Phone answering

[Airgunner]

Hi, I have a problem....
No it's not alcohol related, but I just can't be in two places at once!
I am often out of the office where i dont have a very good mobile service, trouble is I get missed calls on the office phone and people won't leave messages!! I don't know why? I'm thinking if I used a virtual receptionist I may actually get a message and be able to return the call.
Does anyone on here have a recommendation or even offer this service?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Aspens Marketing and PR]

We use www.answer.co.uk for overspill calls, so if we are busy, the phone gets answered. Their customer service through Katy is good and calls are answered reliably. Whoever you try get a trial and really do see how they answer the calls, we still test ours and its been a while since we signed up.

 

[AndrewS5]

regus.co.uk offer this kind of service also, I think.

 

[HazelC]

answer-it are pretty good

 

[Maxwell83]

I use Answer-4u (or is it Answer4-u?).

But there are lots of companies that do this.

The main advice I can give you is to get one - whoever you choose - because you are right; people DON'T leave messages. I don't leave messages for business 99% of the time.

I will always just call the next one on the list and if they answer, then they have probably just gained the business the other company lost. If I leave a message, I don't know if you're going to call back, when you're going to call back, if this is a sign of things to come (i.e. will always be hard to get hold of if I did give them my custom) etc.

When a real person answers, people will engage, even if the person answering is merely doing the job of getting the 'right' person to call them back by passing on their enquiry.

 

[CumulusUK]

HI There,

I own www.cumulustelemarketing.co.uk and we offer Telephone Answering from as little as £10 per month.

Feel free to drop me a message with your number, we could have a chat and see if we could help you.

We also price match, so if others are using a service already. Our UK office can help save you money.

Craig

 

[Deleted member 8299]

I've used alldayPA.com for the past 9 years, they are really good

 

[Paul Kelly ICHYB]

Have a look here.

We have negotiated a rate of £32 for 50 calls answered, if you are a premium member!

The service is London based, as well!

 

[DesignerNick]

http://www.nomissedcalls.co.uk/ have always provided me a decent service when used!

 

[bigsie]

We run a small cleaning company, and often when working because of the noise I can not hear the phone. What I have found is you can often return the call. and get all the details, or the person is wanting a job doing there and then ( which in my experience are price shoppers, and not worth it )

 

[AlanGuidry]

regus.co.uk offer this kind of service also, I think.

Personally I would avoid Regus... my experience with just emailing them for an office enquiry was a total nightmare. They're far from efficient and I think if you're having someone speak to your customers then professionalism is a must.

Things to consider:-
1) How many calls per day/week/month do you expect?
2) What do you want the answering service to do with the calls/messages
3) Do you want to be able to hear the calls recorded?
4) Do you want calls answered on weekends too (many of these services offer limited or no weekend option!)

You tend to get what you pay for but any decent organisation these days will give you at least a weeks trial.

 

[Root 66 Woodshop]

Simple answer is when you're out - get the phone diverted to your mobile number. Your mobile number will store the missed call's number - change your message on your phone to best suit a call from work, i.e.

"Hi you've reached X Sorry I can't come to the phone, I'm either driving or with a client, please leave me a message and I'll get back to you once I'm free".

When you're in a good area, whether they've left a message or not call them back... Job done.

There hmm £10 a month, that'll be £100 please cheaper rates by dave.com lol

 

[vhjay]

Simple answer is when you're out - get the phone diverted to your mobile number. Your mobile number will store the missed call's number - change your message on your phone to best suit a call from work, i.e.

"Hi you've reached X Sorry I can't come to the phone, I'm either driving or with a client, please leave me a message and I'll get back to you once I'm free".

When you're in a good area, whether they've left a message or not call them back... Job done.

+1

+100 in fact.

I hate, hate, hate telephone answering services. They're essentially a long drawn out voicemail service provided by a real person who often knows nothing about your business that can't be read from a script, nothing about where you are or how long you'll be, and nothing about when I can expect a call back.

They answer the phone and give the illusion that this will be a successful call and I'll get answers to questions or a result from my enquiry when actually they're just an interactive answering machine. If you're not around, i'll either leave a message or call back later, and hearing a voicemail message gives me a quick opportunity to do one or the other without first having to establish whether the person I'm talking to on the phone is your actual receptionist or just someone reading from a script in an office in London.

Sorry for the rant, but as suggested, consider just setting up a custom voicemail message and calling people back.

