How Can a Medical Answering Service Help Healthcare Professionals and Patients?

Effective communication is key to being successful in any profession. This is especially true for doctors because, as healthcare professionals, they offer one of the most people-centric services. Here are some other benefits of utilizing a medical answering service.

Filter, Forward or Re-direct Calls 24/7

Medical answering services serve to provide a buffer between the caller and the medical professional, filtering out and redirecting non-urgent and administrative calls to medical support staff and business administrators.  This leaves the doctor free to attend to the core healthcare services they deliver without unnecessary distraction. 

Answering services also allow important messages to be redirected to predetermined medical colleagues to address patient need at times when the doctor is in surgery, undertaking medical consultations or is off duty.

From the doctor’s perspective the answering service can offer a separation of professional and private life whilst still ensuring patient care is maintained by channelling crucial communication to a trusted colleague in a reliable and timely manner.  Professional phone answering service staff are trained to take those calls and process them according to the doctor’s instructions and the seriousness of the situation, providing an invaluable bridge between medical professionals and patients. 

Message Delivery

Messages can be delivered by traditional pager which is an ideal way of simply differentiating between professional business messages and general messages. This explains why traditional pagers are still popular amongst the medical profession, particularly those who are on-call or require effective communication after hours.  

They can carry their mobile phone for family and general communication and the small pager which will only alert for important medical circumstances. Some doctors prefer SMS as their preferred mode of message delivery whilst some use combinations of pager, SMS, e-mail or the answering service operator ringing the doctor to pass on the message personally.  

These call processing procedures are configurable by the professional medical answering service to suit the doctor’s varying needs.  Daily or periodical call/message summary reports can be provided, usually via e-mail, for verification and record keeping purposes.  

Medical answering services are an integral link in the communication chain of healthcare services.  They serve to provide clear advantages and valuable services to medical professionals and patients alike.

What Kinds of Business Utilise Virtual Offices?

Technology has enabled many all kinds of different businesses conduct operations from various different physical locations, if necessary. While there are clear advantages that come with having all staff under the same roof during business hours, the ability for staff to be able to work from different addresses - or even different countries - has allowed for increased flexibility, efficiency and can also cut operating costs. This article will discuss the kinds of businesses that usually look to set up virtual offices and why.

What is a virtual office?

A virtual office is made up of any number of a range of different technologies that enable a business to conduct itself with staff and managers working remotely, rather than in one location or office. These services can include any combination of phone answering and transferring abilities between separate phone lines, voicemail services and an address that can be used for postal purposes. Often, a business will outsource some of this, having another company look after incoming calls and provide a virtual assistant.

An entity with this kind of business model may or may not have a permanent address. Often, it is not necessary at all and client meetings and the like can be conducted in temporary office space that is rented out, giving the appearance that this is the permanent office. To learn more about virtual office concept and what it can do to improve your business click here.

There are various benefits that come as a result of this. For one, it’s much more affordable and allows employees to work from anywhere in the world essentially. It can also ensure the business appears to be very professional and well-funded, when this may not necessarily be the case. Virtual offices are also quick and easy to set up whether you organise this yourself or go to a call service or virtual receptionist service provider in Australia.

Who usually uses them?

Virtual office scenarios naturally lend themselves to certain kinds of businesses and industries, predominately in the professional services. Small businesses and startups are generally more likely to go with a virtual office setup. Studies have indicated that the legal industry accounts for just less than one-fifth of businesses utilising virtual offices. Consulting firms also account for a large proportion, accounting for 15-16%. This is understandable, given that consultants will often work alone as sole traders. A virtual office can not only assist in the management of clients and the like but also give off the appearance that the consulting firm is much larger than it may be. The technology and finance industries account for 9-10% each; as mentioned many startup technologies and development companies will have a virtual office in place when they’re getting off the ground. Businesses in real estate and healthcare account for a further 6% and 7% respectively. Learn How Virtual Office Communication Can Help Boost Your Business.

Virtual offices are a good option for a lot of different businesses in various industries and are becoming more popular with technological improvements and the fact that professionals seem to have less time than ever before! If a virtual office arrangement sounds like it may fit your needs, get in touch with the team at Call Service today.

4 Tips on How to Make a Great Sales Call

Selling over the phone and cold calling, in particular, has become increasingly difficult nowadays. As unsolicited sales calls are at an all time high, potential customers are more sceptical now than they were even 5 years ago. This makes selling over the phone quite challenging with it’s a cold call or a warm lead, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be done.  There is some feeling when it comes to sales that you either have it or you don’t, but in many cases, this is simply not true. Selling is something you can learn and improve over time and with experience, and knowing a few tricks and tips gives you a much better chance of success.

