Increasingly we are living in a 24 hour culture. More people work different shifts and the idea of the 9 to 5 working day is becoming less and less common. This also means that people do not always have time to talk to companies during conventional working hours. Therefore it is worth considering using a 24 hour telephone answering service to help customers whenever they need it.
The first thing to find out is how the staff are trained. Ideally the training will be standardised across the various call centres. You want to be sure that every customer who calls you will get the same level of service and will receive the level of attention that they should be entitled to regardless of the time they call.
This should also mean a combination of both regional and national training. While you want people to have the same training in one part of a country as another it should also be said that some regions can differ. While the right level of knowledge is important a bit of leeway and flexibility is useful so that you are prepared for any issues that may be particular to a certain local region.
However in some cases there may be issues that are particular to a local area. For example some products may be more popular in certain areas. Therefore there may be special offers that you may be able to promote to customers who may not necessarily be aware of those special offers.
Equally some degree of regional training is useful too. In some cases there may be issues that occur in the local area that may not apply in other countries. For example some products can be more popular in some local areas than others or you may want to target a special promotion in one area. The company needs to have the right certification and be aware of the rules and regulations concerning handling calls and ought to be able to demonstrate that they comply with rules and regulations. Indeed the best ones will often have awards to prove they are the best at what they do!
If you do want to launch a new promotion or service then you have to inform the centre. When choosing a possible company to handle your calls they ought to save the amount of notice they will need. This will be the amount of time they need to rewrite scripts and prepare the staff.
You also need to find out what they would do in the event of an emergency. Ideally they will have some kind of back up power to deal with any loss of power. Equally they should have some kind of disaster recovery plan if the centre is flooded or any other equivalent disaster.
There are a number of 24 hour telephone answering service companies available. It is recommended that you compare at least three companies. It gives you the opportunity to compare both the cost of the service and the level of experience. It is also recommended that you look up customer feedback and reviews as this will make it easier for you to find the appropriate company to suit your needs.
The first thing to find out is how the staff are trained. Ideally the training will be standardised across the various call centres. You want to be sure that every customer who calls you will get the same level of service and will receive the level of attention that they should be entitled to regardless of the time they call.
This should also mean a combination of both regional and national training. While you want people to have the same training in one part of a country as another it should also be said that some regions can differ. While the right level of knowledge is important a bit of leeway and flexibility is useful so that you are prepared for any issues that may be particular to a certain local region.
However in some cases there may be issues that are particular to a local area. For example some products may be more popular in certain areas. Therefore there may be special offers that you may be able to promote to customers who may not necessarily be aware of those special offers.
Equally some degree of regional training is useful too. In some cases there may be issues that occur in the local area that may not apply in other countries. For example some products can be more popular in some local areas than others or you may want to target a special promotion in one area. The company needs to have the right certification and be aware of the rules and regulations concerning handling calls and ought to be able to demonstrate that they comply with rules and regulations. Indeed the best ones will often have awards to prove they are the best at what they do!
If you do want to launch a new promotion or service then you have to inform the centre. When choosing a possible company to handle your calls they ought to save the amount of notice they will need. This will be the amount of time they need to rewrite scripts and prepare the staff.
You also need to find out what they would do in the event of an emergency. Ideally they will have some kind of back up power to deal with any loss of power. Equally they should have some kind of disaster recovery plan if the centre is flooded or any other equivalent disaster.
There are a number of 24 hour telephone answering service companies available. It is recommended that you compare at least three companies. It gives you the opportunity to compare both the cost of the service and the level of experience. It is also recommended that you look up customer feedback and reviews as this will make it easier for you to find the appropriate company to suit your needs.
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