Selecting an Answering Service for Your Real Estate Investing Business

Here's how I have my real estate investing business call system set up and what I look for in an answering service.

First, I have all different types of my marketing out to find motivated sellers. I use things like classified ads that have my toll free 24 hour recorded information line telephone number on it. I use different extensions for each type of marketing. So, my classified ad in the weekly free newspaper has a different extension than my post it notes that I have delivered door to door in my farm neighborhoods.

When a motivated seller sees my advertisement and wants additional information they can NOT call me directly. They must go through my 24 hour recorded information line to listen to a pre-recorded message that is about 5 minutes long and explains to them in my best presentation voice, the benefits of them working with me and having me buy their house.

Once they have listened to the message, I give usually give them two options: go to my website and submit a form or call me directly.

If they decide to go to my website, they fill out a web based property information form which is directly loaded into my Real Estate Investor Database contact and business management account for me to deal with when I am ready to talk to motivated sellers.

If they decide to call my office directly, they actually do not call me. They call my 24 hour answering service. Here are some things I look for in an answering service.

First, I must be able to forward my phone number to them. I have my system set up so that the 24 hour recorded information line actually forwards the call to the answering service instead of having the seller hang up and call into a separate number. I prefer this and it requires that the answering service give you a local number (not a toll free number) because, as I understand it, you can not forward one toll free number to another toll free number.

Second, they must be willing to input the leads into my Real Estate Investor Database for me directly. Imagine getting over 100 leads in a few days and having to manually add each one to your contact management system. It is a real pain, so the service must be willing to add the new leads directly into my contact management system (which is web based).

Third, they must be reasonably priced. What is reasonably priced? I think less than 50 cents per call is reasonable. If they are going to charge a monthly fee it should be a monthly minimum against calls and not a monthly fee in addition to a per call fee.

Fourth, they must have reasonably good response time. You do not want your motivated sellers on hold for 10 minutes waiting to get through. You want them to wait no more than 2 minutes and most times they should be able to get through immediately.

Those are the qualifications I look for in a live answering service for my buying system.

James Orr is a professional real estate investor and marketing expert.

You can subscribe to his real estate e-newsletter and access audio downloads, articles, marketing materials and educational real estate videos at his Real Estate Investing blog.

Common Answering Service Services Your Business Can Benefit From

Are you a small to medium size business owner? If so, has your business expanded alongside with the increase in your customers or clients? Unfortunately, many business owners are unprepared for the success that their business brings. You are urged not to be one of those business owners. If you are unable to hire additional staff or you do not want to at this current point in time, you are advised to seek assistance elsewhere. This assistance could come from an Answering Service.

An answering service is an operation that is run by an individual or company that specializes in offering common business services to business owners just like you. Using the services of an answering service is often referred to as call center outsourcing. The term answering service outsourcing is used because you are actually outsourcing your work instead of hiring another onsite employee. Despite what you may have heard, answering service outsourcing is not a bad thing. In fact, answering service outsourcing may make it possible for your business to thrive and become the success that it should be.

Although it is important to know exactly what an answering service is and how they come about, you may be wondering what type of services are offered. In all honesty, the answering service services will all depend on the answering service in question. That is why it is important that when using answering service outsourcing to your advantage, you choose your business service partner wisely. Answering service jobs are highly sought after, that is why a large number of individuals apply to them. For the best success, you are advised to work with an answering service that only offers answering service jobs to well-trusted and qualified individuals. Remember, these answering service job workers will be assisting your customers; thus giving your customers an impression of your business.

As stated above, the answering service services offered will vary. Despite variations, there are many answering service services that are commonly offered. One of those services is the answering of inbound calls. An answering service can answer the phone calls of your clients and customer before, during, and after your business hours. In some cases, your calls will be directed to the appropriate person in your establishment. If that person isn?t available, a message will be taken. In a way, that makes an answering service an answering service service as well.

In addition to answering your clients? telephone calls, many answering services will actually answer your clients? questions if they are able to do so. This may save you time by eliminating communication with customers or clients who have simple, easy to answer questions. Also, depending on the type of business you run, your answering service may be able to take orders or schedule your clients? appointments. Perhaps, this is one of the most important answering service services offered. Thanks to answering service software your answering service and your office can all be on the same page. Most answering services have answering service software, but it is best to ask first. In fact, you may even want to request a brief overview of the answering service software being used.