Introduce yourself confidently

Whether or not the prospective client knows you, it’s important and also professional to start strong with a confident introduction of who you are, your company and the reason for your call. Ultimately, this rule should be applied to any professional phone conversation.
 

If you have spoken to the person before, don’t assume that they’ll remember you straight off the bat, doing so can come off as a little self-entitled and possibly even cocky. If the customer has to ask you where you’re calling from, you may already be playing catch up. If you are making a cold call, you may mention the value that your service offers in your introduction and how you can help the prospective customers.

Offer times when organising a face-to-face meeting

 

People will always respond to decisiveness in this situation and you want to make it as easy for the prospective customer as possible. For many businesses, the goal may be to set up a meeting and discuss the terms, giving you a greater chance of converting the sale. In these cases, you’ll want to suggest specific times, rather than asking when the potential client is free or when suits them. You might say, “Are you free to come in a 10 am on Tuesday? If not, we can schedule a sit down for Thursday at 2 pm.”

This can also subtly convey that you are busy and have a lot of work and/or meetings to attend, which works in your favour.

Set realistic expectations

 
One of the biggest ways to give your company a bad reputation is to over promise with regards to what you are able to deliver. It’s always a good idea to be optimistic and positive both in the way you approach your work and when discussing future plans with a client, but knowingly misrepresenting the quality of your service is not a recipe for long-term success. By all means, putting a positive spin on your offering is highly recommended, but you should always try to be realistic and ensure that the customer’s expectations are reasonable and realistic. Recognise that one of the best ways to please a customer is to exceed the expectations they have, but set them too low and you risk not converting the sale at all.

Following up

The manner in which you follow up with your leads can be what gets the sale over the line when it’s all said and down. If you haven’t set up a meeting, potential customers will rarely agree to go ahead based on a single phone conversation, so following up in the right way is an absolute must. There is a fine line between being overly pushy and having the person forget about your discussion altogether. Obviously gauging their interest is a skill in itself, but as a general rule, an upbeat email or phone call a few days to a week after your initial conversation can give you an idea of where you stand.

 

Ensuring that you are available when the customer does call back is also hugely important. This can be the difference between closing or losing the client. A call answering service can help you ensure that you don’t miss an incoming call, allowing you to call back as soon as you can without upsetting the client. Speak to Call Service today for more info.

Why Your Business Should Encourage Complaints From Clients?

Complaints to a business are generally seen as a negative thing, given that they unnecessarily indicate that there is some shortcoming in the service provided. What many businesses don’t understand is a lot of the time that when complaints aren’t coming through, it isn’t necessarily a sign that things are going well. Obviously, a lack of complaints can be taken as a positive, but it really depends on context.

The point is that complaints can often be seen as a good thing and something that is necessary for a business to progress. Mistakes are going to be made from time to time, and it’s important to identify and correct them if the company is going to expand. Let’s take a look at a few of the main reasons you should see a complaint as a positive rather than a negative.

It Serves As Constructive Criticism

When it comes to running a successful business, the more information you have about your customers and how well you are serving their needs, the better. True, receiving a complaint can be stressful and can possibly put a business under pressure. However, there is no doubting the fact that it also serves as a wake-up call.

A business should always be improving, becoming more efficient and serving customers better. Complaints can serve an important purpose as they signal to a business which areas need to be improved and worked on. A good business will not only take them to heart but use them as constructive criticism and improve processes.

It Can Be A Signal Of A  Good Relationship

Good customer service means being able to establish a relationship and mutual trust between the two parties. Under such conditions, customers can feel comfortable enough to express their concerns with you about the service you are providing, rather than simply cancelling or going with another provider the next time around. 

Ultimately, having honesty in a customer relationship usually serves as a benefit to both parties. If you’re getting a complaint, it can be a sign that there are strong communication and comfort between clients and the staff. A personal answering service can be a good example here.

Allows You To Keep Customers Happy

Often, receiving a complaint is really a best-case scenario if you’ve made a mistake. If a customer mentions that something was lacking in your service, you are in a great position to correct this mistake and regain their trust. It gives you a chance to prove yourself to them as a provider as quickly as possible. 

Taking responsibility for a mistake and showing that you’re willing to make up for it is a great way to impress a customer and doing so ensures that they don’t leave a negative review online. If the problem isn’t dealt with, this is quite possible and even likely.

