At Voice Link of Columbus, Inc., we commonly hear from new clients who have switched to our call center answering service after experiencing horrible customer service from a different call center. These clients tell us horror stories about how their customers were given drastically wrong information about their services, or were put on hold for a half hour, or were treated rudely. One medical provider left his call center after patients were repeatedly transferred to the wrong doctor after hours, sometimes during urgent situations.

Working with an answering service shouldn’t be a nightmare, it should be a dream. A 24/7 live answering service should serve your customers with prompt, professional care while streamlining your operations to save you time and money. If you’re considering hiring an answering service to handle your call volume either 24/7 or just after hours, you’re on the right track to making a smart investment in your customer support and retention. The trick is finding the best answering service to suit your needs.

First of all, bigger isn’t always better. Business owners sometimes believe the larger the call center is,the more calls it can handle, but this isn’t always the case. Large, national call centers may outsource their calls overseas, which can lead to frustrations from caller and operator trying to understand one another. Look for an answering service whose agents are U.S. based, or better yet, local. Agents who know your business and your community can communicate more effectively with your customers.

Secondly, look for an answering service whose owners and operators get to know your business, your values, and how you prioritize calls. They should be knowledgeable about which calls you consider urgent, how you prefer they are forwarded, and who the right contact personnel are based on your schedule.

Finally, find an answering service that offers plans at upfront prices, with no hidden fees. If a call center charges a fee every time you make a change in your schedule or person to be contacted, for example, you might be nickel-and-dimed for their inflexibility. Lots of extra fees may be a sign that the call center is more interested in the invoice than serving your business.

Day or night, outsourcing your practice’s calls will ensure that your customers are attended to with care and compassion, 24/7, 365 days a year. Voice link offers 26 years of experience in both traditional and online answering services including order taking, help desk and technical support, appointment scheduling, dealer locator, text messaging, reservations and more. Our skilled operators provide live answering services that exceed your expectations. Request information online or call us at (800) 262-2799 for a free consultation.

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