Are You Using A Quality After Hours Answering Service?

Posted October 23, 2013 in after hours answering service, live operator answering service by TechArk Support

If you own or manage a business practice you have many expenses and need to work diligently to keep those expenses under control. However, there are certain things that are not direct expenses, but investments in your business to ensure continued success and growth. For example, you invest in your employees (their professional growth, development and training) so that your business is always moving in a positive direction. However, you may not view an after hours answering service in the same manner, even though their operators would be talking to, and interacting with your clients, prospects and associates on a regular basis.

Investing in Human Capital

There is a huge difference between ‘having warm bodies to answer the phone’ and ‘professionally trained associates with ongoing quality control and technology infrastructure improvements’. Unfortunately the after hours answering service is all-to-often viewed as a direct expense, and businesses can miss out on the real value of engaging an answering service in the same manner they would for a new hire. Using an answering service is simply an extension of your investment in your own human capital so it is important to find one that is the best fit for you – not merely the lowest price.

What a Quality Service Looks Like

If you are utilizing a service (or considering one), they should act as a partner who is helping you with your evolving communications needs. They should be proactive on major changes affecting communications in your industry (such as HIPAA compliance in the healthcare provider space) and also be able to provide you with information in regards to the investments they make in their agents and their technology to ensure they will be a good provider for years to come. The ways in which people communicate have changed dramatically in recent years and those services that are actively adapting to these changes better understand the issues that you will be facing in your own business.

What are Your ‘Business Investments’?

For many organizations, a big part of the fall ritual is putting the strategies and plans in place to tackle the New Year. As you go through your own planning efforts and consider your business investments for the future, be sure to put some clear thought into the human capital you have and will need to provide stronger and more efficient communications with your clients and prospects to better serve your business needs.

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