The above mentioned answering service services are just a few of the many that are offered. For more information on the services offered, contact an answering service to learn more.

Rob Porter is president of 1-800 We Answer Answering Service, a nationwide provider of virtual office services including Answering Services, Mail Forwarding Services, Voicemail Services, and Fax Services

What Is An Inbound Answering Service And How Can It Help You

Are you a business owner who feels as if you have gotten in over your head? When it comes to business owners getting in over their heads, we often associate it with failure, but that isn?t always the case. If you are a business owner, you may be in over your head due to quick, unexpected success. If you recently started your own business, whether it be a few months ago or five years ago, you may need to seek assistance. Of course, you can always make the decision to hire other onsite employees, but did you know that isn?t your only option? You may want to examine Inbound Answering Services and what they can do for you.

Before examining the benefits of Inbound Answering Services, it is best to quickly examine Inbound Answering Services, namely what they are. Inbound Answering Services are like most traditional Answering Services. The word inbound is used because phone calls from your customers and clients will be sent to the Answering Service of your choice, the one that you choose to work with. Once those phone calls are answered, an Answering Service employee will do their job. This often involves answering general questions about your business, taking customer orders, scheduling appointments, forwarding the call on to the correct person, or the taking of a message. No matter what the next step taken is, a real person, not an automated machine, will answer your customers? phone calls.

Partnering with an Inbound Answering Service will not only benefit your clients, but you and your business as well. In fact, there are a number of ways that an Inbound Answering Service can benefit you and your business. One of those ways involves saving you and your other employees time. How many phone calls out of the day have you received from your customers that had a simple question; a question that you felt someone else could have answered? If that is the case, an Inbound Answering Service could definitely help you. As stated above, in addition to answering questions, an Inbound Answering Service representative could also take your customer orders, provide technical support, or even schedule appointments. This will free up a considerable amount of time for you and your staff: time that could be used to complete other tasks.

The productivity in your workplace can also improve by using a professional Inbound Answering Service. In addition to freeing up time for your staff, an Inbound Answering Service may limit or completely eliminate interruptions. This means that your employees can work on the projects that they were assigned without having to take a break and possibly answer multiple phone calls from your clients. It is known fact that individuals often perform quicker and produce better results when they are able to complete their tasks without interruption. In most cases, you will find that your staff only needs to handle customer calls when your Inbound Answering Service is unable to provide your customers with what they need.

As you can see, there are a number of ways that subscribing to an Inbound Answering Service can help you and your business. That is why you are urged to examine Inbound Answering Service today. The sooner you get the started, the sooner you can begin to see results.

Rob Porter is president of 1-800 We Answer Answering Service, a nationwide provider of virtual office services including Answering Services, Mail Forwarding Services, Voicemail Services , and Fax Services

Does Your Business Need An Answering Service

Have you recently started a business within the past few years? If so, how is your business going? A large number of business owners start out small and expand overtime, but some business owners get lucky and see success right away. If you are one of those business owners, were you or are you prepared for that success? If you are understaffed, you might not be. As business owner, you owe it to your clients to be available and able to take their calls. Unfortunately, as long as your business is understaffed, that may be difficult to do.

Answering Services are operations that are operated by trained individuals. In most cases, you will find that Answering Service jobs are filled with bright, educated, and trained individuals. This is important because those individuals will be speaking with your clients, often on a daily basis. As the name states, an Answering Service is where your clients? calls will go to, instead of to your office or to your place of business. Once that call is received, a number of things can happen. These things will all depend on the Answering Service services that are being offered to you. Common Answering Service services include the taking of incoming calls, the recording of messages, the scheduling of appointments, the taking of customer orders, the answering of common business questions, or technical support.

The most obvious sign that you may need the assistance of an Answering Service is if you are unable to provide your customers with what they need. For instance, have any of your customers reported that they are unable to get through on your phone lines during peak business hours? If so, you may need the assistance of an Answering Service service. A Answering Service will take your call when your system is too busy to take anymore. This is often referred to as the handling of overflow phone calls.

In addition to handling an overflow of incoming calls, an Answering Service can also answer your phone calls before and after business owners. In a way, this type of service is also referred to as an answering service. Having your before or after business hour client inquires directed to an Answering Service will allow you to continue on with your activities outside of work, without necessarily having to worry about your clients. If you work in an important industry, such as healthcare or law, you and your Answering Service can reach an agreement where your important messages will be forwarded to you at home, right away, especially if they need immediate attention.

