You might have a great business idea, and the next step is to start your business. However, you may have looked at things from your perspective and thus see many possible problems you can encounter in the future.
An important thing that most people forget is to think of solutions beforehand, and one such solution you can consider is hiring a professional answering service. According to reports, the global telephone answering machine market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 3.5 percent by 2028.
Here are factors that you should consider if you want to hire a professional answering service:
1) Timing of the Answering Service
According to reports, more than half of all employees in America do freelance work. Thus, your business must have the capability to answer inquiries at any time.
There are various types of answering services depending on the time of day, and you need to choose a company that provides this type of service.
Some common types are:
a) Live Chat
It is a quick form of communication that enables customers to have a conversation with you, and all you need is live chat software. However, this type of service does not support calls at night or on weekends.
b) Standard Time Answering Service
In the case of standard time answering services, calls are only answered between 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. However, you can request off-hours services usually provided at an extra charge.
c) 24/7 Answering Service
These are the best answering services because they respond to customers anytime they call or send them messages via Chat or email.
There is, however, an extra charge to consider.
2) Call Transfer
In case of a call transfer, customers can be connected with your agents directly from your company. There are various types of transfers that include:
a) Auto Attendant Transfer
This type of Transfer is activated when customers dial a specific number or choose a particular prompt.
b) Warm Transfer
In this type of Transfer, your agents do not have to answer the call right away as the caller is transferred from one extension to another within your company. The first party can either pick up or let it go to voice mail.
3) Business Hours
You might be wondering, how does it matter what hours your business is open? If one of your employees answers all incoming calls in the middle of the night, they might think their efforts are not acknowledged and feel unappreciated.
It, therefore, would be better to get an answering service that works with your employees and responds to customers after you close for the day. If they get unanswered calls in the middle of the night, citizens might not bother calling back again.
4) Additional Services
You can find additional services usually provided by professional answering services on their websites. There are various services you can request depending on your business needs, and some of the most common ones include:
a) Call Recording
You can record phone conversations with customers or employees for quality assurance or keep records of past transactions.
b) Email Answering
It is becoming more popular as it enables customers to send messages through email or Chat, and it is usually available 24/7.
c) SMS Answering
This service notifies your company of new customer inquiries via SMS, and it can be used as a backup answering system.
5) Pricing Model
You need to check which billing model the answering service you are considering uses. Various types of pricing models include:
a) Pay Per Minute
The call cost is calculated by adding up all the time spent on a call, including being transferred to your employees or other departments in your company.
b) Flat Rate
This billing system is usually available for calls under a specific number of minutes, and the customer only pays a flat rate for using it.
c) Monthly Fee
In this type of model, you pay a monthly fee regardless of the volume of calls received. However, if your contact volume goes up over time, you will have to renegotiate the contract.
d) Per Call
This model is usually used by some answering services that provide transcription, telemarketing, or medical answering services. They charge you every time a call is connected to your company, regardless of the duration.
6) Payment Methods
Some professional answering services allow you to pay through online methods, whereas others might use different means of payment, such as checks.
7) Services for Departments
Before hiring an answering service, determine which department it will be used by, as some are only applicable to call centers or other departments. For instance, medical answering services can only operate 24/7 under specific guidelines and are designed for medical staff that offers after-hours care.