Every client wants to contact a live person when buying goods online or making clarifications from a service provider. Although auto-attendants have become popular over time, many people prefer speaking to a live person whenever they want to talk to their service providers. Hiring a professional answering service is the best option for businesses that lack the workforce needed to handle calls.
At the Best Call Center, we aim at providing excellent services to our clients in Los Angeles, CA, and its surroundings. Contact us today for the most professional and caller-focused answering services.
What are the Different Types of Call Answering Services
There are four types of telephone answering services that you can use. Every answering service offers specific services and can benefit different business setups. It's recommended to learn about them to choose one that suits you best. Here is an overview of the services offered by our Los Angeles Answering Service.
Live Call Answering Service
Live call answering service is the most popular of all call answering services. It comes in different forms. You may find some with their staff working at home to take care of your calls while others use receptionists stationed at their clients' business or from a call center. These two options guarantee excellent handling of your incoming calls.
Some live call answering services provide 24/7 services while others work until 7:00 pm. Please note, you don't have to pay for the 24/7 service when you don't need it. You might end up paying more for the all-hour availability, whereas you're not using it.
A live telephone answering service makes your calls as though they've reached your office. Live telephone answering service providers will answer calls from their homes and act on behalf of their clients. It's suitable for businesses that intend to look bigger in their industry and maintain a human connection with their clients.
Los Angeles Call Centers
Call centers might operate differently from a live call answering service but have some similarities. The only difference between a call center and a live telephone answering service is that they offer larger businesses or high call volumes. Some call centers like our Los Angeles Answering Service provide 24/7 services, product support, and technical support.
Some call centers might be expensive, especially those with large numbers of staff. That’s why many businesses prefer using them as part of their business and outsource the rest of services from other call answering services.
Internet Answering Service
An internet answering or online answering service is the ideal answering service for e-commerce and web-based business. Our Los Angeles Answering Service provides features like access to messages online, answering web inquiries, live web chat services, and order processing. Even though a live answering service can work as a web-only business, it often doesn't include most of these features. However, some companies can also use online answering services interchangeably with live answering services.
Automated Los Angeles Answering Service
An automated answering service is an answering option that offers automatic contact between a client and a business. It works best when integrated with live answering services in large companies with high call volumes and small companies that want to maintain 24/7 services. For instance, a small business can use the live answering service during the day and use the automated option at night. It's also an excellent option for companies that receive calls from people looking for basic information and don't necessarily have to speak to someone to get that information.
Businesses can also use automated answering services together with live answering services, which is an ideal combination for those who want to give their customers the option of leaving a message and receiving a call later.
How a Los Angeles Call Answering Service Works
Call answering services work by forwarding calls. Call forwarding refers to automatically bouncing your phone traffic to another destination. Therefore, a call answering service provider will provide your business with a unique number to your account. You will then forward your telephone lines to their lines to send all your calls to the answering service. Therefore, whenever your phone is called, the call answering center or agent receives the call.
Some call answering service providers offer different call forwarding options. For instance, they may customize your calls based on when and what kind of calls you would answer. For example, if you want after-hour services, you can have your calls forwarded to the services at 5 pm and have them back at 8 am the following day.
Every call answering service must plan and coordinate its services to speed up a company's intake of high call volumes. Our Los Angeles Answering Service will discuss their options and your needs to determine how they will help you. Some of the questions you should expect from them are as follows:
- The kind of calls that they will be answering, whether it's emergencies, orders, or appointments
- Whether you want business-hours services or after-hour services
- Whether the calls will be transferred or if the services include sending text, email, or messages
- Whether you would want your caller's need to be handled entirely by the service or transferred to you
- Whether you'd like the service provider to screen callers based on whether they are new or existing ones
Features that Call Answering Services Have
There's more to the services offered by a call answering service other than handling your calls 24/7. Our Los Angeles Answering Services features include the following:
- Bilingual support
- Text response
- Appointment scheduling
- Texting, emailing, and paging
- CRM integration
- Online Portal access or mobile app access
Please note, all call answering services don't offer similar services to their customers. For instance, some might provide portal access, which stores your messages, while others offer SAS, which has features like downloading reports and listening to calls. It's imperative to research what services you expect from a particular service provider before seeking their services.