If you are interested in making sure that your customers and clients are taken care of, at any hour of the day, you are urged to inquire about Answering Service outsourcing. Answering Service outsourcing is often used to describe using the services of an Answering Service. This is because you are choosing to outsource your work to an Answering Service, instead of hiring onsite employees. Answering Service outsourcing is the perfect way to make sure that all of your clients needs are met.

Rob Porter is president of Rob Porter is president of 1-800 We Answer Answering Service, a nationwide provider of virtual office services including Answering Services, Mail Forwarding Services, Voicemail Services , and Fax Services

How A Phone Answering Service Can Get You New Clients And Help You Keep Your Old Ones

Have you heard of Phone Answering Service services before? If not, you are urged to familiarize yourself with them. Phone answering services, which are also often referred to as business answering services, are when an outside company assists you in answering the phone calls that you and your staff cannot personally answer. What does this mean for you and for your business? Essentially, it means that your clients? phone calls will not go unanswered. In turn, this may result in an increase of new clients, as well as the retention of your old ones.

A phone answering service or a business answering service is often compared to voicemail, such as the voicemail found on a cell phone. Although similar purposes are served, they are two completely different things. With traditional voicemail, your clients will be speaking to an automated machine. With a phone answering service, your clients will be speaking with a real person. That person is usually employed by an individual or a company who runs a business that delivers needed services, such as a phone answering service, to business owners just like you.

As stated above, a phone answering service or a business answering service allows your customers to speak with a real person, when you or your other employees are unable to take their phone calls. Most phone answering services will speak with your client, record their message, and then forward it on to you. The way that message is forwarded on to you will all depend on the phone answering service that you choose to do business with. Despite different methods of operation, many phone answering services will forward your clients? messages to you by email. In cases of an emergency, you may be contacted on your personal cell phone or home phone. This is often something that is discussed as soon as your account is set up.

Although you are a business owner, you are also a consumer as well. After all, you do need to purchase food, clothing, office supplies, and other necessities. This also gives you an edge as a business owner, because you know how you like or do not like to be treated. Therefore, you likely already know that there is nothing worse than trying to contact a business and having your calls go unanswered. In fact, some consumers dislike this so much that they decide to take their business elsewhere, of course after giving a firsthand account of their experience to anyone who will listen. This in turn may cause you to lose a customer of yours, as well as prevent you from acquiring new customers. It is amazing, but the simple voice of a real person can work wonders for you and your business.

To help increase your client base, you are urged to inquire about a phone answering service or a business answering service. In the end, you will likely be pleased with your decision to do so.

Rob Porter is president of 1-800 We Answer Answering Service, a nationwide provider of virtual office services including Answering Services, Mail Forwarding Services, Voicemail Services , and Fax Services

Using Answering Services for Your Business

Companies that specialize in taking and recording missed calls from the subscriber to the service are known as answering services. These services essentially perform the function of the basic telephone answering machine. Like an answering machine, answering services usually offer their customers the ability to record a voice message. This message plays to callers after a given number of rings. The service holds the voice message, and any recordings left by callers. The costumer can play back these messages and other recordings by using through a simple phone call and password log in.

If you actively use a cell phone like most people these days, then a description like the one given above isn't necessary for you. Your messages are recorded by answering services because cell phones clearly cannot hook up to a traditional answering machine. This service is typically part of the contract users agree to with your service providers.

If you have tried to order something on the phone before, then you are probably familiar with answering services. You will usually be redirected to an answering service when you call a business whose operators are all busy with incoming calls. You are not normally prompted to leave a message in these cases. Instead, you will be kept on a 'hold' like status until the next operator is free to take your call. The service will often play music or verbal encouragement so that you will stay on the line.

A lot of modern businesses are now turning to the use of a live answering service. The usual and often obnoxious music playing ones to encourage customers to stay on the line for the next operator are no longer popular. It has been suggested by recent studies that these live answering services have better results in keeping potential customers on the line.

A business that employ a lot of workers will rely on the use of an answering service, even if it does have customers that call. There?s no sense in using a physical answering machine in an office environment with dozens of cubicles and as many employees. The business as a whole usually subscribes to an answering service. Each of the employee's phone line is connected to the central service.

Hospitals, government facilities and other establishments also rely on answering services to take their missed calls. Any organization with a large number of incoming phone traffic will rely on an answering service. This is especially true in a medical or political environment when disastrous results can be caused by a single missed call.