Jay

 

[Emma Fryer]

Hi Airgunner - I own and run http://answer-it.co.uk telephone answering service.

Despite the thoughts above of vhjay - we do take the time to get to know you and your business and depending on your requirements can help the caller, either by booking an appointment, taking an order or simply answering questions where we can. Of course where more expert advice or service is required a comprehensive message is taken and passed along. We are able to manage caller expectation and assist.

Do let me know if you'd like to have a chat.

Emma

 

[HazelC]

I would second exactly what @Emma Fryer says - I've always heard really good things about her and therefore would highly recommend her

 

[estwig]

Simple answer is when you're out - get the phone diverted to your mobile number. Your mobile number will store the missed call's number - change your message on your phone to best suit a call from work, i.e.

"Hi you've reached X Sorry I can't come to the phone, I'm either driving or with a client, please leave me a message and I'll get back to you once I'm free".

When you're in a good area, whether they've left a message or not call them back... Job done.

There hmm £10 a month, that'll be £100 please cheaper rates by dave.com lol

Yes but I like to give the impression I am head of a multi-national corporate monster, with not just one PA answering the phone, but a whole room full of them, painting their nails and chattering away for me in the background!!!

My clients is most impressed by this and thick I must be very important!!!

 

[Emma Fryer]

Yes but I like to give the impression I am head of a multi-national corporate monster, with not just one PA answering the phone, but a whole room full of them, painting their nails and chattering away for me in the background!!!

My clients is most impressed by this and thick I must be very important!!!

Wow what a negative experience you must have had! Feel free to get in touch if you'd like a more positive experience!

 

[HazelC]

Simple answer is when you're out - get the phone diverted to your mobile number. Your mobile number will store the missed call's number - change your message on your phone to best suit a call from work, i.e.

"Hi you've reached X Sorry I can't come to the phone, I'm either driving or with a client, please leave me a message and I'll get back to you once I'm free".

When you're in a good area, whether they've left a message or not call them back... Job done.

There hmm £10 a month, that'll be £100 please cheaper rates by dave.com lol

The issue with that is that it screams one man band... and if you want to be known as bigger then you want someone to answer it for you

 

[estwig]

Feel free to get in touch if you'd like a more positive experience!

There's a offer thank you Emma, certainly brightened up my Tuesday afternoon!

What sort of experience did you have in mind?

 

[Emma Fryer]

There's a offer thank you Emma, certainly brightened up my Tuesday afternoon!

What sort of experience did you have in mind?

Always happy to brighten up someone's day, another reason the Answerettes ROCK!

 

[vhjay]

The issue with that is that it screams one man band... and if you want to be known as bigger then you want someone to answer it for you

I'm sorry, but short of your International Worldwide Headquarters e-mail address being @hotmail.com, few things on this earth scream out 'One Man Band' more than outsourcing your telephone answering.

Depending on the situation, I have no issues at all in dealing with a one-person organisation, as long as I have a good working relationship with that person, and have a mobile or direct number to contact them on, instead of having to negotiate phoney receptionists when I urgently need to get through to them.

As a one person company, there will come a time when you won't be available when a client urgently needs you, when a client needs you but can only get through to one of many virtual receptionists, at best they'll assume you've signed up to one of those telephone answering dealies to mask that you're a small business (nothing to be ashamed of), or at worst they will question why it appears that you've taken on a sales team of 10 but only have one person available to do any of the work. Either way it'll leave a sour taste.

My advice stands - forward calls to your mobile, change providers if you can't get signal where you work (I work in remote locations too - I've recently switched to EE after finding that O2 coverage is poor in the areas I usually work) and set up a custom voicemail greeting.

Jay

 

[HazelC]

I'm sorry, but short of your International Worldwide Headquarters e-mail address being @hotmail.com, few things on this earth scream out 'One Man Band' more than outsourcing your telephone answering.

Depending on the situation, I have no issues at all in dealing with a one-person organisation, as long as I have a good working relationship with that person, and have a mobile or direct number to contact them on, instead of having to negotiate phoney receptionists when I urgently need to get through to them.

As a one person company, there will come a time when you won't be available when a client urgently needs you, when a client needs you but can only get through to one of many virtual receptionists, at best they'll assume you've signed up to one of those telephone answering dealies to mask that you're a small business (nothing to be ashamed of), or at worst they will question why it appears that you've taken on a sales team of 10 but only have one person available to do any of the work. Either way it'll leave a sour taste.

