3 Reasons Your Small Business Should Hire an Answering Service

3 Reasons Your Small Business Should Hire an Answering Service

Answering Service / Call Center Support/ Blog/ Receptionist Services/ Small Business

As a small business owner, you wear many hats. You are your company’s salesperson, marketing agent, accountant, and in some cases, you may even be the webmaster. Playing all of these roles alone can be exhausting. This is why a professional answering service is a must-have for every small business.

An answering service is a specialized service that can help screen your calls and forward them as needed. It’s a great help, especially for small businesses whose resources are limited. Here are some of the benefits of hiring an answering service:

Never Miss a Call
With a professional answering service, you’ll never miss a call again. You’ll have a dedicated call center agent who will take customer calls in less than three rings. Having your company calls handled promptly and professionally means you’re always open for business, even when you’re on the road, in a meeting, or tending to other business matters.

Provide Prompt Service
Even in a small business, every aspect of it means a lot – including phone calls. When there’s a delay in answering, or if there’s interruption while speaking with a customer – whether it’s background noise or other distractions, it may not portray a positive and professional image. An answering service solves this problem. A virtual receptionist who is professionally trained to handle business calls, will take calls promptly and politely.

Save Money
The cost of hiring an answering service is significantly less than hiring a full-time staff member to do what a virtual receptionist can. The salary alone of a full-time staff can be between $2,000 to $3,000 a month. Most professional answering services provide the same benefits as a full-time employee but won’t cost as much as hiring new staff.
Are you a small business owner tired of wearing all hats to keep your company moving along? Contact One Answering Service based in Tucson, Arizona is ready to help take something off your plate. Our agents take calls 24/7, regardless of your industry. To learn more about our services and to get a quote for your specific business needs, call 1 (800) 278-3347.

Training Call Center Employees

Training Call Center Employees

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Over the years, customer expectations have increased. Research suggests that over half of consumers expect to speak to a friendly agent. In fact, in many cases, a friendly demeanor is valued more than fast resolution or shorter hold time. This is why it’s important for any call center to have a well-structured and ongoing training for their employees.

Those that have been in the business for a long time continually impress their customers with the kind of training they provide for their employees. Many of these call answering companies use the following strategies to train their agents:

1. They provide clear documentation.
Successful call center companies have clear documentation, outlining clearly their objectives and procedures. They provide this documentation to new agents even before they start. In this way, agents know what’s expected, where, and how to find the information that they need.

2. They educate agents about their business.
By knowing what the business is all about, the products, core values, mission, and vision, agents are more prepared to interact with customers in a manner that’s consistent with the company’s culture.

3. They bring their top-performing agents to training.
To inspire new agents, these call centers bring their top-performing agents to training. These agents can provide tips to the new employees, setting their bar higher and inspiring them to do great in their job.

4. They explain their role in building customer relationships.
There’s nothing more frustrating for a newly-hired than having a lack of direction. Successful call centers prevent this from happening by educating their new agents their role in building customer relationships. By letting new agents know how the quality of their service can impact customer relations, they can be more motivated to provide topnotch service.

5. They show agents how to find answers to their questions.
Shorter hold time is always desirable in a call center business. Hence, those in this industry for so long understand how valuable it is to show agents how to find answers to their questions. In this way, customers won’t end up frustrated from waiting too long or from dealing with an agent who doesn’t seem to know how to address their concerns.

Contact One is a company dedicated to providing businesses with high-quality and reliable call answering services. Based in Tucson, Arizona, we take calls 24/7.

What is Call Screening?

What is Call Screening?

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Call screening is the process of evaluating a telephone call and deciding how or whether to answer it. There are different methods of doing it. It can be through listening to the message being recorded in a voice mail or answering machine, checking the caller ID to find out who the caller is or where the call is coming from, checking the date and time the call is received, or prescreening callers through a request line.

How Does Call Screening Work?

If you wanted to apply call screening in your company, you first need to determine the numbers or extensions you wish to add the call screening rules.
Once the selection is done, you need to determine how these calls from the group of screened numbers are handled. Would you like these calls to ring to voicemail, transfer to another number, or reject it?
You can also schedule when the call screening rule to be active. Scheduling can be helpful when you’re dealing with calls that need to be forwarded at specific times of the day such as calls from your VIP clients.

