Has your answering service enhanced customer trust and business scalability, or has it resulted in missed opportunities and poor customer service reviews? Or maybe you’ve hired an answering service that falls somewhere in between these two extremes. With the multitude of answering service options available, it's crucial to assess if your current choice is what’s best for both your business's reputation and bottom line. That’s why we’ve carefully crafted fifteen “yes or no” questions that will allow you to accurately critique and evaluate your answering service’s performance across various dimensions, including the caller’s experience, service quality, lead generation and scalability, and your customer experience.

By answering the questions presented in this blog, you will gain clarity on how well your answering service aligns with your business goals and customer expectations. This insight will be invaluable for making an informed decision about whether to continue with your current provider or consider exploring other options that may better serve your needs. 

The Caller’s Experience

Your callers’ experiences with your answering service directly impact your business’s reputation, influencing public perception and customer loyalty. Therefore, ensuring high levels of customer satisfaction is one of the first and most critical factors to consider when evaluating your current answering service. Positive caller experiences can lead to repeat business, favorable reviews, and valuable word-of-mouth referrals. Conversely, negative experiences can harm your reputation and drive potential customers away.

Is the answering service effective in addressing and resolving callers’ problems?

Whether it’s a simple question about your business’s hours of operation or a complex call wherein the caller details issues with their hot water heater, your answering service should be effective in addressing and resolving a myriad of your callers’ problems. The majority of the time, your callers’ concerns should be able to be resolved by your answering service– not forwarded to you.

Does the answering service respond to calls promptly with a minimal amount of hold time?

Your answering service should be working to minimize hold times to enhance customer satisfaction and trust. Quick responses demonstrate efficiency and respect for the customer's time, reducing frustration and the risk of losing business. 

Has your business received less customer complaints since partnering with the answering service?

Your answering service should be contributing to a significant decrease in customer service complaints, not an increase. This is an important factor to consider, especially when you think about the effects of reviews and word-of-mouth comments on people’s purchasing decisions.

Do angry callers end their calls feeling more at ease than when the call first started?

If you've ever had a particularly confused or frustrated caller, agents from the answering service should be prepared to handle such calls with in-depth knowledge of your business, as well as with a kind and patient demeanor. They should be deescalating those situations, not exacerbating them.

Service Quality

Even if your callers have excellent experiences with your call center, it's equally important to consider the business side of the services your answering service provides. This includes the accuracy of information recorded, the implementation of your customized script, the availability of features that meet your business needs, and how well they meet your definition of quality. 

Are agents recording accurate information from calls (phone numbers, addresses, customer concerns, etc)?

Agents at your chosen answering service should meticulously record accurate and precise caller information, treating that facet of the job as if they were exclusively working for your company. Properly recording customer information is crucial to ensure accuracy and consistency in addressing customer needs. It enables seamless follow-up and efficient resolution of issues, fostering trust and reliability. 

Does your answering service deliver all the essential information you requested during calls?

When you hired your answering service, there should have been a thorough process to create a script to best represent your business over the phone. This customizable script includes the information you want them to obtain from callers, the services you want them to offer, and other key details. Does your answering service accurately convey all this information to your callers, or are they falling short in this area?

Does your answering service offer the unique features your business needs to succeed and grow?

From appointment scheduling to AI chat, different answering services come with different features. Your answering service should check the majority, if not all, of your boxes when it comes to meeting the unique communications needs of your business.

Does your answering service work to achieve your definition of quality?

It's important that your answering service represents your definition of quality to ensure a consistent brand image and customer experience. Being that it’s your callers and your business that’s being represented on the phone, it should also be your definition of quality that your answering service works to achieve. Those at your answering service should seek to communicate with you, define your definition of quality, and make it a point to consistently maintain that.

Lead Generation and Scalability

Your answering service of choice should maximize the value of your investment. An effective service not only meets your immediate needs but also has the capabilities to grow as your business grows.

Have you witnessed an increase in booked jobs since partnering with the answering service?

An answering service, especially one handling after-hours or overflow calls, should contribute to an increase in appointments for your business. While not every call will result in a booking, you should still see a return on your investment over time.

Have you expanded your audience since partnering with the answering service?

Your answering service of choice should help expand your audience by providing excellent customer interactions that leave a positive impression. By efficiently handling calls and inquiries, they can attract and retain new clients who might otherwise go to competitors.

Do you feel that your answering service is equipped to grow with your business?

As your business scales, your answering service should be equipped to manage an influx of calls and adapt to any changes in your script. If your answering service can't grow with you, it limits the success your business can achieve. Witnessing scalability and flexibility in your answering service is key to sustained growth and customer satisfaction.

Your Customer Experience

When you hire an answering service, you're inviting someone to become a close partner in your business. This partnership is crucial as it directly impacts how your customers perceive your brand. Do your experiences with your answering service reflect a strong and positive partnership?

Does your answering service value your feedback and make necessary changes?

Your answering service should view your feedback as a tool for helping your business succeed, not as a nuisance. They should be actively implementing the changes you request and inform you when something is or isn’t working.

Does your answering service respond promptly and transparently to your inquiries?

When you have questions for your answering service, whether that be about how your script will be implemented or about your bill, do they respond with a sincere interest in your inquiries? Or do you find yourself waiting endlessly for a response, only to receive vague and confusing answers?

Do you feel that your answering service values your business?

Do you feel like your answering service is a true partner, or are they simply trying to profit from your business? If you feel unvalued by your answering service, your business's reputation and success could be on the line, as the way they value your business reflects the way they’ll handle your calls.

Would you recommend our answering service to other businesses?

If someone asked how you felt about your current answering service, what would you say? Are you thrilled to be working with them, or do they cause more headaches than they relieve? Are you happy to have your business’s name associated with them?

Conclusion

The effectiveness of your answering service can significantly impact your business's success and reputation. By reflecting on your experiences and considering the fifteen "yes or no" questions provided, you can gain valuable insights into how well your answering service aligns with your business goals and customer expectations, and on how much of a return on your investment you’re actually witnessing.

A top-notch answering service should ensure seamless customer interactions, uphold high service quality, and be capable of growing alongside your business. It should not only address and resolve callers' problems effectively but also minimize hold times, reduce customer complaints, and leave frustrated callers feeling more at ease. Moreover, your answering service should maintain accurate records, deliver essential information, and uphold your definition of quality.

All in all, your answering service should act as a true partner, valuing your feedback and responding promptly and transparently to your inquiries. If your current service falls short, it may be time to explore other options that better serve your needs. By doing so, you can ensure your investment in an answering service yields substantial returns, that you’re getting the most bang for your buck!

If you would like Dexcomm to audit your answering service’s level of customer service, click here!