Morgan Hamilton offers expert advice and great tips regarding all aspects concerning Answering Services. Visit our site for more helpful information about Answering Services and other similar topics.

The Easiest and Cheapest Way to Start a Telephone Answering Service from Home

Even though business people increasingly rely on mobile phones, the fact remains that the smart ones know that being at the beck and call of every prospect and client is inefficient. They know that every job takes longer and mistakes are far more likely if they allow themselves to be constantly interrupted by a ringing phone.

So the smart operators would rather have their phone calls answered by someone else. The problem for small businesses is that paying for a full time telephonist or secretary is just not economic. What they need is a telephone answering service manned by human operators. And it is this need that presents an ideal business opportunity to those who want to set up a business at low cost.

Operating a telephone answering service from home on behalf of local small businesses is one of the simplest and least expensive home businesses to set up. It is very suitable for those who are housebound for whatever reason. It's also a business that can be operated by people with a disability who either find it easier or have no choice but to work from home.

Large office based telephone answering services use sophisticated and expensive computer equipment. When the phone rings, the software knows from the dialled number which client is being called and displays the client details on the operator's computer screen.

In the past the only way a home-based answering service could compete was by having a separate phone line for each client so that calls could be answered in the client's name. This was not only cumbersome but meant that only one call could be answered for each client at a time. And the only way to expand the customer base was by buying more phone lines.

But now there is another way made possible by the recent introduction of virtual switchboards. These are phone systems that are an integral part of the telephone exchange and that offer the same facilities as expensive switchboards but without the attendant cost. In fact, many virtual switchboards are often offered for a small fee and many, especially in the UK, are free to the user.

Each client is allocated a virtual switchboard phone number that is used by the client as the main business number. Alternatively, the client can use call forwarding to send calls to it from an established number.

Calls to the virtual switchboard number are answered automatically and placed in a queue. Each call is then immediately forwarded to the landline number of the telephone answering service. For those just starting out in the telephone answering business, this could even be their home telephone number. That's because each call is announced. When the operator answers a call they hear "You have a call for ABC company. Press any key to accept".

The virtual switchboard doesn't just send calls to one number. It can send them to several in succession if they are not immediately answered or are engaged. This is great for those starting out who can either install more lines as needed or outsource overflow calls to others they recruit to also work from the comfort of their own home.

Of course, virtual switchboards include other features such as voicemail messages delivered by email and notification of missed calls by email. But it is the essential ability to have calls announced and sent to multiple landlines that mean it has never been easier or cheaper for the home worker to start offering a telephone answering service to businesses.

Author Michael Soliatis writes about telecom issues and offers a free 0870 virtual switchboard facility.

Live Answering Service

With so many automated answering services for businesses out there, customers often find themselves extremely frustrated, wishing they could talk to a live answering service instead. Answering services have gone the route of letter writing ? it?s all gone to computers in an attempt to make life simpler. However, most customers prefer to talk to an actual person when it comes to their concerns, rather than a cold, unfeeling machine.

From the moment that an actual person answers a call made or transferred to a live answering service, a bond begins to form. Personal interaction begins from the very first greeting, and the feeling that your customer is not just a commodity to be transferred over to an automated recording can be overwhelmingly touching. Of course, with today?s busy communications demands, your customers may only receive a friendly sounding voice and an upbeat manner, but that?s really all that?s necessary to maintain a positive outlook regarding your business.

With the personalized attention and interaction that goes into a live answering service, the needs of the caller are professionally met, but with a personal touch that makes the customer feel as though their concerns, complaints, and questions are truly important to the business.

This should be kept in mind when looking for a service for your business. A live answering service will be received by your customers with open arms, as they will be able to voice their concerns to someone who might actually be able to sympathize and care about what problems they may have. Such a benefit will make your customers feel important and cared for, which is exactly what you want for them. When a customer feels cared for, their opinion of your business is much higher than if your customer was transferred to a cold, unfeeling automated service.



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Answering Message Service

Doing business today without the assistance of an answering message service, also known as an answering service, is next to impossible. The answering message service of your choice may be automated, like an answering machine, or can be a bank of live operators at an offsite location. When callers reach a business without an answering message service, the experience can be very irritating. Customers usually do not want to call a business and reach just an answering machine or voicemail system. They want to speak to a live voice that will be able to answer their questions and assist them with their business needs. ?Round-the-clock customer calls in a global market make it necessary for all kinds of companies and organizations to hire some form of answering message service. In order to respond to customer orders, client questions or solicitations, businesses need the right set of tools in order to be ready for the task. A professional answering message service is the most important item in your organization?s administrative support toolkit.

