Using Answering Services

Businesses get to work using a phone answering service

Deciding to use telephone answering services for business is the first step. Business answering services asset your company by providing prompt telephone answering and messaging options, scheduling, or your choice of other call handling features. Answering services are capable of handling calls any way you might need.

Using answering services for your business allows you to focus on your work instead of the interrupting ringing of the telephone. You can set up an answering service to be used only during business hours, only after business hours or 24 hours a day. Depending on your business needs and personal desires, you need to choose which of the following available business answering service options are best for you:

1. Automated answering services

2. Live answering services

3. Home-based answering service

After you find the type of service that is best for your company, you will need to find a company or software and tailor the service to your business. Provide them with information on how you prefer your calls to be handled. Then sit back and enjoy the seamless management of your telephone calls.

Keep everything in house with automated answering services

Consider using answering service software with your existing business phone if you do not mind calls being handled via recording. The public today recognizes automated phone answering systems as a necessity in business. Setting up your current phones to be answered automatically and handled via software can keep your costs low by avoiding monthly fees and still accomplish your phone answering needs.

Hire live answering services for the most complex needs

Acting as an off-site receptionist, a live business answering service is set up to handle any call answering need. Use this service when you want it to appear that an employee in your office is answering the call. Beyond that, this service is especially useful if you need a variety of custom offerings. Some offerings include 800 answering service numbers, multi-language and voice response answering. Also known as a virtual answering service, this system allows for mobility and flexibility for your business.

Consider home-based answering services for small businesses

Choose a company that contracts home-based workers to answer you calls. Often, contractors will be assigned to you, which allows your customers to become familiar with the person answering the phone. This method is a cost-saving measure for small businesses. Workers can take the place of or supplement your current office staff without the added costs of benefits or full-time employees.

• Answering service providers perform many of the same tasks as a receptionist. Some additional services include mail handling, fax and copy services and appointment setting.

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