Benefits of Call Screening

Call screening can benefit your company and your customers. Below are some of the things you can achieve with call screening:

•Block Unwanted Callers
Your business has more than enough to worry and SPAM callers and pesky telemarketers should not be one of them. This is one area that call screening can benefit your business. It can help you block unwanted callers so you can focus on more important aspects of your business.

•Improve Customer Satisfaction
By having call screening, you can ensure that your clients’ needs and concerns are addressed. You can create rules to route your clients’ calls to a dedicated agent or extension, depending on their needs.

•Take Calls While Managing Other Business
With call screening, you can send a call to a voicemail or set up a rule with time-specific settings. In this way, you can still take calls even when you’re in a meeting or working with a customer.

Contact One in Tucson offers virtual receptionist services that include call screening. Our agents are trained to answer basic customer inquiries, so you can focus on growing your business while we focus on taking calls.
Call 1-800-278-3347 to get a personalized quote, and learn more about how Contact One can help take your customer service to the next level.

The Role of a Virtual Receptionist

The Role of a Virtual Receptionist

Blog/ Receptionist Services

A virtual receptionist is a person employed to answer phone calls and manage with clients or customer concerns. The term “virtual” is used because the receptionist works remotely, either from the answering service provider’s office, or from the comfort of their own home. Although they work remotely, virtual receptionists are specially trained to handle client phone calls efficiently and professionally.
How do they work?
Calls from the clients are routed to the line of the virtual receptionist who answers the call before the third ring. They use a customized greeting, as approved by the client. Depending on client business needs, a virtual receptionist can provide basic customer service by taking messages, forwarding them to the correct person, and scheduling appointments.
Benefits of Hiring a Virtual Receptionist

• Your calls are answered promptly.
Running a business is tough. It can be challenging to do everything that is necessary to keep the business afloat, while also taking on the task of providing customer service. Hiring a virtual receptionist can help ensure your calls are promptly answered and that customer needs are addressed while you’re managing other areas of business.

• Your calls are answered even if you’re out.
If you’re out in your office and calls are unanswered, it won’t convey a positive professional image of you or your business. A virtual receptionist can take and handle your calls professionally while you’re out, making sure that your customers concerns are addressed even if you’re not in the office.

• Your calls are answered even when you’re closed.
Having a virtual receptionist can keep your business going 24/7 without having you or your employee work in your office 24/7. Your receptionist can take calls from your customers in evenings, weekends, and even on holidays.
With Contact One, your phone is always answered by a friendly, knowledgeable person, whether you take the call or we do.
Wondering if we can help grow your business through our professional phone answering services? You can call us 24/7 at 1-800-278-3347.

Benefits of a Call Center for Medical Clients

Benefits of a Call Center for Medical Clients

Blog/ Medical Answering Service

Customer service is important in all industries, but it is especially crucial in the healthcare industry. This is because the healthcare industry deals with the most critical concern of all – a person’s life. For this reason, patients demand superior care and communication with healthcare providers, and sometimes this demand goes beyond the clinic and regular operating hours.

Why Should Your Medical Company Use a Call Center?

Make Healthcare Practitioners More Efficient
It would be impossible for healthcare practitioners to do their job well, while also taking daily phone calls from patients. Call centers can be a big help in the medical arena because they are able to provide needed assistance while doctors, nurses, and other healthcare practitioners can focus on saving lives and improving the health of their patients.
Improve Patient Satisfaction
The constant demands of the profession make it challenging for healthcare practitioners to answer calls from the patients promptly. This can yield negative feedback about the practitioner or the medical facility itself. Outsourcing calls to a reliable call center can improve patient satisfaction, because representatives can provide quick, accurate, and personal attention to the needs of the patients.
Deliver Quality Service in a Cost-Effective Way
Hiring and training new employees to do what a call center can do costs more time, money, and resources. A reliable call center trained in medical answering has established systems and processes to get the needed work done. Utilizing the services of a call center is a more cost-effective way to delivering top quality customer service to patients.
Ensure Proper Compliance with Regulations and Standards
The healthcare industry has a set of regulations and standards. Call centers trained in medical answering services know these regulations and standards. They operate following a strict protocol in order to comply with these.

