How Telephone Answering Services Work
Turnease73 (Talk | contribs) |
Turnease73 (Talk | contribs) |
||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
| − | A telephone answering service is a | + | A telephone answering service is a company that takes telephone calls for other businesses. Just such as a call center, an answering service consists of operators at computer stations answering incoming telephone calls. |
| − | One big difference between a great answering service and a call center is that answering services | + | One big difference between a great answering service and a call center is the fact that answering services usually serve a range of different customers at when. For example, a call center for the cable company just takes calls related to their cable services. A great answering service, on the other hand, might take calls for HVAC companies, medical offices, attorneys, manufacturing companies, and hundreds of other businesses. |
| − | Answering service operators are able to take calls for all these different companies thanks to training and technology. Training covers the basics of how to handle the different call types they'll get | + | Answering service operators are able to take calls for all these different companies thanks to training and technology. Training covers the basics of how to handle the different call types they'll get on a regular basis, how the different software works, and what their duties tend to be. The technology allows them to have different scripting as well as instructions for each call type, showing them exactly what they need to understand when a new call comes in. The technology also handles the call routing and other behind the scenes work that takes place to ensure the call reaches the answering service. |
| − | There | + | There are a number of different factors that answering services are responsible for whenever taking calls for their clients. They might be asked to take messages, schedule appointments, process orders, transfer calls, offer information, or perhaps function in a customer service capacity. |
| − | + | For example, let s examine how answering services take calls for medical offices. These includes hospital networks and doctor's offices that need help taking calls following hours or perhaps whenever they're busy during the day (like during their lunch break). | |
| − | Without having the answering service, these offices would | + | Without having the answering service, these offices would have to have ensure that there had been always employees available to take calls. This can be expensive. Another alternative will be sending the calls to voicemail and following up when the office returns. The issue there is that important telephone calls will be missed. Answering services enable the office to have every call answered live without having the cost of paying employees. |
| − | When the medical practice wants their calls to go to the answering service, they enable call forwarding. Then each call | + | When the medical practice wants their calls to go to the answering service, they enable call forwarding. Then each call made to their phone amount will be forwarded to the answering service. There, the trained operators answer each call as if they had been a receptionist working for the office. They have instructions on how to handle the different call types, thus they can answer to emergencies fast and save routine messages for the next business day. |
| − | This really is simply one example of just how answering services work. Every business is different thus answering services adapt to the | + | This really is simply one example of just how answering services work. Every business is different thus answering services adapt to the needs of their clients. |
Melanie Cartwell writes about small business, customer service, and communications. To learn more about telephone answering services visit [http://www.continentalmessage.com/ www.continentalmessage.com]. | Melanie Cartwell writes about small business, customer service, and communications. To learn more about telephone answering services visit [http://www.continentalmessage.com/ www.continentalmessage.com]. | ||
Your Privacy Choices