Choosing the right answering message service depends on the type of service your business needs. Most companies need a live operator answering their calls. Some type of software also needs to be present so that the operator answering the telephone call will be able to relay the correct information to your callers.

The most common form of answering message service comes in the form of a physical call center that offers live operators to answer your forwarded calls. Answering message service companies may also offer voicemail as well as the purchase of additional local or toll free telephone numbers for your business at an additional cost. Some answering message services also provide access to customized vanity toll free telephone numbers, depending on what number and letter combinations are available on the open market. These companies provide a variety of ways of delivering your messages to you, through email, fax and voicemail. Important, emergency or urgent calls can also be delivered in a method that you choose, including calling your designated contact telephone numbers or sending a page at any time, day or night. Increasingly, individual freelance agents will operate their own answering service out of the privacy of their own homes, and offer their virtual receptionist services for your off-hours support. Also becoming more common in the telephone support marketplace are software applications that virtually do almost all the work of answering your calls for you. These programs create a suite of voicemail options on the hard drive of a single computer connected to your telephone through a voice-capable modem. The software answers your calls, and offers your callers a number of interactive choices to direct their calls to the right individuals or areas of your company. The significant drawback of all-in-one telephony suite software application packages is that they are entirely dependent on computers or entire networks being online and functioning. If your computer encounters a problem that prevents the software from running, you experience a hard disk error or if your business experiences a power outage, then your calls are lost. Answering message services that feature live operators provide a nearly disaster-proof solution when your business encounters an electrical outage or severe computer problem. Many organizations purchase a software-based telephony solution, but also contract with a live answering message service to provide critical back-up and contingency support when something goes wrong.

The answering message service method that you choose for your office ultimately depends on your business needs and your budget. A quick search on the internet provides a list of many competing services who offer similar features with a wide variety of price points. Many of these services cater to a nationwide or even a global clientele. Some of these companies offer a more local accent to their service list. It?s important to choose an answering message service that reflects the image that you want your clients to hear on the other end of the telephone line. A service that projects courteous professionalism through their live operators not only will insure your business against caller attrition and lost business, but will help keep your business growing during off hours.

Ira Spere is a writer for EFLS . com where you will discover a wealth of resources on an answering message service and other related information.

Internet Answering Service

 Though most people are now turning to wireless, DSL, and broadband connections for their Internet access, those with dial-up modems still know how, occasionally, you can miss a call from someone important while surfing the web. That?s where an Internet answering service comes in.

An Internet answering service more or less screens phone calls for subscribers, allowing them to decide whether or not they want to take the phone call immediately as it is received or to have it transferred to an answering machine/voicemail. Just as many e-mail services these days have ?spam? filters, an Internet answering service works in much the same way.

It works as a caller ID for an individual while they are online. A caller?s name and number are shown to the subscriber, and a message they leave can be accessed and played through the PC?s speakers, allowing the subscriber to either answer the phone call, or let the caller leave a message to be picked up at a later time.

Convenience is the name of the game with an Internet answering service. Everything can be controlled with the click of a mouse. An Internet answering service allows a subscriber to take more control over their calls and have greater flexibility in how they take those calls.

Internet answering service providers have now branched out to take advantage of other venues that could find their services useful ? businesses and cell phone users. By expanding into these markets, Internet answering service providers offer subscribers a sense of peace as they not only identify anonymous callers, but block such callers from getting through to the subscriber. Cell phone callers no longer have to use their precious minutes on unwanted calls, and businesses no longer have to ward off unwanted telemarketing calls. With an Internet answering service, nearly anyone can be in complete control over the calls they accept, with the peace of mind that those calls that they don?t accept are taken care of properly.



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Answering Services Explained

Answering services are what business and others used before the phone companies offered voice mail and before there were answering machines. Answering services are businesses that answer the phones and take messages for people, whether they are doctors, lawyers, or other businesses and individuals. Instead of leaving a message at the sound of the tone, you leave your message with a human being who takes down the relevant information and passes it on to their client. These people can answer questions and can usually reach the party you are calling in case of an emergency.

