Answering Service - A Must Have For Your Online Business

Tired of answering the same questions over and over again? Frustrated with trying to reach someone you can't seem to get a hold of? Have that question burning a hole in your head and you want answers RIGHT NOW!

Then this article is for you. I'm going to tell you about "answering service" companies, some of their perks, pros/cons, best practices and more. The article will help answer your call or e-mail before it gets too late.

*If you are doing this for a business, see this article: "Business Call-to-Ask Questions & Answers" above.

What is an answering service?

 An answering service, like many other call center companies, is a company that answers telephone calls for people who are not available to answer the phone. Think of a company like Business Angels (BA), who provides customer service for businesses with free and paid services. If you're selling products/services to businesses (like I am), your customers will have questions about your products/services and need help from you. So that's why answering service companies are very important for your business to ensure timely customer service and the ability to get right back to your customers.

Answering Service Pros/Cons

 Pros of using an answering service:

Things like better telephone reception, less time spent on the phone, faster response time and/or reduced interruptions. In general, callers will also have a more pleasant experience with an answering service as they usually don't have to be put on hold while they wait for you (if you're not home or aren't available) or speak with multiple people when they have a question. Answering services will always answer the phone themselves so there is no waiting on hold listening to music or commercials etc ...and they will always get to the point, cut to the chase and answer your call right away, without having a lingering conversation.

Cons of using an answering service:

The biggest downside is that you won't be able to connect and ask questions to your clients. Answering services like BA do not allow you and your clients to speak in a live chat room or email in and ask questions. If you're using business phone systems like I do, it's best to let them know which live chat rooms your business is on so they can screen callers prior to being put on hold with. This could be avoided if you have access through Zendesk or Mantis .

If you're using a paid answering service (like BA) they will cost you extra money monthly and are only available during the times they are open. This could be a pain if you have an urgent question or need an answer right away. Answering services cannot provide support outside of business hours, on holidays and weekends, or after hours ...which is why I use live chat rooms to ask questions while I'm at work and available.

These are some of the main pros and cons to using an answering service as opposed to a live chat service like Zendesk or Mantis .

What is considered a good quality answering service?

When speaking with other businesses, I always ask them if they use an answering service. Their response usually is "Yes, I use BC/ANSWER.COM , (another answering services) it's great." Then I ask why they're using it and they say they don't have time to answer calls during business hours and that we can schedule them on weekends/holidays.

I've had this same experience with other businesses, who have told me something similar about their response company. The problem is, most of the response companies are one-size-fits all.

Anyone can find a cheap, no-name company and give them your business number to "answer". Just because they are an answering service does NOT mean they will be able to provide the quality your customers deserve. Most call center companies don't know anything about your business or what exactly you do. When you're dealing with a call center, your clients are speaking with someone who really doesn't care what you do.

Why should I use an Answering Service?

Answering services provide better telephone reception and will always put callers on hold while they wait for you to return their call. The big downside is that it costs extra money ...but if you want to provide better customer service, it's well worth it.

If you don't use an answering service, your clients will wait on hold listening to music or commercials and hoping someone will pick up ...only to be transferred several times and left on hold the whole time. This is why I have customers that wait 45 minutes before they just give up. If they reach "my office", they're lucky if I pick up in under 30 seconds. When my friends call me, I always get right back to them right away. So using a good answering service with your business will allow you and your client have a more consistent experience with each other.

What services do you provide?

If you're a consultant or consultant business, like me, I use an answering service with my business. I don't answer the phone, only my clients do. You should do the same because it will allow you to dedicate your time to providing superior customer service and not be distracted by answering questions from your clients.

I have a 3-ring binder with all of my contacts in it so I can quickly look up any client's names or contact information if they have sent me an email or have placed a request on Zendesk. I also use my phone system to answer incoming calls by just saying "Hello, this is Casey. How may I help you?" and using hold music or a commercial, so that callers are put on hold immediately and can't hang up, talk or ask me a question.

Answering service fees:

There are also answering service fees associated with live chat services like Zendesk and Mantis . Using a live chat service costs money upfront and there is an ongoing fee that is charged monthly. For example, if you're going to use Mantis , they charge $0.75 per minute for each customer booking a time slot with you (calls/meeting requests) ...which means if you're waiting to talk with a customer who booked a time slot, they're going to call you back.

Answering services such as Business Answer ( www.businessanswer.com ) charge $0.75 per minute for their service and their clients will call you back on their own schedule without needing to be put on hold first. However, my business has never used them because I don't want my customers to be interrupted or put on hold when I'm unavailable and I can offer better customer service using my telephone system with no interruption from an answering service.

Of course, it's always best if you can get even more than an answering service ...

Conclusion:

Using a live chat service such as Zendesk or Mantis is the best option to provide better telephone reception while allowing you to have more consistent contact with your clients. Using an answering service is great, but it doesn't allow your clients to communicate with you until they call you back. If you use a live chat service along with an answering service, that's even better!

However, if your clients need to reach you outside of business hours or on holidays, then I would recommend using a live chat service with an answering service ...because this will allow your clients to reach out and ask questions anytime they need to.