It Can Make Staff More Accountable

If you are receiving complaints on a regular basis, your staff will not only start to hold themselves more accountable and potentially take their customer service duties more seriously, but they’ll also be more in tune with what makes customers happy.

If you aren’t hearing feedback from customers, it can be difficult to develop an intuitive sense of what should be done in a certain situation. Having regular complaints from customers and responding to them can actually instil a positive culture into a business.

No matter what size your business is, good customer service is hugely important. If you are able to encourage your clients to complain and provide genuine feedback, you are in a much better position to properly serve them. Call Service provides a number of services aimed at ensuring good communication between the client and staff, ensuring that you don’t miss important phone calls. This is an important consideration if you are focusing on good customer service. Contact us directly for more information.

Which Small Businesses are Suited to Call Answering Services?

In this highly competitive age, businesses of all sizes are looking at ways to cut costs now more than ever. Call answering services have become one such option, particularly for small businesses that are growing and expanding. It is not only a way for a company to handle the incoming and outgoing calls, but to convey the level of professionalism that helps create a business in the future. Let’s have a look at the kinds of businesses it best suits.

 

What is a Call Answering Service?

 

"A call answering service is essentially designed to act as an extension of a business and manage the incoming, and potentially the outgoing calls, leaving the staff to focus on more important things"

This means that when a call comes through to the business, it is diverted to the call service team, who are trained to deal with enquiries in a professional manner and represent the business well. Following a script, they can take down information, give advice, book appointments or whatever else is needed.

Generally, these services are highly flexible, meaning if the business is in the process of expanding and needs a temporary means of dealing with high volume calls, this can provide the answer.

 

What are the Advantages?

Obviously, contracting a phone answering service is less expensive than bringing on staff to handle these responsibilities. It means a business can use resources in other areas. It is particularly valuable for sole traders or partnerships, where the business is growing to a size where managing all the phone enquiries is getting in the way of actually completing contracted work.

There is also the added benefit of potentially being available 24/7, essentially meaning a business never misses a call from a potential customer no matter what time they ring. In certain lines of work, offering all hour’s phone service is extremely valuable.

What Kind of Businesses can Benefit?

While it’s true that a call answering service isn’t ideal for every kind of company, there are certain industries and types of business where it really adds value. In most professionals that require reception staff, you’ll find that a call service is appropriate.

 

Trades Services

 

Before a plumber, painter or electrician expands into a large business, there is a period where they’ll be handling their own calls. This becomes tricky when on the job and more often than not means that some calls simply aren’t answered. For a smaller sized business, which needs to make the most of the calls it does get, this can be problematic. That’s why an answering service is quite popular with tradespeople.

 

Medical Professionals

 

Doctors operating a smaller sized business are often very busy and are required to see patients throughout the day, possibly conduct home visits, coordinate with other specialists and or general practitioners and deal with patients calling in needing results and appointments. A call service can help manage this if hiring reception staff is not yet an option.

 

Offices with Large Customer Bases

 

There are businesses in a wide range of industries, though particularly the technology industry, that service hundreds of clients on an ongoing, or subscription basis. This means that while every client may only touch base every few months, the volume of calls can be difficult to manage. These kinds of companies usually find call services to be very helpful and can be an asset if the business is structured in this way.

 

Phone answering services are very easy to find and rates are highly affordable, depending on the plan you go ahead with. The best one you have in Australia is Call Service – a  professional & highly experienced phone answering service provider. Contact Call Service today for more information!

4 Important Qualities a Phone Operator Needs

 

For a large number of businesses, incoming and outgoing phone calls are very important. They enable you to stay in touch with clients and customers and essentially run your business. While some lines of work are more reliant on phone conversations than others, a large percentage of commercial businesses conduct their business on the phone. Now-a –days, there are some types of companies for whom call tracking is a MUST.

When dealing with clients or customers on the phone, there’s a few qualities that you or your reception staff need to have in order to get the best long term result. If you aren’t hiring a call service provider, the next best thing is to be prepared! Let’s take a look at 4 of the most important customer service skills needed.

Calm Under Pressure

Remaining as professional as possible is important. Every so often a customer will lose their temper, or fail to understand something. Sometimes it will be the fault of the company, other times it may be a simple misunderstanding. Regardless, these situations require that you remain professional and reasonable, without upsetting the client further. It can be quite difficult to bite your tongue when you have someone on the line barking at you, but it’s important to maintain your composure even when they are out of line.

