More and more companies, no matter what their team size or industry, prefer to rely on the services of a call answering provider rather than hiring a receptionist and paying high employee costs. Finding affordable and flexible alternatives to traditional receptionists can allow many entrepreneurs and business owners to focus on other projects and priorities.

Typically, there are three types of call answering services that a company can choose:

• Interactive Voice Response systems (IVR)

An IVR is an automated phone system technology that provides information via pre-recorded messages. An IVR is suitable for large companies that receive a high call volume from people looking for basic information 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

• Call Centres

Call centres are offices where calls are handled by a large team of agents. They are a good option for large companies that need to spend a long time on the phone, especially when customers need less basic information and more specific answers to questions concerning the products or services of the company.

• Virtual Receptionist 

Virtual receptionists are agents who work in a small team and handle phone calls, schedule appointments, take messages, etc. They are perfect for startups, small businesses, and mid-size businesses looking to offer a personalised customer service experience. 

No matter what type of call answering provider and services a company chooses (IVR, call centre, or virtual receptionist) every business owner must pay attention to some key elements in order to ensure that the communication between the company and customers will be smooth and flawless. 

10 Top Features To Look For In A Call Answering Service Provider

• Operating hours 

For some businesses, the priority is picking up the phone 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Therefore, any business owner must answer the following question before choosing a call answering service provider: “Do the customers of the company need help 24/7? Or, is Monday to Friday between 9:00am to 5:00pm more appropriate?” 

• Degree of support

Business owners must also decide whether their customers should interact with agents or automated systems according to the degree of support they need immediately. For example, if customers are looking for answers to specific or complex questions as soon as they call (eg, it is an emergency), the interaction with an agent might be the best choice - as opposed to billing support that could have prompts for automated solutions.

• Experience of the call answering provider in a specific industry
  

The experience of a call answering service provider within a specific industry is highly important for a company choosing these services. If the provider already knows a specific industry/sector, the communication between the company and its customers can be flawless as the provider can offer tips and suggestions based on its previous experience. 

• Language assistance
  

If a company has non-English speaking customers, the call answering service should be able to provide assistance in different languages (bilingual agents or an automated phone system that records messages in different languages).  

• The number of call agents
  

The call answering service provider must fit the size of the company looking for answering services. For example, a startup or a small company can rely on the services of a virtual receptionist provided by a virtual office and address, but it wouldn’t be such a good idea to use an IVR (because a small company needs to strengthen the relationship with customers and the interaction with an IVR can be highly impersonal).

• Sound quality
  

The background noise that customers can hear when calling a company for help and assistance can have a negative impact on customer experience. The call answering service provider should use a high-quality noise cancellation system. 

• Trustworthy receptionists
  

If a business owner believes that the interaction of the customers with real agents (and not an IVR) is the best choice for the company, the agents handling phone calls must be extremely professional, eloquent, and trustworthy - as well as representing scripts that align to the businesses core values and services. 

• Additional services
  

A company alo should know, before choosing the most suitable call answering service provider, if they require any additional services or if a specific answering service can provide it (for example, they may need call forwarding/diverts, recording, call statistics, type of monthly reporting etc.) - it is no use finding out that the provider selected cannot support specific requirements after migrating to them

• Emergency back-up plan
  

A good call answering service provider should have an emergency back-up plan (for example, the call answering provider should be able to re-route calls to another location during an emergency). A non-reliable back-up plan in case of emergency can have a very negative impact on the relationship between a company and its customers. 

 

• Cost-effectiveness

 

Perhaps this one is the most obvious. However, any business owner should make an accurate cost-effectiveness analysis to examine both costs and outcomes/gains before choosing a call answering provider.

In conclusion, a business owner or entrepreneur should examine a wide range of features of a call answering service provider before choosing the one that fits best the business. This decision is extremely important for a company as a high-quality call answering service can establish a positive and long-lasting relationship with the customers.