Contact One call center is based in Tucson, Arizona. We take calls from different industries, including the healthcare industry. Give us a call at 1-800-278-3347 to see how we can help meet your patient’s needs today.

Tips for Good Phone Manners

Tips for Good Phone Manners

Blog/ Customer Service

For many industries, phones play an important part in their operations. They are used for contacting customers, vendors, or business associates. It also provides opportunities for clients or customers to contact the organization within its hours of operation. Because of this, it is necessary for any business, regardless of industry or size, to practice good phone manners.

The way a customer perceives a phone interaction with a company impacts the organization overall. Create a more positive business image by learning how to handle a phone conversation well. Below are some telephone etiquette tips that can help keep you on track:

Answer and end the call with a positive greeting
When answering the phone, make sure to begin with a positive greeting such as “Good morning,” or something like, “Thank you for calling Julie’s Beauty Salon, how may I help you?” It also helps to use your name.
When finishing the call, wrap up with a summary of why the customer called and how the problem was solved. Verify that they have no further questions, and thank them for their time before politely saying goodbye. The customer should leave the call feeling satisfied that their questions were answered with care.
Speak clearly
When on the phone, speak in a clearly in a voice that is neither too soft nor too loud. Words should be properly enunciated and should be clear enough for the caller to understand what is being said.
Do not interrupt the caller while they are talking
It is rude to interrupt someone while they’re talking, whether in person or on the phone. Even if you feel you already have the answer to their question, let the caller finish before you interject.
Ask permission when putting a customer on hold
If the caller needs to be put on hold, ask for their permission and offer an option to leave a message. When returning to the call and taking the caller off of hold, thank them for their patience.
Explain the need for call transfer if it is necessary
If you say something with no explanation such as, “Let me transfer your call,” this may make a customer feel like you are putting them off onto someone else. If there is a need to transfer a call, politely inform the person on the other end of the call and explain why you’re doing so.

It takes time and proper resources to train employees to follow professional phone etiquette. Phone answering services can help you save time and money without compromising the quality of your calls.

We take calls in Contact One is an answering service company based in Tucson, Arizona. We are at your service 24/7. Call 1(800) 278-3347 to find out how we can help grow your business today.

Why Use an Answering Service?

Why Use an Answering Service?

Answering Service / Call Center Support/ Blog

An answering service can benefit your business no matter what industry you specialize in.

Answering service companies like Contact One can take your calls in place of a receptionist, handle calls from your customers after hours, and handle call overflow during your company’s peak hours. Hiring a call answering service like this is a good investment for a few of the following reasons:

An answering service can help you gain new customers and keep existing ones.
If your existing and prospective customers encounter a busy line or when their calls go unanswered, they are more likely to move on to a competitor. Not only that, but a dissatisfied customer may share their negative experience with other people, which could translate to a bigger loss for your company.
An answering service elevates your brand.
Telephone service representatives at Contact One are trained in the art of phone communication. They are also provided with specific client information and protocols. Because of this, an answering service can ensure that calls from your customers inquiring about your product or service are handled professionally.
An answering service can save your time.
An answering service can free up your employees time from answering and returning phone calls. The time it saves can help your staff focus on addressing immediate customer needs and growing your business.
An answering service is a cost-effective solution for your business.
Having an answering service can help you save money. It improves the quality of your company’s customer service without hiring new staff and paying for additional phone lines. The cost for an answering service is just a fraction of what you would pay for a new employee and other related costs such as employee training and taxes.
An answering service is available 24/7.
Depending on your industry, a nine-to-five coverage may not be enough. When you outsource your calls to a call center, your calls will be answered and addressed appropriately 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. No missed calls would mean better customer satisfaction.

Contact One provides professional, 24-hour answering services. We can customize our services to meet the needs of your business. Contact us today to learn how our services can help grow your company.

The Industries That Can Utilize Contact One’s Services

The Industries That Can Utilize Contact One’s Services

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At Contact One, we provide answering services to a wide variety of businesses and industries. If you are having trouble keeping up with your company’s daily call volume, you can rely on us to answer your phones and provide your customers with friendly and informative services. In fact, there are many different types of businesses that can benefit from services from our call answering team. Let’s review three of the most popular industries that can utilize Contact One’s services.

