General Questions
How does your answering service work?
At the base layer, a client is given a phone number and we answer the call based on their instructions.
What types of businesses do you serve?
Any business: medical, HVAC, plumbing, law firms, elevators, SPCA, vets, roofing, construction, restaurants.
What hours do you provide answering services?
24/7, 365
Can I customize how calls are handled?
Absolutely! We pride ourselves on making everything personalized to your business.
How do I know your representatives will properly represent my business?
Our operators are trained to answer calls as the Customer would like them. Ex: If we are the overflow service, we act as office staff. If we are after-hours, we can state that we are the answering service, or we can continue to answer as the office. It’s really up to the customer.
What happens when a caller needs to speak with me directly?
Part of the initial setup, will be how you want your calls/messages. They can be emailed, faxed, secure message or we can patch you directly to a caller.
Do you offer service level agreements (SLAs)?
No
Services & Features
Can your service handle appointment scheduling?
Yes. We have our own program, or we can make use of their system.
Do you offer bilingual or multilingual support?
Yes, we currently offer Spanish, but soon we will have many more languages to offer.
Can your service handle emergency calls?
Yes, absolutely. Our staff is equipped to handle any emergency calls.
Can you perform basic customer service functions?
Yes, please let us know what your company requires, and we will do our best to accommodate.
Do you offer call screening or filtering?
Yes, our staff handles all calls and will only forward real calls.
Can your service process orders or payments?
No, but we will take down the information needed, so you can call your customer back and process the orders.
Do you provide call reporting and analytics? We can, upon request
Can you handle overflow calls during peak times?
Yes, our staff is ready to handle any of the overflow calls, as well as lunch and after-hours calls.
How do you manage high call volumes?
We typically overstaff and know our peak times. On historically busy days, we staff even more. Part of being a small business is that a lot of our employees have been with us for a while, and if it looks like we are getting slammed, we call people in.
Technical Questions
How are calls forwarded to your service?
The business will get a call forwarding number where they can then forward the lines. This is done either with the phone company or a PBX or they can manually switch it over to us.
Will callers know they’re speaking with an answering service?
Entirely depends on how the account is set up.
How quickly are messages delivered to my team?
This is determined at initial setup, and can be changed at any time. Some get it once daily where others get them every 15, 30, 45 minutes. It truly is individualized. For emergencies situations, many business will want the call patched to on-call in real time.
Is your service compatible with my existing phone system?
Yes, we can accommodate most phone systems.
What happens if there’s a power outage or system failure?
We have battery backup and generator power. We are in the process of moving systems to the cloud, so that should not be an issue moving forward.
Can I listen to recordings of how calls were handled?
Yes, through the client portal.
How secure is your technology infrastructure?
We are HIPPA compliant and follow industry standards.
Can I integrate your service with my CRM or other business software?
Depends on the software
Do you provide a mobile app for managing messages?
Mobile app for secure messaging and a web browser-based portal to access messages.
Pricing & Plans
How much does your answering service cost?
Varies and depends on usage.
Do you require long-term contracts?
No, but we do require a 30-day termination notice.
Is there a setup fee?
Yes, our setup fee is $150.
What happens if I exceed my monthly minutes?
This varies. Some plans have minutes included. If you go over the included minutes, you are charged for the usage. When offices have a busy month, we can see invoices go up.
Are there additional charges for special services?
Yes, please call the office to discuss.
Can I upgrade or downgrade my plan as needed?
We try to work with customers to meet their needs.
Are there discounts for annual payment?
Yes
Getting Started
How long does it take to set up your service?
Depending on the complexity of your account, we can answer the same day.
What information do you need to get started?
The more information you can provide, the better. The basics would be: how you want us to answer your calls, which includes what information we take; what information you want us to give out; hours of operation; how you want your messages sent to you. We can go off of the basics of company name and information you want in the message to a complex account setup with hours of operation, directions, other office locations, etc.
How do you train your representatives about my business?
It depends on what you need them to know. The more complex accounts will receive more training from managers.
Will I have a dedicated account manager?
We have managers on staff who can help with any account.
How do you handle script changes or updates?
Typically, in real time, unless it is a complex change
What’s involved in the onboarding process?
Speaking with a manager about the details of your account, filling out the questionnaire/paperwork for the account and billing.
How quickly can I make changes to my service?
Most things we can do on the day of. It depends on what needs to be updated.
Security & Privacy
How do you ensure the privacy of my callers’ information?
We do not give out information. We are HIPPA compliant.
Are you HIPAA compliant for medical practices?
Yes, we are!
Can calls be recorded for quality assurance?
Yes, all of our calls are recorded.
How do you handle sensitive customer information?
We follow best practices and account instructions.
What is your data retention policy?
We keep our data for a minimum of 5 years.
How do you screen and vet your employees?
Interviews, reference checks, background checks.
Do you have disaster recovery procedures in place?
Yes, in case of emergency, your data will not be lost!