Some industries stick out more when using call answering services, but almost all businesses can benefit from a call answering service. Some of the services that can benefit from our call answering service are as follows:
- Medical institutions like dentists, pedestrians, and family doctors
- HVAC installation and repair services
- Plumbing services
- Construction services
- Law firms
- Marketing and advertising services
- Accounting and tax services
- Education institutions
- Car dealerships and car rentals
The Benefits of Choosing a Call Answering Service for Your Business
The way you communicate with your clients has a significant impact on the reputation that you'll establish for your business. If you don't have the prolific nuance of answering your business calls, there are possibilities of damaging your reputation. Therefore, it's always recommendable to adopt a business call answering service to succeed in your business. Here are several positive points to ponder when considering the efficacy of an answering service for your business.
A Call Answering Service Display Professionalism and Credibility
The last thing you would want to experience in your business is having someone answering your incoming calls rudely, in a colloquial manner, or in a misinformed way. Hiring our Los Angeles Answering service is highly recommended to control how your incoming calls are handled.
You'll have the freedom to record all outgoing messages to ensure that they reflect the level of professionalism that you expect in your business. It also helps in maintaining consistency in the level of professionalism that you establish in your business.
Cuts Down Your Cost
One of the most obvious advantages of hiring a call answering service is cutting down your cost compared to hiring a receptionist. The cost of searching, hiring, and training a receptionist can amount to an average of $ 25,000 without including their bonuses, sick day allowances, and worker's compensation coverage. You might also need to pay for a backup system or hire another receptionist to maintain a 24/7 operation.
On the other hand, a comprehensive call answering service would save a significant amount of money and give you enough to spend on other crucial areas of your business.
Effective for Remote Teams
The use of remote teams has become popular for many businesses and companies. One of the key advantages of working with a remote team is that you can cut down the cost of establishing offices and amenities.
With an effective call answering service provider, callers can get numbers they can contact on the team, regardless of their location. Therefore, everyone will receive their calls from wherever they are without necessarily having to worry about their receiver's location.
Reduces the Time Used in Call Waiting
Callers are frustrated when they have to wait to reach out to an intended recipient. However, with a call answering service at your disposal, you can confidently guarantee that their agents will attend your callers as soon as possible.
You Don't Need to Install Additional Equipment in Your Business
A call answering service doesn't require their clients to make any installations in their business to meet their demands. They can use your existing office phone lines and connect them to their phone services. Alternatively, they can decide to switch your business lines with a local or national number depending on the kind of branding you want to achieve.
Maintains Industry-Specific Services
Our Los Angeles Answering Service offers industry-specific services that help clients utilize our services depending on their needs. For instance, if you're running a medical clinic, you can use our system to inform clients how to contact you. You can also use our services to simplify how patients schedule their appointments or provide crucial after-hour information.
How to Choose the Best Call Answering Service for Your Business
You've probably learned the importance of hiring a business call answering service. Well, this is a positive step towards the growth of your business. The most crucial question is how you will pick a call answering service that matches your needs. Here are tips for choosing the right answering service for your business.
Look for a Service That Offers True Partnership
Maintaining privacy and confidentiality is the heart of every answering service. The interaction between you and your customers must be placed in maximum confidentiality. Remember, your callers will be putting their information in privacy with your call answering service. Therefore, you should look for a company with HIPAA compliance and have employed agents trained in non-disclosure of confidential information.
Consider their Staffing and Training
Don't be afraid to ask your prospective call answering services about their staff. Ask them whether their agents are trained in receiving calls from a specific business, whether they work remotely or from a common center, whether they can accommodate bilingual calls, and so on. All these are valid questions that will help you confirm whether you're about to pick the best answering service.
Check their Services and Packages
Having several services at your fingertips to choose from is key to the success of your business. Therefore, look for a company with several services that complement your business and align with your business goals. Some of the services that you should look for include appointment setting, web access to calls, call forwarding, virtual receptionist, specialized applications, among others.
Beware of their Pricing
Choosing a call answering service based on its pricing doesn't necessarily mean that you must settle on a cheaper option. Remember, you'll be getting services for what you pay for. Therefore, you must consider whether your favorite company pricing matches the kind of services you expect to receive from them. A good company should have fees that are easy to interpret. If there are hidden fees, ensure that the company is clear about their setup fees, contract cancellation fees, and extras for after-hour and holiday coverage.
Find a Call Answering Service Near Me
A high-quality answering service can help your business run smoothly and handle high call volumes at a cost-effective rate. At the Best Call Center, we provide dedicated services that offer phone answering solutions that meet the needs of our clients all over the United States. For more information, call us at 800-385-4656, and let's transform your business with our top-notch services.