Medical Offices

The medical industry can benefit tremendously from Contact One’s services. Whether a patient is trying to make an appointment, or needs to speak with a medical professional, we will ensure that they are able to get a live person on the line. We also comply with HIPPA regulations, so you can rest assured that all of your medical answering services are in accordance with best medical practices.

Professional Organizations

From attorneys to product manufacturers and more, there are many different types of professional organizations that are great candidates from services that are offered by Contact One. If you work in an industry that relies on continued engagement with an established client base, you can let our call answer professionals provide you with reliable and helpful answering services.

Property Management Companies

Property managers typically must handle large volumes of calls that come from their tenants and real estate owners. If a tenant has an emergency after business hours, you will want to make sure that their concern is addressed right away. The team at Contact One can provide you with 24/7 call answering support for all of the properties that you manage.

If you work in an industry that could benefit from Contact One’s services, give us a call at (800) 278-3347. Our highly trained customer service professionals will be there to answer the phones and provide you with secure messaging services. We look forward to helping you take your customer service to the next level of excellence.

Have You Seen All of Our Services?

Have You Seen All of Our Services?

Professional Services

At Contact One, we are proud to go above and beyond the average call center. When you hire our answering services, you can rely on us to provide you with receptionist services, appointment setting, and call center support. By integrating our agents into your team, you can ensure that you achieve the highest levels of productivity and customer service. Here is a look at some of the terrific services that you can expect from Contact One.

Receptionist Services

In today’s digital world, there is no need to have a receptionist on-site at your office building. At Contact One, we can provide you with quality receptionist services that are available 24 hours a day. Your live receptionist will be able to answer calls, take down messages, and make sure that all of your customers are directed to the appropriate phone line.

Medical Answering Services

If you are the manager of a doctor’s office, there is a good chance that a significant portion of your time is spent booking appointments and consulting with patients. With services from Contact One, you can outsource your call processing and appointment booking to our team. We are HIPAA compliant, and we can provide your patients with a complete range of answering services.

Call Center Support Services

When a customer has a question about your products or services, you need to make sure that they are able to easily get in touch with a person who represents your company. With call center support services from Contact One, you can provide customer after hours support on a 24/7 basis. Our agents are based in the United States, and we will make sure that your customers are completely satisfied with their experiences.

To hire Contact One for your customer service needs, give us a call at (800) 278-3347. We are proud to be a leading answering service in Tucson, and you will find that we are able to dramatically improve your company’s productivity and customer support capabilities. We look forward to helping you find the right solution for your business.

Don’t Believe These Myths About Customer Service

Don’t Believe These Myths About Customer Service

Customer Service

Great customer service is an essential ingredient for running a successful business. If you are having trouble keeping up with answering all of your customers’ calls or providing them with technical support, you may want to consider outsourcing your calls to an answering service. To highlight the importance of providing your customers with live customer support, here is a look at three commonly held myths about customer service.

Myth: Customer service only requires that basic demands are met

A business may be more likely to fail if its workers are only focused on meeting the basic demands of their customers. In order to achieve terrific customer service, you will need to make sure that you go above and beyond to ensure that your customers feel great about their experience when they work with your company. By following up with your services and offering additional support, you can make sure that your customers are satisfied.

Myth: Lack of negative feedback equals great customer service

As the owner or manager of a business, it is important to pay attention to all of the feedback that you get from your customers. However, just because you are not getting a high volume of negative reviews, you should not assume that your customer service is up to par. Instead, you should always focus on receiving glowing reviews and recommendations.

Myth: Customer service policies should be strictly followed

While it is important to have customer service policies and rules in place for your workers, you may disappoint your customers if these guidelines need to be rigidly followed. Providing your workers with some flexibility will allow them to keep your customers happy.
If you are in need of a live answering service near Tucson, be sure to get in touch with Contact One. The employees at our call center will make sure that all of your customers are completely satisfied with our services. For more information about how our services can benefit your business, call us at (800) 278-3347.