Lots of smaller trades are currently learning that they do not need to employ a full time receptionist to answer their phone calls and are instead outsourcing lots or all of their inbound phone calls. Perhaps one of the most difficult aspects for some to understand is how the telephone answering service actually fits into their day-to-day running of the business. The answer is without difficulty but the main barrier can just be getting set-up in the first place.
The bulk of trades utilizing a call answering service prefer to redirect their calls to the service. Telephone answering services will provide every client an exclusive telephone number that they redirect to, in this way the Virtual PAs are able to distinguish which business is using the service and answer accordingly. By redirecting phone calls to this exclusive number instead of giving the number out directly means that the small business is permanently in command of the phone calls coming in. They may choose to redirect all calls, calls when their line is engaged or simply redirect when they wish for instance during lunches.
The practice of redirecting phone calls in most instances is quite simple and more often than not only requires the client to input a brief code into their phone followed by their exclusive virtual PA telephone number. This way when a client of the small business calls they still call the identical number they always would have, the phone call is then redirected at the small businesses end to the telephone answering service, this is all done immediately and the client should never know that the phone call has been redirected.
Not all trades decide to redirect their phone calls, some actually give their exclusive virtual PA number out direct to would be callers. This way is particularly widespread with lots of dot.com trades which may sometimes be nothing more than a solitary person organizing their business from home in their spare-time, in fact many may have another 9 to 5 job. In this instance the Virtual PA are routinely told to inform clients that callbacks will not be until after normal office hours.
When the client calls through to the call answering service the operator is steered on screen on how to deal with the phone call. She/he will answer the caller as requested by the small business and send a message by email, SMS or by fax. Alternatively some trades use the Virtual PA as if they were an in-house receptionist and if appropriate transfer phone calls through to their land line or cell phone.
However the operator handles with the call whether they take a message or transfer the call through, the same impression of a bigger, more professional business is given to the customer calling.
Disclaimer
NB: This web log is in the public domain and is presented here for public benefit, not for the purposes of business generation.