Whether you’re running a fledgling startup or an established business empire, you can’t always answer all of your customers’ calls — even if you wanted to. You have a core business to attend to, on top of the mountain of meetings you probably have.

If you want to stay on top of your customers’ questions and concerns despite your busy schedule, it’s best to invest in a live answering service. A live answering service handles all your company’s communications for you, whether it’s outbound or inbound calls or business emails and text messages.

There are different types of answering services. There are virtual receptionists who take on the role of an actual receptionist, but a remote one. There are also automated answering services that give customers pre-programmed answers. The ever-prevalent call center falls under the answering service category.

Businesses opt for this type of service for the same reasons. For one, they save on costs because they don’t have to hire and train employees to handle communications tasks. A live answering service also allows you to reach more customers because you have access to remote staffing. Finally, you get to spend time on what matters most: your core business.

Now that you know the importance and benefits of a live answering service. It’s time to find a firm to work with. Unfortunately, not all companies provide services that you find satisfactory. So, what should you look for in an answering service partner?

24/7 Service

Emergencies can happen with any product or service. This is why it’s vital to have customer service representatives answer the phone 24/7, even during holidays and weekends. This is especially important if your items and services are used in mission-critical tasks. Make sure that the live answering service you’re working with offers 24/7 availability. While this may cost you more, it’ll be worth the investment because you get to serve more customers.

Trained and Experienced Answering Service Representatives

Your answering services are only as good as the representatives you hire for it. You don’t want your company’s name to get dragged through the dirt because of one bad customer service experience. As such, you want to make sure that you’re working with a company that provides consistent and updated training for its employees. If possible, ask for references.

Call their clients and see if your live answering prospects provide satisfactory services. Ask for test calls or even a trial period. You want your outsourced operators to provide your customers with the same high-quality service as your own employees. The time and effort you put into these tasks will pay off when you’re confident that your operators are doing a great job at representing your company.

Online Presence

Almost half of the world actively uses the internet. If you want to engage these customers, your business needs to be online, too. Apart from building a website, it would be best to have an online customer service presence. Your business should be responsive through email and social media. It’s also great to have a live chat service on your website. This way, customers can contact your live answering representatives as soon as they find content on your website that they have questions about.

When looking for a live answering service, make sure they have online offerings as well. Another thing that’s beneficial about having an online interface is that conversations are easy to record and analyze. Live chat and email responses are all in text, so you don’t have to transcribe them. You can go through each record to ensure that your customer service representatives provide customer service that fits your company’s brand and mission.

Proper Security

Your customer service conversations are confidential. Many of the complaints and concerns your customers have about your company could damage your reputation if they’re leaked to the public. Plus, if your answering service suffers a data breach or attack, your customers could lose faith in you.

Ask for cybersecurity regulator certifications from your live answering service provider. If they claim that they’re compliant with regulations like the Payment Card Industry and the Data Security Standard (PCI-DSS) and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), try to see how they’re keeping their business compliant. Better safe than sorry.

A live answering service has been an essential business tool since telephones became accessible to the general public. It’s evolved and extended its reach to the internet as well, with the rising popularity of social media and live chat customer service. Use these entries to make sure you’re getting a live answering service that fulfills your company’s needs.

Work with a Reliable Live Answering Service Agency

If you’re looking for a reliable and efficient answering service, work with Always Answer. We offer virtual receptionist, customer support, order taking, email and text delivery, and even 24/7 emergency dispatch services. Our team has provided live answering services for companies like AIG, IBM, and more. Count on us to match the high-quality service you provide your customers.