Tag: answering service

  • Answering Services

Call Forwarding 101: Your Complete Guide

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team klientboost January 26, 2023
A woman assisting with call forwarding services

What is call forwarding?

Call forwarding is a service that allows you to forward incoming calls to any phone number you choose. It’s a great option if you want to forward your calls when you’re traveling for business or if you want to forward your calls to an answering service when you’re not available.

A live receptionist service can provide call forwarding for its users. The user configures the call forwarding preferences, and these instructions are transmitted from the live receptionist service to the caller’s phone service. You can also opt for a VoIP phone service which would give you the ability to get a business phone number without purchasing a landline.

According to statistics from Deloitte, phone calls are one of the top two priority methods of communication for customers with a company. 

In this article, we will see what call forwarding is and how to set up or deactivate call forwarding for use in your business.

Why Call Forwarding is Needed

There are many reasons why call forwarding can be used. When you’re in a situation where you need to be reachable but can’t take the call, you can use call forwarding to take the call and make sure that it’s taken care of.

Suppose you habitually miss calls because you’re in another room or outside. In that case, this can be especially useful because it will bring those calls to your attention while also giving you a chance to reply without interruption.

Call Forwarding Manual for Different Providers

Though call forwarding is a common calling feature, each provider has their own instructions. Hence, it’s important that you know how to set it up from your phone app for whichever provider you use. Follow the links provided below to learn them in detail:

Benefits of Call Forwarding to a Live Receptionist

Receptionists are trained to answer questions, field concerns, and provide guidance to customers. Answering the desk phone is just one of the many responsibilities receptionists have to help a company operate smoothly. The same could be said for call forwarding. Here are more key benefits:

Improved Customer Experience

One of the biggest benefits of call forwarding to a live receptionist is how much it improves customer experience. This is not new, as businesses have been doing this for a long time. When you pick up the phone system and hear a real voice on the other end, you instinctively feel like someone is truly there to help you with your business needs.

 

While many people appreciate the convenience of voicemail, those who want immediate assistance know that picking up their mobile devices, be it an iPhone or Android phone and hearing a warm voice on the other end can make all the difference in getting an immediate answer or resolution to their problems. This can vastly increase customer satisfaction, which leads to repeat sales and referrals.

Increases Availability for Your Team

Call forwarding is one way to give your team greater visibility and accessibility. Often, when you forward calls to a live receptionist instead of letting them go directly to voicemail, team members can be reached more easily and with less effort. This can help reduce no-shows and no answers at scheduled appointments because clients can get quicker responses from their service providers.

 

Forwarding calls to a live receptionist is also an effective way to cut down on costs for your company. If you have multiple locations, having a dedicated phone line for each location can end up being quite expensive, especially if you need those lines for other purposes as well.

Less Pressure on Your Employees

We all know how important it is to give your employees time off. Still, when you rely on call forwarding to a live receptionist to manage your business, you don’t have to worry about them running out of vacation days. Call forwarding with live receptionists means you can take care of your customers while still giving your employees the time they need.

You even have the call forwarding option to turn on custom calls for more personalized addressing, or setting up a do not disturb if you don’t want to be bothered and left to work alone. If you choose to use call forwarding with live receptionists, then you can rest easy knowing that your business will still be running smoothly.

Expand Your Business Hours

One thing that can set a business apart from its competition is the number of hours it’s open. That’s why an increasingly popular option for businesses that want to offer customers more access to their services is call forwarding, which allows people to reach your business still even when you’re closed.

 

With call forwarding, calls from unknown telephone numbers or those not in your contacts list will be forwarded to a live person, who will answer and direct them accordingly. This can help your business seem more reliable and professional, as well as provide a helpful service to customers who want to reach you around the clock or across different time zones. 

No More Missed Calls

Suppose your company’s mobile phone lines are so busy that callers can’t get through. In that case, you’re missing out on potential customers who could be making purchases, signing up for your services, or even leaving positive reviews online—they can even be international numbers or long distance calls. 

 

With call routing to a live receptionist, it’s much easier to ensure that every caller gets the attention they deserve (and hopefully turn them into paying customers) by having an actual person answer the cell phone instead of an automated system.

 

It also allows callers to connect instantly, avoiding the disadvantages of missed calls left unattended. Plus, with bilingual virtual receptionists, customers may feel more comfortable as they feel they’re talking to someone local rather than calling a toll-free number and dealing with someone in another state or country.

Let Gabbyville Take Care of Your Calls While You’re Away

Like many small business owners, you probably have a lot going on in your life. You have to manage employees, handle the day-to-day operations of your business, and coordinate the logistics of running an office. If that isn’t enough, you may also be balancing a side project or two, so you’ve got even less time to focus on running your business than you did before.

 

If you’re heading out of the country or just going away on vacation and need to have your business calls forwarded to a virtual receptionist while you’re away, Gabbyville can help. Once configured, callers will be greeted by a live receptionist who can answer all their questions and connect them to the right person. It’s a great way to ensure that your clients continue to get the same high-quality service when you’re not there without adding extra staff or having anyone come in early or stay late just for your schedule.

 

Get started with Gabbyville now to take your business to the next level!

  • Answering Services
  • Virtual Receptionist

How Much Do Answering Services Cost?