Today, most answering services are located off-shore where labor costs are less. This means they can provide the answering service duties at a lower cost. They are call-centers who function as answering services. Many people who will hang up on an answering machine or voice mail will talk with the human that answers the phone. The advantage for the answering services' client is that they don't miss important phone calls for this reason. The answering service has a human who can direct the caller to the appropriate entity in an emergency. This is something that voice mail and answering machines can't do.

Most of these off-shore or out-of-state answering services will deliver message to the client by email or phone. They will fill in for the client and his staff by handling the phone while they are absent from the premises or out of reach in some way. Your business does not lose the big client or big deal because you are out of the office or decide to take a vacation day. You don't have to make special arrangements to have your phone covered by hiring someone on a temporary basis. The answering service can take orders for you. You don't have to worry about your answering machine or voice mail being full from all of the calls because you have a human entity answering the phone.

The disadvantage of an answering service is that you don't have control over the people that are staffing the answering service. You can tell them what to say and hope that they say it but you can't control what they say. There is always the chance that they will say something that they shouldn't say and that may cause some problems.

The individual has to weigh the pros and cons of an answering service to decide if it is the correct move. Off-shore entities make the price attractive.

Joseph is the proud owner of Answering Services, a website that will explain everything you need to know about Using an Ansewring Service. We invite you to visit our site today and see what we have to offer

How To Find An Answering Service

There are three main ways to find an answering service, namely searching online, going through the telephone directory and word-of-mouth.

Searching online / Internet An online search will reveal hundreds of answering services offering a number of options, but when searching, remember to check the online Yellow Pages as well. Many services will have their own websites listing their services, rates and areas covered. Finding offshore companies offering the services you are looking for will also be easier online.

Telephone Directory The telephone remains a reliable source for finding providers of any service, answering services being no different. The printed Yellow Pages carry a lot of advertisements from these companies.

Word-of-Mouth If you know a company or freelancers who use a service that you like, by all means ask them about it. Ask around at your professional organizations for recommendations.

Also, read printed and electronic advertisements, you may find the perfect answering service that way. Some high-end services advertise in professional and trade publications.

Regardless of the method used in sourcing an answering service for your business, it is important to know the following:

? Is the answering service staffed by trained personnel? ? How long the service has been operating, this doesn't mean a new company cannot provide good service, but depending on your business, experience may be important. Also, knowing how long they have been in business can be a useful marketing tool ? What other services are offered, for example, sales support

Ultimately, finding a good answering service will depend on the exact services you want, and the price you are willing to pay. Be prepared to go through a number of services to find the perfect fit for your purposes. http://www.answering-service-information.info "} Click here now to find more observations from Miranda.

Answering Service

 Just about everyone these days has some sort of answering service, whether automated, like an answering machine, or live. When you call someone without a service, often it can get very annoying. This is especially true when it comes to businesses. However, customers do not usually want to call a business and get just an answering machine or voicemail. They want to speak to another individual that can help them with their problems or answer their questions. This makes it necessary for a business to have some form of answering service. Whether customers are calling in with orders or just calling in with questions, a business must have the proper tools in order to be prepared for the task ? and that requires a well-qualified answering service.

But how do you find the right kind of answering service for you? Depending on the type of service you need, most businesses definitely need a live operator on the other end of the line. There also needs to be some form of software available so that the operator that takes the call will be able to relay the information back to you.

There are many setups for an answering service. Some software programs can virtually do all the work for you. There are also freelance operators and many organizations and companies that will do the work, live, around the clock. Once you know exactly what you need for your business, you?ll have the ability to search for the best option for your needs in no time. In fact, with Internet access, you?re able to find these options ready, waiting, and available for you right online. Knowing that there are these services available to take care of your business when you are not around to do so makes any business owner rest a little easier.



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The Pros And Cons Of Using An Answering Service

As with most things in life, answering services have their advantages and disadvantages. For some independent contractors who are one-man bands, they are live savers, to others they can be your worst enemies. Read the pros and cons of having an answering service and decide for yourself.

Pros

? No need to employ additional people to man telephones, this is especially important if you are running a small start up company or a large operation that needs twenty-four hour customer service availability. This can result in massive savings as salaries and benefits are not necessary. ? No more missed calls /lost clients; losing potential clients can be a hard blow especially for small operations. ? Urgent calls are handled until you are able to deal with them from a company level. Also, you can screen calls when on holiday, and if you are an independent contractor, take messages only from those clients you want to ? Many answering services are located off-shore or in Third World countries leading to reduced cost to the business.

