Playing a supportive role in any firm requires more than just answering phone calls. The support team should be able to provide an entire suite of services that include answering phone calls, handling live chat, managing diaries, and troubleshooting problems.
What It Means to Be an Answering Service…
An answering service should be able manage both incoming and outgoing client communications across different industries. These communications, depending on the situation, include responding to emails, transferring calls, replying to text messages. Such a broad range of services might come across as surprising because the face value of the phrase ‘answering calls’ implies that the service only offers telephone answering services. Yet, at telephone-answering.biz, we’re so much more than that.
The term ‘answering calls’ or ‘answering services’ are often used interchangeably with various terms that include the following:
Virtual receptionist
This is the most basic task which refers to answering phone calls managing diaries and transferring calls the same as a switchboard.
Virtual office service
This includes performing most of the administrative tasks associated with a virtual office such as meeting rooms, short-term office space, and mailing addresses.
Which businesses use answering services?
There are a large number of industries that utilise this service. Below is a small list of examples:
- Beauty/aesthetics practices who have are busy with patients
- Veterinarians
- Heating and air conditioning services
- Construction services/plumbing services
- Beauty salons
- Property management
- Accounting services
- Entertainment services
- Solicitors practices
As can be imagined, the responsibilities of a virtual receptionist tend to be very versatile. Dealing with clients from different backgrounds and professions instil a very specific skill set. Due to the sensitivity of each phone call, a telephone answering service must employ agents who are empathetic with the human condition.
How It Works
Some planning and coordination goes into setting up the service to ensure both you and your virtual receptionist are on the same page. The first step is to discuss your business’s wants and needs. Start by answering the following questions:
- What type of calls will your receptionist answer? (Appointments, orders, emergencies)
- How should calls be handled?
- When should the receptionist transfer phone calls?
- If the client asks for someone in your team, what would you like the receptionist to tell them?
- Should your virtual receptionist act like an extension of your company (your own receptionist) or an answering service?
- Should your virtual receptionist screen phone calls?
There are a lot of features you can expect from a telephone answering service such as telephone-answering.biz, these include:
- Call transferring/switchboard
- Diary management
- CRM integration
- Emailing, texting,
Some services provide you with a fixed package, although it’s more convenient to offer a bespoke package that is specifically customised for your business. At virtual-receptionist.biz, we offer customised solutions at competitive rates. Try our free trial for 14 days to see if we’re a great fit!
