Common Problems and its Solutions of Phone Answering Technology

www.wcsofnc.net

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!

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.

The Benefits of an Answering Service for Small Business

A small business possesses fewer employees and relies heavily on its loyal employees and customers. Often small businesses have faced many challenges to survive in the marketplace and compete with larger organisations who have much more capital to support their growth.As we know, a good and first impression can make all the difference and clever small businesses should always try to give the very best service to their clients at the very first contact.

New businesses also have to work very hard to gain customer’s trust, and established businesses should always be working on maintaining trust in their company. If the business is unable to gain customer loyalty, the small business may find it hard to grow and develop.

Running a successful small business means utilising different methods to stay in contact with customers. Whether the business is small or big; it can’t afford to lose any clients or customers, and one of the strongest mediums to keep the customers engaged with the business is to use a long time experienced and upright telephone answering service.

Answering services are used in various types of industries because it is one of the easiest methods for customers to contact a business regardless of the time and number of other customers waiting on the line. There are many benefits of using a telephone answering service for small business.Let's have a look at some of those benefits:

No Chance of Missing a Sales Call For The Second Time

Sales calls are the foundation of many businesses and being accessible is key to engaging customers and making sales. Though the services can also be given online, a telephone answering service makes clients feel as they are important and that they are not neglected. Many customers feel that talking to a human rather than a machine means they are more likely to return to the business.

24/7 Available Even if The Business is Closed

Customers will probably be interested in contacting a business whose services they need outside of business hours, to catch all these extra calls and possible sales, having a 24/7 answering system is the perfect solution. The clients or customers are free to enquire and get information at any time and will, therefore, be more likely to engage with your business and view your services as reliable.

Answering Calls Promptly Even when it is Busy

 

Being able to answer all calls, even if it is just to secure a return phone number on which the business can call back on, is a huge advantage for businesses. Unanswered calls are lost opportunities and by having someone always available to attend to your customer's needs will build trust and make customers feel well taken care of.

Recording a Call For Future Queries

It is very advantageous for a small business to record calls for future queries. As small businesses have fewer resources to track all their work, recording calls will help the business to cover such issues.

 

Direct Buying Through Telephone Service

 

Some small businesses sell products directly to the customers so having a secure telephone answering service will be the best medium for the customers and the business to process transactions and send any news in a timely manner.

Instant Feedback and Solutions

 

Call answering services are one of the best ways to deal with clients’ problems instantly. This will help the business to keep records of what problems clients are having, which means they will be able to avoid the same problem in future. This way the clients never feel neglected and are motivated to stick with the business.

For small businesses, having an answering service simply make sense, there are more opportunities for the business to find new clients and it makes it much easier to retain the old ones as well. Having someone on the other end of the phone gives customers peace of mind and confidence that the business is going to answer them regardless of the clock. Contact Call Service today for professional phone answering service for your small business.