Cons

? Less control over people answering calls on behalf of your business; some services may be staffed by people who are unmotivated or dislike what they do. This can reflect negatively on your business. ? Accents / language barriers can pose communication problems; this is especially true for call centers which are located overseas or in another state where there are major differences in pronunciation ? Some persons are reluctant to leave voice messages, so automated systems may not work in some instances. ? Confidentiality issues are also important as persons beyond your realm of control may have access to sensitive telephone messages ? Automated systems tend to be full after a while, and unable to take any more messages. " http://www.answering-service-information.info "} Click here now to find more observations from Miranda.

Types Of Answering Service

Answering services have been around for years, but with the rise in multilateral corporations and self-employment, they have mushroomed to meet ever rising needs. The lack of an answering service can have a serious impact on one-man businesses as important calls are missed. In the beginning, answering services only took messages after business hours and relayed them to the relevant parties.

Outsourced telephones/fax services Companies and individuals, especially freelancers and the self-employed, use answering services to take their calls and make their appointments. Some answering services are set up so that calls to the business's number are automatically forwarded to the answering service. The person making the call has no idea that the call is being answered by a person / receptionist elsewhere.

Call centers Most large corporations, especially those that get hundreds of calls from customers on a daily basis use call centers to man these calls. These call centers are not always at the same location where the business is situated. In some cases call centers are actually thousands of miles away in another country. Calls to call centers are normally toll-free numbers.

Many call centers operate around the clock, that is, twenty-fours, seven days per week. Customers demand efficient, readily available customer service responses to their problems, thus effectively ensuring the continued survival of call centers.

Automated Some answering services are fully automated, with software available to relay messages to you wherever you are. Some phone answering services can be set to inform callers that the business is closed and that they should leave a message etc.

Others types of answering services include paging services and answering machines. They operate differently, but allow prospective clients and service providers to communicate. The prices of answering services vary depending on scope of service.

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How An Answering Service Is Affected By The Internet And Technology

Despite losing ground to Microsoft and clone PCs, Macs still have a strong following, especially since an Apple Computer rarely becomes affected by viruses. Also, Mac enthusiasts, especially those in the design and journalism fields will attest to the power of the Macintosh in these environments.

Apple Computer is still adding new lines to the brand. Also, they once more revolutionized the computing industry a few years ago when they came out the the iPod.

iMac
This is the Company?s leading desktop computer, and the popular iPod was developed along with it. The introduction of the iMac in 1998 was directly responsible for Apple Computer?s rising profit margins.

Power Mac
This is Apple?s high end personal computer; it is also referred to as a Power Macintosh.

MacBook
The current Apple MacBook laptops come in three models, 1.83GHz, and two 2.0GHz, one white and one black; all using Intel Core Duo processors and equipped with 13-inch monitors. These replaced the previous PowerBook laptops.

MacBook Pro
This is the high-end version of the MacBook, designed especially for business and other professional applications. There are currently three models available, two 15.4-inch models, a 2GHz and a 2.16GHz version, as well as a 17-inch 2.16 GHz model.

Mac Mini
This PC is similar to the very first Apple I; the Mini Mac is the lowest price Mac on the market. This Mac is available in two versions and comes without a keyboard, monitor or mouse. They also use Intel processors.

Xserve
Apple?s contribution to the server business, Xserve, was first released in 2002. The Xserve can be used in a wide number of applications.

iPod
This portable media player was another in a line of innovative designs from Apple Computer. This device has undergone various improvements since it was first introduced in 2002, the latest being the addition of video capabilities. Many now act as external flash drives as well, allowing the storage of photos and videos in addition to music.

Apple computers have come a long way since they were first introduced and continue to fire the imagination of Mac users worldwide.

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Answering Service Solutions In The US

There are hundreds of answering services in the United States alone. Some are home-based businesses employing one or two persons, others are multi-national call centers employing thousands of customer service representatives/receptionists worldwide. A quick online search will reveal that some have been in business for years, long before the advent of email and other such technology.

Some of the larger, high-end answering services in the USA offer some of the services listed below:

? Inbound and outbound call center, that is, sending and receiving telephone calls and messages

? Customer services, including answering customers queries, and even walking them through problems as frequently happens with information technology related businesses

? Providing market research and intelligence to customers

? Website reception service. This is relatively new offering and only a few companies such as Americall Communications & Messaging Systems offer this service. Website reception service includes offering online chat services where a live individual correspond with clients and prospective clients via online chat.

