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What Questions Should You Ask An Answering Service?

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You’ve decided it’s time to get an answering service to help answer your calls, but how do you decide which answering service will work for you? Not all answering services are alike, and choosing the wrong answering service could end up being a real headache. Knowing the right questions to ask will help you select the right answering service for your company. Here are some essential questions to get you started on the right path:

  • Will my customers be able to tell by the sound of the ring that they’ve reached an answering service?
  • Will my customers reach a voicemail recording or a live operator?
  • Will I be required to sign a contract? If so, for how long?
  • How do you handle billing?
  • Do you charge for patching a call to the on-call person?
  • Do you charge for paging, faxing, texting and MiSecure messages?
  • How often do you have a price increase?
  • Can I forward my phones at any time and not pay any additional fees?
  • How will you handle my calls should disaster strike and I need to close business for a few days?
  • What happens to your operations should a disaster strike and you lose power or your staff can’t get to the center?
  • How do you keep my customers’ information confidential?

You want to partner with a full-service telecommunications company that’s equipped with the most advanced telephone and message delivery technology, and staffed with professionally trained receptionists who are available 24/7.

The answering service you choose will be acting as an extension of your business, so you need to understand how they’ll interact with your customers as well as how they’ll interact with you and your staff. If they offer a free trial period, try it out. And ask for referrals from clients they serve that are in industries similar to yours.

With the right answering service, you and your staff will be backed by a team of reliable and professional receptionists. Hiring an answering service will not only lighten the load on your team, it will improve your customer service overall. For more guidance on hiring the right answering service for your business, download our free five-point checklist.

If you’d like to learn more about how a live answering service can help you save time and money, contact Voice Link of Columbus, Inc. We offer flat rate month-to-month service agreements, with no hidden fees, to meet the needs of any business regardless of size, 24/7, 365 days of the year.

Customized communication solutions, appointment scheduling, and secure HIPAA/HiTech messaging save you time and money while improving customer satisfaction and loyalty. Our excellent reputation, expert staff, and state-of-the-art technology will exceed your expectations. Request information online or call us at 1-800-262-2799 for a free consultation.