My advice stands - forward calls to your mobile, change providers if you can't get signal where you work (I work in remote locations too - I've recently switched to EE after finding that O2 coverage is poor in the areas I usually work) and set up a custom voicemail greeting.

Jay

Hi Jay,

We're not saying they have a hotmail address, say they have a website, they work with a team of freelancers that are classed as 'their team' on the About Us page, they have a real company email and they want to look professional - a phoneline that only goes through to you (and you're busy then your answer machine) is not going to cut it.

At least leaving a message with a real and professional receptionist will make you feel they're just busy - I'm not saying pretend to have International Worldwode Headquarters - I'm talking a one-man-band, small or medium business.

Businesses use this service to help them grow. A voicemail greeting is great on your mobile phone, but not on an office number. However - that's just my opinion.

Hazel

 

[vhjay]

I can completely understand your point Hazel, but my concern is that the reason clients will choose the smaller or 'one person' enterprise is for the level of personal service received and the ability to contact the business owner directly without having to negotiate a menu system or receptionist/note taker first.

Small businesses and one-person companies need to embrace this and capitalise on the level of personal service that the big multinational companies can't offer - customers know when they're dealing with a one-man-band and they also understand that this one person will occasionally not answer their phone - if it's important they'll call back or leave a message. Even if it's a sales call, as long as your website and promotional material is up to scratch, a missed call shouldn't be a missed sale. Again, this may vary depending on your line of work.

I know that some of the better telephone answering services can be beneficial for managing diaries and booking appointments, but they shouldn't be answering support calls from existing clients - they can't help, they can't give advice or assistance, so in my eyes it's a waste of time them answering the phone at all.

Jay

 

[HazelC]

I can completely understand your point Hazel, but my concern is that the reason clients will choose the smaller or 'one person' enterprise is for the level of personal service received and the ability to contact the business owner directly without having to negotiate a menu system or receptionist/note taker first.

Small businesses and one-person companies need to embrace this and capitalise on the level of personal service that the big multinational companies can't offer - customers know when they're dealing with a one-man-band and they also understand that this one person will occasionally not answer their phone - if it's important they'll call back or leave a message. Even if it's a sales call, as long as your website and promotional material is up to scratch, a missed call shouldn't be a missed sale. Again, this may vary depending on your line of work.

I know that some of the better telephone answering services can be beneficial for managing diaries and booking appointments, but they shouldn't be answering support calls from existing clients - they can't help, they can't give advice or assistance, so in my eyes it's a waste of time them answering the phone at all.

Jay

I think we are gonna have to agree to disagree as we're just going round in circles and finding different ways of saying the same thing! lol

I will leave the OP with this thought - for a small business to grow they need to employ or outsource, outsourcing is often the easier and cheaper option short term

 

[vhjay]

That's fair enough - as I said each business is different. I work in concerts and live events so getting through to one of these services at a crucial moment will probably annoy me more than most, I can accept that.

I'll also bow out, and hope that we've at least given the OP some contrasting thoughts either way

 

[Emma Fryer]

I can completely understand your point Hazel, but my concern is that the reason clients will choose the smaller or 'one person' enterprise is for the level of personal service received and the ability to contact the business owner directly without having to negotiate a menu system or receptionist/note taker first.

Small businesses and one-person companies need to embrace this and capitalise on the level of personal service that the big multinational companies can't offer - customers know when they're dealing with a one-man-band and they also understand that this one person will occasionally not answer their phone - if it's important they'll call back or leave a message. Even if it's a sales call, as long as your website and promotional material is up to scratch, a missed call shouldn't be a missed sale. Again, this may vary depending on your line of work.

I know that some of the better telephone answering services can be beneficial for managing diaries and booking appointments, but they shouldn't be answering support calls from existing clients - they can't help, they can't give advice or assistance, so in my eyes it's a waste of time them answering the phone at all.

Jay

To add my thoughts to this - and it is all brilliant feedback and stuff as an Answering service owner I LOVE to read because it means my business and the service we offer is what is required of the client and the caller!

A good Answering Service gets to know their clients, communicates with their clients and will happily pick up the ball and run with it, where they can (more on that in a minute.) The virtual receptionist can take responsibility and chase the urgent response that is required, give directions, give support where they can. It is simply down to the client they are working for to make the required information available.
They can manage caller expectations - ie you need a response and want to know when you will get it - Great we know that Mr Bloggs is in a meeting until 3pm but if he can he will certainly get back to you before then.