Patience

 

Again, this depends on the line of work, but chances are that if you’re manning the phones, you’re going to come across many of the same issues again and again. You’re also going to deal with customers that are perhaps not as knowledgeable as you’d expect and take a little time to explain things too or have trouble understanding what you’re telling them.

Verbal Communication

This ultimately goes without saying, but it’s something that - in a lot of cases - people either have or don’t have. A professional receptionist or phone operator needs to be able to effectively communicate ideas and information in a clear, concise tone that can be understood by people that may not know a lot about the topic. To achieve this your phone operator need to the basic verbal communication skills. It’s also important to get to the point quickly, without wasting the customers time.

Persuasion Skills

This is important not only for potential up-selling opportunities, but the ability to get the customer on your side and share some sense of mutual understanding. At its core, persuasion is all about creating a connection, where the other person recognises that you understand their position and have their best interests at heart. If you are able to communicate this effectively and the customer picks up on this, you are sure to find a solution for them.


If you’re too busy to handle your incoming and outgoing phone call requirements, you can also consider another option. Answering service providers like Call Service takes a very professional and good care of your business calls and speak to your customers on your behalf. Being experts in communicating on the phone and finding solutions, they are able to pass information along, take message or book meetings and appointments. For more information, contact Call Service in Melbourne today.

What to Consider Before Signing up With a Call Service Provider

Many different kinds of businesses can find benefits in the use of a call service or phone answering provider. For sole traders, in particular, it can free up time that can be used in other more productive ways as well as giving your business a professional touch. If you are looking at going down this path, it’s important to go with a proven call answering service that offers customised business services for your particular needs. Below are a few of the considerations and questions you should keep in mind.

How Do They Charge?

Most providers will have a range of different packages available and it's worth considering each of them. Monthly, low-cost plans may look good on the surface, but often it will mean you’re dealing with a lot of extra, add-on costs that you didn’t account for. Other options are on a per-call or per-minute basis, meaning you only really pay for what you use (this may be in addition to a sign-up fee of some description). Keep in mind that these can quickly rack up the bill if you’re getting a lot of calls from tele-markers and/or not very important calls. Ultimately, you know what will work best for you - for example, if you have only a few quite intensive phone calls a day, a per-call package will be in your best interests.

The details of the contract are also something you should consider. Some providers will try to lock you in for 6 months or more, which may not suit your situation. Others may go month by month.

What are Their Business Hours?

For some types of businesses, you may need 24/7 phone service without any exceptions - in fact, this may be the reason you’re looking for a phone answering service in the first place. Some services will provide this and some may not - again it comes down to what you need and matching yourself up with a provider that accommodates this.

Who’s Working the Phones?

Part of the job description of these providers is that they have an excellent phone etiquette to represent your business in a professional way. If it is obvious to the caller that they are speaking to a third-party rather than the company they intended to call, this is obviously not ideal.

Find out where their call centres are and how big the phone team is. Usually, it’s a case of the more the better - you don’t want to have you callers kept on hold for too long.

A lot of providers will have offshore offices with foreign staff that answer phones, which in most cases is fine and can mean lower rates. However, if possible you’d prefer onshore phone operators as they are more likely to be able to connect with the callers culturally and in terms of the language used as well.

What is the Level of Service Provided?

This may seem like a broad question, but how much of your work the call service company is able to do is very important. Some will simply be able to take a message or book appointments and nothing more. Others can provide information according to a script they are given. Some may even be able to deal with problems the callers face on-the-fly or take payments. Figure out what you’re looking for and what you’re expecting before finding the provider that offers this.

For more information about phone answering services, virtual office services and more, speak to the friendly team at Call Service today!

What’s The Difference Between An Answering Service And A Call Centre?

In 2016, it’s becoming common practice for companies to outsource some or even all of their inbound and outbound call requirements. Whether it’s offshore or locally-based, it is certainly a viable way of structuring an office and has a proven track record of working in most cases.

If you’re considering going down this path due to an increased volume of calls coming into your place of business, knowing the difference between your various options is a good idea. Should you go for an answering service or do you need a full call centre to handle things?

First, let’s take a look at the main differences between the two.

 

Telephone Answering Service

A telephone or call answering service is provided by a company, usually based locally, that takes on all your incoming calls and frees you and your staff up to take care of other parts of the business. They generally provide service for multiple other businesses and are trained to handle the calls for each specific one.

While they are smaller in size, they are more complex and often offer a more comprehensive service, beyond simply taking information and passing it on. Often they’ll be able to give advice and do exactly what a reception employee in your office would do, solving the problem or providing the information the incoming caller is after quickly and professionally.

