7 Myths That You Shouldn't Believe About Phone Answering Services
Posted by Andy Gross on April 5th, 2018
Myths and misconceptions about professional phone answering services still exist in the minds of the owners of small businesses. Here is a look into few myths that have been busted.
Governed by preconceived notions, many business owners have fixed beliefs and opinions about phone answering services and how they function. Even though an efficient customer service has been supporting big and small industries for a long time now, there are several myths about the phone answering services, many of which have been busted. Listed below are few misconceptions about these services that you must not believe:
Answering Services Use Call Agents from Abroad:
Many US customers who call domestic companies are disappointed to see their calls being routed to agents overseas. While it is true that a phone service for small business may rely on overseas outsourcing, it is not always the case. Top phone answering services here are U.S. based which means that you will never have language barriers. Besides, a reliable company will offer bilingual support for Spanish speaking customers.
Customers Want to Speak to Someone in Authority:
Given a choice, all customers would want to talk to the topmost person in the company. But, it is always not possible or practical to do so. The biggest reason that turns off customers is their inability to talk to a live person when they call a company. Phone answering services have professionally qualified personnel who are highly skilled, polite, and courteous.
People Prefer Other Online Services to Communicate:
Many small business companies believe that customers prefer to use chat, e-mail, and other online services to communicate with business houses. However, as per a study conducted by an intelligence firm in 2016, it was found that 65% of customers preferred talking to a live person rather than using online services.
Phone Answering Services are Far Too Expensive:
The loss that a company would incur by letting calls go straight to voicemail is far more than what they would be spending on phone answering services. Good customer support team would not only bring more sales but will also help retain the existing ones. Phone service for small business is comparatively less expensive and helps in bringing more money into the business.
Customer Data and Information is not Secure with a Third Party:
It is natural for a business to think that the information of their customers is not secure with a third party. While it is a risk to trust a cheap answering service with important information of the customer, a reliable and reputed phone service will use advanced encryption technology. Moreover, it is 100% HIPAA-compliant, thereby making the customer data completely secure.
Cannot Track the Services Offered:
Many business owners still believe that they will not be able to track the kind of service being offered if a phone answering service is to handle calls from their customers. All top answering service companies submit regular reports to business owners. The calls are measured on the basis of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), such as Average Handling Time (AHT), First Call Resolution (FCR), and Abandoned Call Rate.
Calls are Scripted
Some business owners are of the impression that call agents follow a written script which sounds more like a machine talking. Good phone answering service companies train their employees to establish a connection with the consumers by being friendly, warm, and interactive.
Misconceptions and myths about phone answering services must be put to rest to really enjoy the benefits that a customer support team can give a small business.
If you are looking for the Best Small Business Answering Services, the author of this article suggests Sunshine Communications Inc.