I think what gets forgotten is that the Virtual service can only do as much as the client allows or communicates. It's all down to the client empowering the Answering Service just as they would with a real receptionist working at their premises. Obviously it takes time to build up trust but the sooner information is shared the more effective the service works for both caller and client.

I hope this post illuminates a little more clearly what the Answering Service can achieve. Of course it rests on the service you choose to engage and the amount of communication and information shared.

Emma

 

[vhjay]

Thanks for taking the time to respond Emma - I do think that it's important when somebody is considering such a service not just to listen to business owners that are happy with their side of the deal, but to the people (like myself) that regularly get put through to such services.

From what you've said, I can only assume that the companies I've dealt with in the past either use poor virtual receptionist services, or don't give them the required knowledge and information to be truly effective.

Because of the type of work my company does, there can frequently be nobody in the office (we produce events across the UK and abroad) and believe me, if I thought I could get similar value as employing a real receptionist at a fraction of the cost I'd be the first to sign up. Unfortunately due to past experiences I've been put off forcing my clients to deal with such services.

There's some excellent information in this thread, both for the OP and also those who have been on the receiving end of virtual receptionist services, such as myself. You've really shown what these services are capable of when used correctly, and while I won't be signing up today, it's certainly made me more open to trying out such a service in future.

Jay

 

[Emma Fryer]

Thanks for taking the time to respond Emma - I do think that it's important when somebody is considering such a service not just to listen to business owners that are happy with their side of the deal, but to the people (like myself) that regularly get put through to such services.

From what you've said, I can only assume that the companies I've dealt with in the past either use poor virtual receptionist services, or don't give them the required knowledge and information to be truly effective.

Because of the type of work my company does, there can frequently be nobody in the office (we produce events across the UK and abroad) and believe me, if I thought I could get similar value as employing a real receptionist at a fraction of the cost I'd be the first to sign up. Unfortunately due to past experiences I've been put off forcing my clients to deal with such services.

There's some excellent information in this thread, both for the OP and also those who have been on the receiving end of virtual receptionist services, such as myself. You've really shown what these services are capable of when used correctly, and while I won't be signing up today, it's certainly made me more open to trying out such a service in future.

Jay

I am really glad I have been able to make a positive difference and spread a little awareness.

I hope that if you do require a service in the future you might remember us and perhaps give us the opportunity to show you what we are capable of.

Emma

 

[Airgunner]

I've just had chance to read all the comments back from the last day or so and yes very informative... I would love to just have a message service on my phone and either call the number or return the message but I have two problems hence my looking into a virtual receptionist.

Problem one: Is signal problems, I know this can be overcome but my contract is good and apart from maybe two sites I work on I have ok signal which brings me to problem two.

Problem Two: I have a contract where some sites have restricted/sensitive access where the phone must be off and left with security, so I wouldn't even get missed call alerts!

These are the reasons why most people who know me call, text and I follow up from there, its just the new/potential customers that just don't seem to get through and when they do the first thing I hear is "your difficult to get hold of, I was about to give up"
I would have if I was them! ;-)

But seriously all advise welcomed and its good to hear peoples views on call answering and I am swaying towards Emma's company.

 

[AlanGuidry]

consider just setting up a custom voicemail message and calling people back.

Jay

And what about the high % of your prospective customers who simply don't like or won't leave voicemail messages because they feel uneasy leaving messages on machines??? You've potentially lost them forever. Sure, you cannot expect an answering service to know your business intimately but they are at least a real person and your customer will far more likely leave their details than just hang up when the voicemail kicks in. You have to weigh up the cost of a real answering service against the potential loss of calls/leads in setting up free voicemail.

 

[MaxWinner]

I never leave voicemail, personal or business, i dont have the time. If im faced with a recorded message i hang up before the bleep and try an alternative. If someone answers, im pretty much forced into the call no matter if i get through to the business or a live message service. Im happy with this, just the same as if i call a freind and his wife answers and says hes gone to the shops. If you could add an "approx time you will be back" in the message script, it would put me at ease if i was in a customers shoes. Just my view on how i feel about these services, i feel more comfortable talking to a human.....gosh, i even get sales calls that are recorded messages......i think talking to a human is just a lot warmer an experience