If you're a small business owner and need to hire an answering service for your phone line, what are the things that you should be looking for? There are many things to consider when choosing this type of service. In this article we will discuss some of these factors.
There are many things to consider when choosing this type of service.Â
- The first thing to consider is the rates. The cost of an answering service depends largely on a few different factors, which include: How many incoming calls do you need answered each day? What is your call volume like (e.g., how often do people usually call in)? How long will customer messages typically last when they are being recorded? Do you want us to handle voicemail greetings for all company phone lines or just one line at a time?
- As for the second thing to consider, it's all about what you need in an answering service. There are many types of options available and we want your business needs to be taken into consideration when making a decision on which type is most suitable. Here are some questions that may help with this: What kind(s) of callers will I receive? Do my employees have different schedules than I do so that they might not always be around during work hours? Does my staff speak multiple languages fluently or partially fluent (e.g., only English)? Is there any other specific requirement such as transferring calls, call screening, etc.?
- The third factor to take into account would be how much freedom you expect in the answering service. There are many different levels of control you can have in a phone answering services: How much freedom do I expect when working with an automated attendant? How often will my staff need to access menus or voicemails within your system? What kind of features should I be looking for on top of call screening, transferring, and recording customer messages (e.g., caller ID)? Do you offer emergency call routing if any lines go down unexpectedly?
- The fourth thing you should consider before making any decisions about phone answering services is how much available space for this type of service in your budget. This is an important factor because it can make the difference between having a basic phone answering service or being able to have some more advanced features such as call routing, transfer, and voicemail greetings for multiple departments within your small business - not just one at a time!
- The fifth thing that may be on your mind before making this decision would be what is expected from you when it comes to how well we are communicating with each other. We want everything to go smoothly so there will need to be communication throughout the process about these things: What details do I need? Will you have any questions during installation or after implementation? Do you think that our rates are too high or too low based off of what you can afford?
- The sixth thing to think about is the time commitment. How much time do you have available for this type of work? There are many different levels of involvement that may be required: from just setting up a phone line so it's ready and waiting for your business needs, all the way through to handling voicemail greetings! Some businesses need more than one person on their team with those hours in order to make everything run smoothly - which means there will obviously be an increased cost as well. The good news is we offer unlimited calling packages starting at $34/month (with no contract) so even if your budget isn't too high or large right now, you'll still be able to start with some basic services until you're ready to move forward with more in-depth features.
There are a lot of things to consider when looking for the right phone answering service for your small business. You want them to be professional, available at all times and have great rates. That’s why we created this list of what you should look for in an answering service provider before choosing one that is best suited for your company. We would love to help answer any questions you may have about which type of services would work best with your needs or how much it might cost so give us a call today!
Does Your Business Need a Reliable Virtual Receptionist?
Reliable Receptionist helps small to mid-sized businesses enhance their professional image, improve customer service, manage workload and convert callers to become loyal clients. At Reliable Receptionist, we not only provide simple answering services but you can be confident your company’s incoming calls will be immediately answered by one of up to five trained representatives assigned to your account. Our off-site receptionists are professionally ready to answer questions about your business, provide directions, capture critical lead information, schedule appointments, and forward calls to the appropriate department depending on your set guidelines. One of the many advantages of using an off-site receptionist with advanced call handling technology is that your calls can be privately announced and seamlessly connected to you in real-time on any phone number. Many of our clients provide multiple connecting numbers for us so we always have the best way to reach you. Let's Work Together! For more information or to request a quote and free demonstration, send us a message or call us today at (925) 627-4200.