 

Call Centre Service

Outsourced call centres are similar to answering service but on a much larger and more automated scale. Phone operators will often be following a script and providing complex information is beyond the scope of their job. The information they provide is simple and straightforward, is not urgent and there is little decision-making on the part of the phone operator involved. They tend to be dealing with significantly more calls that are similar - and therefore more simple.

 

Which Is The Better Option?

This depends on a number of factors including the size of your company, the industry that you’re operating in and what percentage of your business depends on incoming calls. Generally speaking, a telephone answering service is likely to provide better service to the customer because it's much more personalised. It also tends to suit smaller business and sole traders, whose call volume is manageable. For a large corporation with relatively simple requests and information, a call centre can be very effective. But answering service for small business is definitely a winner.

Common Problems and its Solutions of Phone Answering Technology

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We’ve all been there when we have missed an important call whilst speaking to a client and the sale is lost due to technical issues. Chasing sales afterwards can be a stressing situation for many self-employed people, let alone a thriving business, but it doesn’t have to be that way.

In an average business day, many companies fall prone to technical mishaps or glitches that may ruin a sale or delay communications that could have otherwise been done and dusted, leading to missed opportunity and lots of time wasted. Technical issues are prone to larger telecommunications networks in offices and buildings, but it can happen on a personal basis, too.

Communications Drop Outs for Lone Workers

Faulty lines are a common issue for many self-employed small business managers as if they are on the road and the line is bad or not connecting, then a chance of getting that important email sent is swindling every minute. One of the most common problems with workers on the road is a drop out of 3G or 4G signal, leading to no internet, email or cell phone access when it is needed the most.

If your line drops out and are not able to receive any calls, your telephone will operate as “busy” and Call Service will then be taking all of your calls, client information and be forwarding this information to you to receive when your communications signals come back - check that out for service!

Weak connections between the client and agent are another communication issue that has come to light in recent years, thanks in part to the popular use of IP communications. Video chats, video calls and VOIP phones are prone to going down when there is a problem with the internet, and sometimes it feels like we have to live with the problems on a day by day basis.

Professional, 24/7 Call Answering Service

Call service offers a chance to avoid some of these daily obstacles by providing a clear messaging service to all of its clients that can reroute calls, messages and important information to your personal home phone, business phone or mobile phone in seconds.

Never again will you suffer from dropouts in communication in your office, as important calls and messages can be sent to your mobile phone or tablet wherever you are. You will get that important email through a number of different routes, chosen by you for your convenience.

The convenient use of technology has improved business communication a lot to ensure that you will be kept abreast of the situation regarding your services at every step of the process. You will have access to friendly, personal services including a personal phone answering service, a messaging service that includes email, SMS or fax, corporate services that provide tailor made solutions for your needs, as well as a pager service for modern devices.


Call Service also offer the fantastic opportunity to benefit from their virtual office solutions in providing you with access to a number of services including 24/7 telephone answering so that you never need to put a client on hold. Client information is taken and then forwarded to you via SMS, email or pager service for your convenience - providing a truly professional service that will save you time, effort and more importantly, get you those sales!

20 Ideas to Build Your Small Business Virtual Office in the New Year

Thanks to innovations surrounding the internet, mobile phones as well as email and messaging services, many people are now finding it easier than ever to leave their office and create their very own virtual office at home or on the move. We are one of the oldest and trustworthy virtual office service providers in Australia and we believe that there are myriad of products or service ideas on the market that can make your business life simpler by offering you multiple ways to send files, take calls and make those important deals go through smoothly. Here are some worth sharing ideas:

1. Cloud Services 

When the idea first came about for cloud services, many people saw it as a little fad for a way of backing up their work with some online storage. But the cloud has moved on since then, offering Microsoft Word, Google Apps, Photoshop and a host of other applications that no longer rely on installation on a single computer, which makes cloud computing service great for businesses. So, why don't you move to cloud services and enjoy its multiple benefits?

 

2. VOIP telephone services

Many businesses now see the benefits of setting up VOIP services and cut the costing in their landline telephone system. These Voice Over Internet Protocol services allow for massive amounts of traffic to your network which is handled by a single computer at a time. Automated switching and voice messaging is one place that has taken off in a big way with virtual offices around the world.

3.Combined scanner, fax, email and photocopier

Storing your paperwork can always be a bit of a hassle when it comes to high turnover businesses, so keeping a record that can be easily accessed is a great way to keep on top of your finances, clients and overheads. Combined scanners, faxes and photocopiers allow you to backup all of your important paperwork, name the individual files by date and time and place them in multiple safe storage locations to make searching for important documents easier than ever.

