Your small business is generating more phone calls from customers and potential ones – and that's good news except it's getting harder for you to make your products or give services. Consider outsourcing your incoming calls.
The value of a human voice is huge – many callers will simply hang up rather than talk to a machine. But before you pick the cheapest answering service to handle your calls, remember this vendor may be a caller's first impression of your business and should be treated as a partner in branding your business.
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done
Find the industry's best online
Choose a company that belongs to a professional trade association
I recommend: Members of the
Association of Teleservices International must abide by a code of ethics. Find award winners here whose service level has been evaluated through test calls. A score of at least 80 percent snags an award.
Search the Web to compare prices
There are hundreds of answering services competing for your business – it's one of the easiest home-based businesses to start – so use the Web to research prices.
I recommend: AnsweringServiceFinder.com with a database of more than 9,000 providers, offers a directory you can search by state or by specific services needed, including funeral answering service, medical answering service, event registration or order entries. Also try
BuyerZone.com and
QuoteCatcher.com for customized quotes.
Find out how long operators typically work before quitting
The person who actually answers your phone is vital to your business. Is she enthusiastic and well-trained? If 35 to 50 percent of a vendor's staff has been around three years or more, that's a good sign.
I recommend: Inland Answering Service says it retains its staff 200 percent longer than the industry average, which means the employees who answer your calls are more likely to know your business.
Experience counts
You get what you pay for – the more established answering services will have higher prices – along with existing customers and a sterling reputation. Start-ups can be fine if management has experience in the field.
I recommend: AmeriCall, answering calls since the 1930s, offers full-time, after-hours and overflow service. It boasts low turnover and high morale and its customers include American Express, Fox News, and Toyota.
Pick a specialist
Whether you need bi-lingual services or an automatic rollover to a live operator when a natural disaster strikes, there are companies that specialize in niches.
I recommend: VoiceNation offers a disaster recovery service. Whether it's terrorism or hurricanes that cause a power outage, calls can automatically transfer to this vendor where live operators communicate with employees and customers. Need bilingual services? See
Answeringservices.net for Spanish/English or click here for
French-English service, 24/7, 365 days a year.
Related Resources from Business.com
Recommended Solution Providers 
Best Sites to Learn More
Comments
Is any content on this page inappropriate? To let us know, please 