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team klientboost January 26, 2023
Cheerful woman working at an answering service

What is an answering service?

An answering service is a company that provides a professional to answer telephone calls during and after hours so that you can focus on your work. Answering services can also provide callers with information about your business hours, directions to the business, and other scheduled services. Some answering services even record messages for you and forward calls to staff members’ cell phones and voicemails. The average cost of an answering service varies based on its features.

A study shows that about 91% of consumers reported poor customer service from companies in 2021-2022. Your business can avoid falling into these statistics by hiring a professional live receptionist.

In this article, we will review how much answering services cost and what considerations you should keep in mind while paying for one.

General Answering Service Pricing

As mentioned above, an answering service’s pricing usually varies depending on its features. But generally, an answering service charges anywhere between $1 – $2 per minute on a phone call.

To give you a better understanding, we have categorized the three main types of billing that answering services use to determine the cost of their services:

  • Per-minute billing: This type of billing is the most common type that companies use where businesses are charged according to the length of the call. As a result, the price increases the longer a consumer is on the phone. Most live answering services provide pricing plans with set minutes; if you use more than are included, you will be charged extra.
  • Per-call billing: You will be billed based on the number of inbound calls received and handled. The disadvantage of this billing system is that your company can still be obligated to pay for incoming calls made accidentally by consumers who dialed the wrong number or even if someone were to abruptly hang up. Another disadvantage of this billing system is that it can be more difficult to track the number of calls received and handled.
  • Per-unit billing: In this method, you are billed for each call, text message, or transferred call. The method is considered the least preferred by company owners, as it tends to be slightly confusing and subject to the answering service provider’s discretion. The method is also a bit more expensive, allowing the answering service provider to set their rates.

What Goes into an Answering Service Cost

Another important thing to consider while choosing an answering service is what goes into the cost of the service provided. Here’s a breakdown and explanation of the various things involved:

  • Billing or plan type: The best way to find the right plan is by looking at your call statistics and estimating how much you will spend monthly. For instance, the cost per call could be greater if your call volume is large. On the other hand, it might be smarter to choose the per-minute price if you have a large call volume but short call durations.
  • Account activation fees: Service providers typically charge you a fixed setup fee during account activation. These costs represent the time and effort the answering service provider put forward to set up your account and create customer support scripts customized for your business.
  • Increased holiday rates: Some answering services are open 24/7, even during significant holidays. These virtual receptionist services may compensate staff members for this with holiday fees. Consequently, there can be an extra fee for your company at peak holiday times.
  • Additional contract fees: When initially working with an answering service provider, check the billing cycle and inquire about each expense. There might be additional fees for anything from overtime to long-distance costs. Additionally, choosing a supplier that provides a monthly charge over those that tie you into annual contracts is always the better option.
  • Other features: Other features that you might consider could include bilingual capabilities, operating 24/7 for 365 days, if they’re offering any additional services on top of answering business calls, etc.

Benefits of Choosing an Answering Service

Answering services can be ideal for any business owner who wants to ensure they’re receiving every call but cannot afford the overhead of hiring an in-house employee to take and relay messages. It can also can help your business and save you a lot of money over time, so it’s important to know what you’re getting into before hiring one.

Expand Your Business Hours

Answering services can offer your round-the-clock business support. This means that you can have a real person answering phones for your business 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This is especially important if your business operates in certain industries like healthcare, veterinary service, or transportation, where emergencies are common. In an emergency, it’s best to know that someone will always be available to help when lives are on the line.

No More Missed Calls

If you’re a small business owner, one of your biggest fears is that you will miss an important call when you’re unavailable. At the same time, it’s not feasible for you to have your phone on 24/7, so you need a reliable and accessible way to answer incoming calls when you’re away from your desk. The best way to handle this is by using a professional answering service. Click HERE to also learn how call center reports, provided by DesignRush, can boost your bottom line. DesignRush is a B2B marketplace that connects brands with professional full-service agencies, web design companies, digital marketing firms, and tech companies. 

Schedule Appointments Easier

With live telephone answering services, appointment scheduling is much easier. This is especially useful if you have multiple locations that need to be staffed at different times of the day with different appointment settings. You don’t have to worry about staffing your locations properly since the call center service can take care of scheduling appointments for you.

Less Pressure on Employees

When your staff is especially busy, giving each customer the time and attention they deserve can be challenging. Statistics show that around 83% of customers would prefer just talking to one person who could resolve their issues. A professional call answering service will take care of this while also providing your staff more time and energy for other important tasks.

Choose Gabbyville as Your Affordable Phone Answering Service

If you’re looking for a way to make your business run smoother, look no further than Gabbyville’s affordable phone answering service. By outsourcing with our best answering services and call routing, your calls will be automatically routed to any phone number you choose.

Gabbyville is a reliable and affordable phone answering service. We have been in this business for years, servicing thousands of clients worldwide, including medical answering services strictly compliant with HIPAA rules. We can guarantee that our call-answering services are second to none.

We offer live call answering by real people and not by machines, so your callers will always be in the hands of someone you can trust who is ready to provide exceptional customer care.

Get in touch with us for a quote on Gabbyville’s cost-effective pricing model!