4. Use virtual meeting software

Need to call a meeting with your other virtual office workers around the globe? Then take advantage of the host of virtual office software out there that can set up video calls, share software over an Internet connection and work on files and projects together in real time. These services have taken off in a big way for the creative industries where collaboration is a key factor in everyday working environments.

5. Use a VPN service for an intranet

Whilst most static offices have intranets that allow for workers to connect to databases to perform their duties, you can start using VPNs for workers outside of the network to connect to. If you are a virtual office business you can also create a virtual intranet to host your databases, files and documents on several different platforms, allowing your workers to connect directly to your company network.

6. Virtual offices need a virtual storefront

If your business is a public-facing entity that offers services to the public or clients, then having a place for your clients to visit is a must. But having a virtual office means that you may have no physical offices at all which is why taking your internet site, blog or page must be done seriously. This is the single place where outsiders will find you and interact with you for the first time, so creating a user-friendly design will set you in good form for the future business. 

7. Add a personal touch

Even though the majority of your business may be concluded in a virtual realm, on the phone, via email or virtual network it is often a great idea to meet new clients and customers in person for the first time. This will give new customers a personal touch that they will notice and take you more seriously. It is far easier to cancel a deal via email, but when meeting face to face it gives a personal touch to every appointment you make.

8.Be as organised as you can

One thing can be said for virtual office advantages and disadvantages and it is that you simply must be super organised. Getting things done right can be a pain even when you are in a physical office where you can talk face to face with people, so putting distance between you and your co-workers can sometimes be a nightmare. This is where good virtual apps and video calls come in to save the day, ensuring that everyone is working to the same beat.

9.Ensure everyone has a dedicated workstation

Making sure that everyone working for your virtual business has at least one dedicated workstation is a great way to ensure some form of work ethic will remain as your workforce may be more fluid than a stationary office. Virtual office space is important, so work with your colleagues to find a professional solution for their requirements.

Virtual office pros and cons come into force when workers are spending the majority of their time on the road or interviewing people, so allowing them to come back to a dedicated location to “sign in” on a regular basis will preserve good working practices throughout your virtual business.

10.Use instant messaging services for live messaging

Instant messengers are one of the best virtual office solutions for new companies, as getting in touch with workers and colleagues when you need them most is one of the great advantages of working in a virtual environment. The virtual office definition is such that you won’t need any face to face communication with clients or colleagues so long as they are always reachable.

11. Shop around for your services

Many businesses don’t shop around for their virtual office services as often as they should, so the next time your billing comes in for virtual call services or messaging systems, be on the look-out for special deals. A virtual office doesn’t have to cost a small fortune, and in fact creating a virtual office with free services is possible for those start-ups that do not have masses of capital.

12. Use group chat services to your advantage

Organising group meetings and messaging services can seem like a nightmare to set up initially, but by creating a live chat system for your entire workforce you are able to cut down on the complexities that could leave you scratching your head. There is a lot of reasons you should consider to use live chats and leave them open to organise your teams and allow the free flow of messages to help your workers have organic conversations about your business - a must for creative industries.

13. Use document sharing services

One of the best ways to keep up to date about the projects happening in your business is to use the services of online document sharing solutions. With virtual apps like Google Drive, Dropbox and Microsoft OneDrive you are able to store a large amount of data for free - with terabytes of storage available for a fee if you need the space.

Doing so will free up space on your worker's computers, and allow them to access the files and folders from any device on the road - be it a mobile phone, tablet or another computer in another office.

14. Create an office telephone number for your small business

Many small businesses and working at home companies still rely on their home phone number for contact with their business. This can be a cheaper option for some but will leave your personal and working life open to difficulty if not taken care of.

Many virtual office workers create a private business line in their home or use a host of services to give you a virtual number on which to take calls.

15. Set yourself strict office hours

Even though you may not work in an office, you still have to work! So setting yourself strict office working hours and keeping to them will be an important test on how your working life balance will hold up. If you are having problems with sticking to a routine, why not choose a different location to work from or create a permanent office environment in your home to keep you on the right path.

16.Hire a virtual call service to take your calls

One of the best ways to ensure that you are always available for your clients without leaving them hanging on busy phone lines it to hire a virtual call service to take your calls. Virtual call services will be able to route your calls to a specific mobile device if your home or office number is busy, as well as greet your customers with a customised message and take voice messages for you.

