|
The live answering service is one that is manned by an actual human being. Some answering services provide 24-hour coverage, but the call is not always answered by an actual operator, but by an IVR (Interactive Voice Response) system. Having a live operator answering service is the more expensive of the two, but could be well worth the cost because of the higher level of customer service it provides. Crm21.com has the most comprehensive list of live answering services. You can easy click on individual answering services and be brought directly to the answering service provider's website. Researching live answering services will give you a better feel for expected price range and what answering services can provide. Keeping in mind that a live operator service will be more expensive than one that is just manned by a computer, a company needs to define their overall goal. If the company wants to offer superior customer service through the answering service, then a live service is suggested. If a company just wants to provide the customer with a place to leave a message, then an IVR system will work fine. Customer service is not the only thing to keep in mind when choosing between a live service and an IVR service; you must also consider call volume. If a company only gets a handful of after-hours calls, then hiring a live service would seem extreme, unless it is for a medical service. But if a company receives a couple hundred calls in the off-hours, the live operator service becomes more realistic. There are many answering services that offer both live operator and IVR. This may be the solution for a company that has a hard time predicting call volume. The call is first sent to a live operator, and if no operator is available it is routed to an IVR system. This is helpful for companies with high call volume spikes due to advertising services. Web Design - Small business custom website from EverestWebDesign.com. Rich Christiansen: - Management metaphors at RichChristiansen.com. |
Live Answering Service
