering service is the next step.
There are many options out there, but most won’t be the right fit for your specific needs. When you start shopping for an answering service, it’s important to understand your requirements and work with a provider that’s tailored to them. With a reliable call answering partner, you can improve customer satisfaction, increase efficiency and help your business grow.
An unmanageable call volume is one of the first signs that you need an answering service. When you’re ready to partner with a provider, it’s helpful to understand your specific call volume and the support you’ll require on a daily basis.
Call handling needs vary widely based on the business you run. For example, service-oriented businesses like plumbers or electricians take calls as a core part of their operations. Service providers may find they’re more likely to need after-hours call support for emergency service visits.
On the other hand, a professional services business like a law office might find that call volumes are at their highest during certain days of the week and between certain hours. For other organizations, call volume increases are seasonal. For instance, a company that provides landscaping and lawn services may not have many calls during the winter but experience influxes in the spring and summer.
Sometimes, it’s not obvious that your business is experiencing a sharp increase in the number of calls. If you’re unsure about your call volume and how to estimate future volume, accessing call data is the first step.
Most businesses use VoIP systems that track information like the number of calls taken and the time spent on calls. Analyze this information over the year to calculate an average call number for each month of the year. You can also look more closely at daily calls to pinpoint volume spikes at certain hours.
When choosing an answering service, you’ll be faced with multiple options. Once you understand your call volume and workflow needs, you can consider the features of each service provider and determine the one that may offer the best possible results. The specific features of your call answering service provider should align with your unique call volume requirements.
Your call volume is subject to change for various reasons, so the best answering services will offer flexibility and customization. In call answering, flexibility can take many forms. Your package may have a cost-per-minute to build on your base minutes, or you might have the freedom to choose the hours that your provider’s agents pick up the phone. For example, you may rely on your answering service for after-hours support, but have your in-house team answer calls during the day.
At AnswerHero™, we offer call answering 24/7 to make sure your callers are getting the attention they need. Whether you choose us for overflow support during the day or as an after-hours service, our team will handle the job.
Technology is an important player in effective call handling. With call agents fielding your calls, you need a way to stay connected to your customers and their needs. A call answering service should include a portal where you can access call information, like numbers, names and summaries of the phone conversations.
A call portal is a baseline necessity to make collaboration with your answering service provider more accessible. Other types of technology can be a bonus, like integrations with other platforms. For example, integration with your calendar app allows agents to see your schedule and make appointments on your behalf. Integration with your CRM or other software makes it easy to access client information for call interactions.
AnswerHero™ features a user-friendly web portal to keep you connected to every call, even when you’re not answering the phone. Our portal gives you access to call history, messages our agents take and an overview of appointments our agents schedule over the phone. Integrations with leading calendar and CMS platforms make our portal intuitive and easy to integrate into your workflow.
Call answering services offer pricing models based on different metrics. Some services may charge per minute or per call. Others will have monthly or annual packages with a set number of minutes or calls. To choose the right pricing model for your organization, you first must understand your call volume and the level of support you’re looking for.
Once you know the support you want, compare those parameters to your budget. For some companies, meeting your support needs within budget may be straightforward. For other businesses, you may have to compromise on the level of support you want for a package that aligns with your budget.
At AnswerHero™, we understand that your needs are always evolving. That’s why we offer a wide range of service packages designed to fit call volumes at every scale. With transparent pricing and completely contract-free service, you’ll always know what our services cost, and you can adjust your package at any time.
Every plan comes with a set number of minutes and a price-per-minute overflow, so you can build on your existing service or move up to the next plan if your volume spikes. Not sure where to start? Our team can help you find the best package for your requirements during the onboarding process.
Missed calls are missed opportunities. Instead of trying to manage a high call volume while juggling other essential tasks, turn to a reliable, customizable answering service like AnswerHero™. Beyond benefits like 24/7 operation and transparent pricing, our call agents are bilingual. Whether your customers are English speakers or Spanish speakers, our team has you covered. Our agents can also operate as translators over the phone if needed.
AnswerHero™ is proud to serve a wide range of businesses, from service providers to healthcare to legal offices and more. Get in touch with us today to get started.
Never miss an important call again with AnswerHero. Our team of professionals will answer calls 24/7/365 based on the information you provide about your business. We handle basic processes like taking messages and routing calls, but we can also make appointments and provide translation services. See the difference AnswerHero makes — choose your plan or contact us today.
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