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Call answering service FAQs
While both handle telephone calls, the call management service typically handles only inbound calls to a business; it takes messages, routes them to the business and provides essential information to callers.
In comparison, the call center handles high volumes of inbound and outbound calls for businesses. Its agents are usually trained to answer callers’ inquiries and provide support and customer prospecting.
Call answering services are helpful for businesses that receive a high volume of calls that go unanswered or want to provide 24/7 customer support without having to staff their employees around the clock. They can also be helpful for individuals who want to maintain a professional image but need more time or resources to answer their calls.
A “D.I.D.”(Direct Inward Dialling) number is a unique ten-digit telephone number given to the answering service customer for call forwarding their business telephone number to the service. When the D.I.D. number is triggered by an incoming call from the customer, the associated call script is presented to a trained call answering service agent.
When a call is received by the call answering service, a trained customer service representative will answer the call using the name of the business or professional for whom they are providing the service.
They will then handle the call according to predetermined instructions (Call Scripts), leaving the caller feeling they have reached the desired company directly and not through an intermediary service.
A call-answering service answers incoming phone calls on behalf of another business or individual. They can be used for various purposes, such as customer service, order processing, appointment scheduling, after-hours emergency calls, etc.
What types of calls do answer services manage?
Call service agents manage emergency calls promptly and take appropriate actions like contacting emergency services and dispatching calls to a company’s on-call staff.
As well as taking a message, transferring a call to a requested person or department is the most common answering service function.
Taking messages from callers was how the call-answering service industry began. This is provided when a client’s business is closed or its employees are unavailable.
Call Agents process orders from customers over the phone and provide them with confirmations.
Call agents are often required to schedule appointments and provide customers with information about booking availability.
Most call-answering services are generalist, responding to customer calls with general questions about the business or its services. They answer calls from all types and sizes of businesses, from owner-operator plumbing businesses to national property management companies. While the requirements may differ according to industry and size, answering services commonly handle the following calls.
What happens when you first sign up for an answering service?
i24 Call Management Solutions is one of the few call-answering services that provide a live demonstration before the service is initiated.
The client will participate in a detailed tour of their account. They will see how the agent will manage the caller’s exchange from “Hello…” to “Goodbye…”.
If changes are to be made, this is the time they are made.
When a call comes in, the agent will follow a scripted greeting tailored to the business and the type of call received. They then may ask a series of questions to gather information from the caller, such as their name, phone number, and reason for calling.
Suppose an agent cannot resolve the caller’s issue or answer their question. In that case, they may escalate the call to a supervisor or take an introductory message and advise the customer that a technician will call them back.
Call-answering agents are trained to be friendly, empathetic, and professional in their interactions with callers. i24 agents receive ongoing training and coaching to improve their skills and adapt to changes in the business or industry.
The most common methods are:
A Per-minute rate: clients are billed based on the time agents spend on the phone with their customers.
A Monthly retainer: Most professional answering services charge a fixed monthly fee that includes a certain amount of agent work time minutes. Additional minutes are billed on a per-minute basis. This is a good option for businesses as they are billed only for the time used.
Most professional call-answering services also charge a one-time setup fee to cover the cost of preparing and training agents to manage them.
Discovery and Customization.
Once you have contacted a Call Answering Service via email or an online web form, you will speak to a representative who will ask you a few questions to discover your specific needs.
This is often referred to as the Discovery Step.
Examples of questions would be.
– What type of call management problems are you experiencing?
– How many calls do you receive now
– How many do you think you missed?
– Do you currently use a call answering service?
– What information do you need the service to collect from your clients?
The answers to these questions will be the building blocks of your customized call script that the call management agent will use to serve your customers.
Call answering service terms explained
An Answer/Transfer service is a scaled-down version of a regular call answering service. An agent answers a client’s call and transfers them to the requested person or department. This service is used during regular office hours to replace an in-house receptionist.
It ensures that their customers are answered by a live person rather than by an auto-attendant (press #1 for…, press #2 for…). Answer/transfer is a cost-efficient alternative to full-service call answering.
Agents working in a “shared service” model are generalists. They provide services to many clients and can respond to various caller inquiries.
On the other hand, in the “dedicated service” model, agents are “dedicated” to answering calls on behalf of one customer. They are trained to provide higher levels of topic specialization that reflect the expertise of the client’s personnel.
A dedicated service costs considerably more than a shared service as it involves more training and agents.
A call script is a call answering agent’s tool to manage customer calls. The content and flow of the script are customized based on the information and instructions provided to the call answering service when beginning a partnership with them.
The script leads the agent through any number of scenarios that a customer may be calling about and prompts them to gather the required information specific to that scenario. Once the call is finished, it is automatically set for dispatch, according to the nature of the call.
A call answering service protocol refers to the client information, instructions, procedures and etiquette when managing your calls.
Customized reports are generated to provide data based on your specific needs. For example, you can receive a breakdown of your calls by language, gender, age, city, and nature of the call. At i24, once the reports are established, they are emailed to you on a pre-set schedule.
The answering service “Team Lead” oversees a team of call management agents. They support the agents by giving feedback and mentoring.
They also ensure the accuracy and quality of inbound calls. They’re always ready to step in and assist with taking calls when necessary and responding to client inquiries and questions.
This is the calendar of the client’s on-call personnel. This document lets the call management service know who it can reach at any time to route calls and messages. The script is designed to display the name of this person automatically. The client company can set the schedule according to daily, weekly or monthly rotations.
Call message history refers to the dispatch team’s actions to deliver a call to the client. This includes call-out attempts, SMS text messages, and email attempts.
Call dispatchers deliver messages following the instructions you have provided.
For example. They could call you directly with a message or send you a text message. Suppose they cannot reach you or the delegated on-call person within a preset delay. In that case, the dispatcher will follow the escalation procedures until the call is ultimately handed off.
A Call Answering Agent is a professionally trained customer service representative who answers incoming client calls and manages requests by providing the caller with the desired information.
A “D.I.D.”(Direct Inward Dialling) number is a unique ten-digit telephone number given to the answering service customer for call forwarding their business telephone number to the service. When the D.I.D. number is triggered by an incoming call from the customer, the associated call script is presented to a trained call answering service agent.
Whether you’re new or established, have one local office or multinational offices, our commitment to quality service is the same.
If you need property management call answering services or someone to monitor your after-hours calls and email web inquiries, i24 has the technology and professional talent to allow you to run your business instead of running for the phone.
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