Selecting the right live answering service is really important for any business looking to provide exceptional customer service and responsiveness. With so many options on the market, it can be overwhelming trying to determine which service truly fits your needs and budget.
Importance of a High Quality Live Answering Service
As a small business owner, time and resources are limited and every missed call can mean lost customers and revenue. With a live answering service, you can keep your business reachable at all hours without the expense of adding full-time staff. According to the people at Apello, a high quality live answering service also maintains your professional reputation by ensuring excellent customer service even when your staff is tied up or out of the office. From helping secure emergency appointments to taking down accurate messages, these services play a significant role for a well-run business.
Evaluating the Key Components of a Live Answering Service
Service Levels
The first step in choosing an answering service is determining what kind of service levels you require related to call volume, availability, and response times. Consider the following:
- Business Size – Are you a small shop with intermittent after-hours needs or a large corporation that requires 24/7 coverage with multiple agents on call? Knowing your average call volume will determine what service levels to look for.
- Hours of Operation – Do you need a service primarily for after hours, or do you want to outsource all calls on a 24/7 basis? Defining when you need coverage is the starting point.
- Peak Hours of Calls – Identify your highest volume windows such as Mondays from 9-11am and factor for those needs so callers aren’t competing for agents or forced into voicemail.
- Maximum Hold Times – To uphold a positive customer experience, set limits for maximum on-hold durations before calls are answered.
Agent Training
A live call answering service is only as strong as the agents that power it. Thoroughly investigate how agents are trained and managed.
- Hiring Process – Look for extensive background checks as well as hard and soft skill testing to ensure professional, trustworthy agents.
- Industry-Specific Training – Make sure agents receive targeted onboarding including terminologies and call flows common for your type of business. For example, law firm, healthcare and home contractor answering will require tailored knowledge.
- Ongoing Quality Monitoring – Agent calls should be frequently reviewed against criteria like courtesy, response times, accuracy, and compliance with unique business protocols.
- Scalability – As your business grows, the service should provide efficient ways to ramp up additional skilled agents quickly during onboarding or seasonal spikes to maintain service levels.
Pricing & Contract Terms
Service fees and contracts can vary widely for live answering services. Get clear answers on:
- Pricing Model – Most offer monthly subscriptions plans priced per agent or package based on expected call volumes rather than nickel and diming per call. Understand all the charges included.
- Hidden Fees – Watch out for setup fees, extensive minimum commitments, activity-based fees for web chat interactions, charges for additional numbers and toll-free lines, etc. that quickly inflate costs.
- Contract Terms – While month-to-month offers most flexibility, 1-2 year contracts may provide the best rates with the option to upward scale service levels as needed.
Conclusion
Selecting the right live answering service takes research to find the ideal balance of reliability, trained agents, and value for your specific business. Take the time to thoroughly evaluate services against crucial criteria from security protocols to custom training processes before making this critical investment. With a trusted partner handling your call overflow, after-hours coverage, and customer inquiries, you can rest easy knowing no call will fall through cracks and damage your business’ bottom line or reputation.
