You know how it feels to visit a foreign country: you’re like an alien on another planet. You can’t speak the language, you can’t tell the time, and you can’t get anything done. Some people love that feeling when they travel, but not when they call your business.
That’s what happens when you hire a cheap answering service that doesn’t care about quality. You get stuck in a cycle of bad service, low revenue, and more cost-cutting. It sucks.
You need an American answering service that speaks your language, understands your culture, and delivers value to your customers. In this post, I’m going to show you why an American answering service is a game-changer for your business, how it affects your bottom line and your customer satisfaction, and how to find the best one for your needs.
Traits of a Quality American Answering Service
Before we get into the exact better customer support effect that an American answering service has on your business, we first need to know how to identify a quality American answering service. Of course, the first requirement is that the answering service has part of or its entire suite of call centers based in the United States.
While it is rare to find an answering service that has all of its call centers based in the United States, there are options like Always Answer which not only have all their call centers based in the United States but spread throughout the country itself. This grants Always Answer a huge advantage over other American answering services because time zone differences are mitigated.
Another trait that a quality American answering service must embody is having the ability to scale and fit the needs of your business. The ability to scale can be present in many ways, including the following:
- Sufficient manpower
- Robust feature set
- Bilingual language capabilities
You’ll definitely want an American answering service that can scale. Not only will this save you money down the road but it will also streamline your operations and keep your business running smoothly. While it’s important to partner with an American answering service that has these traits, it’s especially important to avoid answering services that exhibit the following red flags.
Knowing When to Avoid Certain American Answering Service Options
As a business owner looking for an answering service, you’ve probably been inundated with options. Fortunately, there are a few red flags that most answering services exhibit and three mistakes that companies always make when hiring an answering service.
Learn these red flags and then understand the consequences of them. In the process, you’ll be able to narrow down your options significantly.
The first major red flag is not having the required manpower to scale. Sure, it’s a great thing to find an American answering service based entirely in the country. However, if that answering service only has one or two small call centers at best under its name, it won’t take long for them to be overwhelmed.
You might not agree if you are only thinking about your business, but keep in mind that answering services have many clients, not just you. This is why a large answering service is so important.
Lack of Language Support
A second red flag that should send you running for the hills is a lack of additional language support.
Not having any bilingual answering capabilities will significantly chop your market size and customer base down. Public opinion can be very difficult to change once it’s been set in stone and if your business is seen as one that doesn’t bother serving a significant portion of the community, don’t expect any support or brand loyalty coming your way.
If you manage to avoid all the red flags mentioned here and find a quality American answering service, this is what you can expect to happen to your business.
Effect of a Quality American Answering Service
The positive impact that a quality American answering service has on your business can not be understated. The first major effect is a subtle one and it has to do with your day-to-day schedule. You’ll instantly notice the amount of time that is returned to you.
Where before, you would have unknowingly spent an hour or more handling phone calls, now you spend that time on more productive tasks. This effect compounds as time goes by and you get a better grasp on how much time has now been afforded to you. The same goes for your productivity as a whole.
The constant interruptions caused by incoming calls break your focus and divert your attention away from important work. However, with a quality American answering service in your tool belt, you can leave customer interactions to the professionals. Coincidentally, the other major effect a quality American answering service has on your business is uplifting your reputation.
Callers and customers alike will be pleased by a business that actually responds to them. Being responsive shows that you care or at the very least respect your customers. That is a very powerful image that you definitely want to give off and there is only one service that can help you do it.
Best American Answering Service
If you want to avoid the red flags that many lesser-quality answering services exhibit, if you want a quality service that’ll uplift your name rather than tear it down, then you need Always Answer. Always Answer is the premier American answering service and it has been the number-one option in the country since its inception.
This is because Always Answer has built up a robust feature set throughout its many decades in operation. One of its premier features is bilingual answering, with bilingual answering, you can trust that your callers will be spoken to in the language that they are most comfortable in. In fact, Always Answer trains its live agents to use the latest translation software.
This translation software allows them to provide language support to more than 170 different languages. Languages supported include:
- French
- German
- Spanish
- Portuguese
Always Answer also has live call transfer capabilities. If you are waiting to handle a specific call on your own, Always Answers live agents can simply forward these calls directly to you.
FAQs About Hiring An American Answering Service
Getting the right American answering service requires that you know the ins and outs of the industry. Still have questions? We answer the most asked questions about these types of services.
How Does Always Answer Ensure the Security of Client Information?
Always Answer takes the security of client information seriously and implements rigorous measures to protect sensitive data.
Our team adheres to strict confidentiality protocols, including encryption of communication channels, secure storage of data, and regular security audits to identify and address any vulnerabilities.
In addition to the above, our agents undergo comprehensive training on data handling best practices and are required to sign confidentiality agreements to uphold client and small business privacy.
Can Always Answer Handle Calls Outside of Regular Business Hours?
Yes, Always Answer offers 24/7 coverage to ensure that clients never miss a call, regardless of the time of day. Our team of professional agents is available around the clock to answer inquiries, schedule appointments, and provide support to clients, ensuring that their needs are met promptly and efficiently, even outside of traditional business hours.
How Does Always Answer Ensure Quality and Professionalism in Customer Interactions?
At Always Answer, we prioritize quality and professionalism in every customer interaction. Our agents undergo extensive training to ensure that they are knowledgeable, courteous, and empathetic in their communications with clients.
We also implement quality assurance processes, including call monitoring and feedback sessions, to continuously improve the customer experience and maintain high standards of service excellence.
How to Get the Best American Answering Service
You don’t want to waste your time and money on some crappy service that doesn’t understand your business or your customers. You want a service that rocks.
Well, you’re in luck. Because getting the best American answering service is super easy. Just fill out this contact form in a few minutes and boom, you’re done. You’ll hear from us within 24 hours.
Then, we’ll work with you to create a killer call script that suits your needs and impresses your customers. We have tons of experience in the industry, and we know how to make your business stand out. Always Answer is the name, and quality is the game.