You will be notified of calls, numbers, who is calling as well as having voice messages forwarded to a mobile device. Call logs will be handled in a professional manner and you will sound and feel like you have moved up the professional small business ladder overnight!

17.Professionally handle paying your employees

One thing that many freelancers and virtual office workers suffer from is an unreliable system of payroll. One great way to handle paying your workers is to automate your payroll system based on a number of factors you can customise such as working hours, days missed, the volume of work produced as well as holidays and overtime on projects.

Handling your payroll professionally will ensure that your workers and your clients will remain happy and that they see the virtual business as a professional, trustworthy company and not a virtual company run from a back bedroom in another country.

18. Host regular team meeting events

Although you may all work virtually from home or another office, taking the time out on a regular basis to get the whole team together will work wonders for morale, as well as being able to oversee projects with a personal touch.

Use team building exercises and days out to get together with your team of co-workers and you will find that your workers may work better together in the future and allow them to understand each other better when working on new projects.

19. Be flexible in where and when you work

Sometimes taking time out to clear your mind can be a great idea when working long hours, which is why so many people prefer working in a different environment rather than a dull, grey office. But taking too much time out can start to have a negative effect. Try different locations to work from and see which suits you best.

You might find that you get more done in a coffee shop than your back room home office, whilst others might work best pulling up a workstation in a client’s office. Either way, test out your surroundings and be more flexible with the location of where you perform the majority of your work.

20. Travel and see your clients environments

One of the great things about being able to work in a virtual office is that it gives you enough time to travel to see what your business actually does. Travel and meet your clients in their own environments and understand the local market more.
If you offer services that relate to a specific town or region then having the chance to visit, research and find out more about the target audience is a great tool in boosting your virtual office sales and will help create new clients in an already-tested market.


Fantastic opportunities are out there for your small business, so why not move all of your office applications to the cloud. Hire a call service that can handle your calls efficiently and professionally and move your daily tasks to a virtual world to compete in the fluid markets of the future. This time next year you could be a completely virtual office that runs things more efficiently and more effectively than ever before.

How can a Live Answering Service Help you During the Holidays?

The summer holidays are obviously a busy time of year for just about everyone mainly because of the Christmas rush but also due to the fact that it’s the time to get things done that you didn’t get a chance to complete during the year. It’s a nice time to go on a holiday, spend time with friends and family and generally just reset for the year that is coming.

While the majority of workplaces shut down over Christmas, there are those that become even busier. Particularly for sole traders and small businesses, people can find it hard to find time for all these other things when work is so flat out and the business needs so much attention.

That’s part of the reason live answering services can be so beneficial in the holiday months, as they have the effect of helping you manage. These services are provided by company’s that effectively look after all of the incoming and/or outgoing calls to and from your business. If the call is important or the customer needs to book a service, the company working on your behalf can book them in for a service, give advice, or have you contact them depending on the requirement.

Let’s take a look at the benefits in more detail.

1. Frees up time

If you run a successful seasonal business that is particularly busy during this time, you can be looking at several calls per day and the requirement to set times and appointment can be rather cumbersome and time-consuming. The most obvious advantage is that outsourcing your incoming calls saves you having to handle them yourself and you can find time to duck away and spend time with your family around Christmas!

2. Appeals to Busy and Quiet Businesses

As discussed, if things are out of control on the phones then there are obvious advantages to a call service. However, if things quieten down over the holidays and you want to lay low for a few weeks, a live answering service can be beneficial too. The company can simply man the phones for you and book in any customers that do call for an appropriate date when you’re back at work - meaning you don’t lose the business altogether.

3. Less pressure on employees

The summer holidays should be a time of rest for employees to recharge for the year ahead. The trouble is, when it’s busy not everyone can take time off. With a call service, you can lessen the load so to speak, and have greater means to give employees a break than you otherwise would.

4. As Professional as Ever

The staff at these companies are trained to deal with people on the phone and will ensure your business is represented in the best light possible. You train them on how your business operates and what you need from their end, and they take care of the rest.

 5. It can be temporary or permanent

These services are highly flexible and no long-term contract is required. You can get some help for them over a short period and once things calm down a bit, you can go on as usual. However, if things work well with this arrangement you might even decide to stick with them for good!

Many businesses all over Melbourne go down the live answering service path over Christmas. If it sounds like something that might help your business, don’t hesitate to contact Call Service today. For more information about live answering service click here.

