An answering service is one of the most effective tools in delivering customer satisfaction nowadays. It is widely used by professionals and companies to efficiently address their customers’ concerns.
Not all answering services are the same. They come in many types, each having a different characteristic that would make it fit for the type of business it is intended to be used. Thus, each type of answering service should be studied and compared to the needs of a company.
Here are the four (4) types of answering service and their specific characteristics:
1. Automated Answering Service. This type of answering service allows the callers to leave messages with their concerns. They will hear an automated voice to answer their call. They only have to follow instructions from the voice prompt. The messages left by the callers are then attended to by a single person or sometimes by a call center outsourcing company.
Pros: This type of answering service would fit well for customers who are only looking for general information about the company. This would also help in saving expenditure, since it costs less than a live answering service. This answering service is fit for small businesses and professionals. It can operate 24/7.
Cons: This answering service lacks flexibility to provide information to callers, and it lacks the personal touch. This type does not fit well for callers who want to hear a human voice on the other line.
2. Live Call Answering Service. The calls received by this type of answering service are answered by a real person. They can answer questions, note down any message, open e-mails and forward them to the company or the professional acquiring the service. This type of answering service is mostly operated by a single person in a home-based environment.
Pros: This provides a personal touch to the call. It is also a flexible way of handling queries and providing information to callers. This would appeal to people who only talk to real persons. It can also provide other basic office functions besides answering calls. This is ideal for small or medium sized companies and professionals who want to avail of the voice-based service for a lesser cost.
Cons: A live answering service usually does not operate 24/7, since it is mostly operated by a single person only. It can operate during or after office hours. It also can’t handle very large volumes of calls.
Pros: This service is fit for professionals who want to be updated of their customers’ concern/s even if they’re not inside the office. It also cheaper compared to the live answering service.
Cons: It only caters to professionals. It cannot handle large volumes of calls. Also, it does not have a real person to assist the needs of the customer.
4. Call Center. This type of answering service provides a number of people to assist a large volume of calls that a company receives daily. This is especially used by a customer service call center, which operates 24/7 and has a number of people that are specially trained for customer support. This type of answering service caters to medium and large sized companies.
Pros: This answering service can handle huge volumes of calls and operates 24/7. Also, the people who answer the calls are experts in customer support.
Cons: This type of answering service is often expensive, since payment is necessary for the number of people who answer the calls. This service is not good for professionals and small companies.
The success of a business may lie in opting for the right answering service, one that is appropriate for the nature of your business. Knowing the types of answering service is the first step to determining which one is most apt for your business.
About the Author
Publish on 03/11/2013
- freelance copywriter specializing in topics about the general services and qualities of a call center Philippines houses. Her expertise in the topic stems from having had worked for a few call centers and a BPO company offering a variety of services.
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