Top Greetings For Your Business To Get A Positive Customer Response

                                       

Business Greetings are extremely important regardless of your impressive facilities, extensive credentials and fantastic equipment. Greeting your customers with a genuine smile and sincerity holds the key to setting a foundation for a positive customer response. The customer calling you want to feel connected and cared for. They want to feel like they can trust themselves in your hands so it is important that customer greeting is correct at the very initial step. If you don’t get it right, it raises questions in the customer’s mind whether or not your services will be reliable.

Naturally, if staff are on the phones all the time they probably talk to a lot of people every day, so it’s important to guard against becoming hard and careless to the problems of the people and general conversation. Customers need to feel and hear that we care first. So we have developed an “I CARE” method to help you with greeting customers in the most appropriate way.

• I - Initiate warm, personal greeting
• C - Confirm their appointment 
• A - Answer their questions
• R - Repeat their name 
• E - Explain next steps

The “I CARE” Method

The following steps will help you send a positive message to your valuable customers. The essence of I CARE method is to make your customers feel that they are your top priority and you are glad that they have called. Practices like this will help you develop a base of loyal customers who can’t wait to tell their friends about the great experience they had with your business.

1. Initiate a warm, personal greeting - Be empathetic towards your customer and pay 100 percent attention to what your customers have to say. Understanding, being sensitive and aware of the feelings, experiences and thoughts of your customer is the most essential element for developing a great service mentality.

It is wise to address customers by their preferred name if you know them. Try and create a bond which would send a clear precise message - You are my first order of business here and I am here to serve you.

2. Confirm their appointment - Next important step is to confirm the appointment. Confirm the date, the time and the reason for the visit or call. Particularly for someone who has an appointment and this should be the time to let them know whether there may be a delay and if the person they seek is available or not.

3. Answer their questions - Now it is time to answer all their queries one by one. Assume the customer wants to know about your product or service offerings - “How can I purchase your XYZ service/product?” Or “Is Mr X available?”

4. Explain the next steps - As you bring your transaction to a close, repeat the customer’s name to personalise the full process. If you have conducted a business transaction, so summarise what you will do and explain what they need to do from here.

The Forbidden Phrases You Should Never Use

1. I don’t know - Use of such negative statement is a terrible approach and will inevitably frustrate the caller. You cannot afford to use such statement if you represent the organisation. While it is almost impossible to have all the information at your fingertips at once, it is better to use phrases like ‘I’ll try and find out’ as it shows that you are willing to go that extra mile for him/her. The best solution to such problem is, using positive words & phrases - “That is a good question, let me check.”
2. We can’t do that - You should always avoid such negative statement. Don’t tell your customer what you cannot do instead turn the tables and tell them what you can do to help. The best solution to this problem is - “Let’s see what we can do for you.
3. It is a company policy - Customer doesn't care about the company policy, rather they would ask for an exclusion of such stratagem. It is better to use an alternative statement such as “Mr X we have a better scheme or place we can offer. Would you like to see or hear about it?”
4. That’s impossible - Another negative that will cost your organisation may be even losing you, potential customers. Portray the positive side i.e. what service or product can be available for that particular customer. The valuable client didn’t call you to solve your problems but they expect you will resolve his, do not overburden them with such negative phrases.

Courtesy Rule - Telephone Skills

•  Answer the phone promptly within three rings if possible.

• Remember to ask for the caller’s name and address them by their name.

• Use clear positive messages and remember not to use any sort of slang words.

• No insider jargon words such as Res no. - Reservation Number, ASAP - As soon as possible. Sometimes a shortcut takes a long time to explain.

• Avoid monotone and adapt to varying tone when possible.

• Don’t hurry or speak too fast. Garbling hinders audibility and customers will lose track of the topic.

• Stay focused and avoid distraction like looking at your phone, chewing gum etc.

• Listen to your customers attentively and do not interrupt the caller - respond only once they have finished and then make your suggestions.

• Repeat back information to avoid misunderstanding.

• Be specific while providing the information. Ask for detailed information which would help to determine their needs.

•  Acknowledge the transfer requests.

• Let transferee know what to expect so that it helps prepare your colleague before receiving the call.

• Let the caller speak before you place them on hold.

•  Offer the caller a choice before putting them on hold or ask them whether they would love to leave a  message.

• Always remember to take a thorough message.

•  Listen, empathise, apologise, solve the problem and follow up.

At last but not the least, remember to take a coffee break because you deserve it.
The first impression is everything. Remember to develop a rapport and treat your valuable customer like you want yourself to be treated. Don't build your relationship with products or services but with the customers and clients that lead to trust and long-term fruitful relationship.