? Some companies provide a virtual PBX system which adds professionalism to home-based business or single person operations.

? Fax to email services. this involves sending faxes via email

? Transcription services

The company, answeringservicesfinder.com provides a directory of various answering services in the USA. Some of these companies offer specialized answering services for different industries, such as, medical, business, urgent medical contact, and funeral home answering services, many twenty-four hours as well as the ability to 'catch' calls when he company's telephone lines are busy.

Some answering services also provide access to toll-free 800 numbers. These toll-free numbers give credibility to small operations as many clients conceive that only large, well-established companies has toll-free numbers. Additionally, clients like the feeling that a company cares enough about them to provide free access, thus, a win-win situation all around.  http://www.answering-service-information.info "} Click here now to find more observations from Miranda.

Keep Customers Happy With Internet Answering Services

Keeping customers happy is an important goal for businesses in any market. One of the ways this is done by providing excellent support through efficient, timely and effective customer service. An excellent customer service operation is one of the hallmarks of a good company. Customers tend to judge you to a large extent on the strength of the service that they receive.

There is a connection between profits and the efficiency or deficiency of the customer service a company offers - business is all about selling, selling is all about loyalty. Loyal customers are the ones who come back repeatedly for your products or to enjoy the services that you offer. Companies therefore attempt to retain customers by providing them extra services like loyalty points and other benefits.

Most customers also have come to expect 24/7 attentions from companies, and all major businesses have all year round contact centers. Customers maintain contact with the company through the contact center, via the telephone, the Internet, or by mail. This contact is essential to the survival of a business; Internet answering services can play a big role in fulfilling and meeting this customer demand. Many companies and small business owners especially those in the service industry depend on internet answering services to fulfill their customer support functions.

The recent trend in customer service is the shift towards live online answering services; customers are given points of contact on the net via chat sessions to answer their queries. Normally chat sessions are not sufficient for persistent customers and live online answering services tend to have a real customer service rep ready to take a call if the customer's queries are not answered through online chat.

Internet based answering services are also more cost effective compared to call centers, especially when the company is small. In addition an internet based live online service is simpler as even a single person may be able to answer a lot of questions from many people at the same time, if done through chat sessions. Thus, a minimum number of employees are necessitated in using an Internet based answering service. However, it is ideal only for companies that have products or services that are suited to this form of interaction with the customer. Telephone lines cannot be negated in any case and must play a supportive role to Internet based answering service even if you place the larger burden of your customer query traffic onto the online system.

Internet answering services therefore include both online answering services and if needed voiced based support and support via other means of communication, fax and telex lines for example. The quality of personnel working in your customer service department will make or break the image of your company. Ideally, a committed but small workforce is the best type of team that you can assemble if you decide that Internet answering services are where you want to apply your main thrust to service customers. Beside employee dedications, other factors like bilingual and multilingual services need to be considered; perhaps you have an international clientele? Call centers and mail departments can supplement depending on your needs the Internet based services.

Whether you rely on Internet based services or on conventional call centers, the reputation of your company may depend at the end of the day on your employees who people your customer support department - so make sure to keep them happy!

Isabel Baldry is a freelance writer who writes passionately about a number of subjects. Learn more about Internet answering services here.

Why you need an Answering Service?

The integral role played by the telephone as a business communication tool accounts for the growing importance of answering service businesses. All businesses, whether a physician's private practice, a small construction company, or a conglomerate, rely on the telephone as one of the fastest and most reliable communication tool in their businesses.

Anyone with a busy schedule and a telephone needs an answering service! Answering service can be a real lifesaver to a small business. Many small businesses have neither the time nor the means to take incoming calls during business hours when they are out on jobs -- yet those calls represent the very lifeblood of their business! They cannot afford an office; much less a secretary, but they certainly need those phone calls. Unless they can find a reliable and affordable answering service, they will probably have to do without (or ask people to call them only after 7 PM) or use an answering machine (which has a whole set of disadvantages).

Yes, you indeed can use an answering machine but the fact is that people really do not like to talk to machines, if they are unable to reach a human voice easily, they will go somewhere else - it's a lost business opportunity.

Fortunately, employers are recognizing this problem and solving it by contracting people to answer the phones when they cannot do it themselves. That personal touch you can offer can mean the difference in obtaining or keeping a client. Hiring a professional answering service business assures that you can take messages, deliver specific messages to callers, provide basic information, clarify the intent of calls and even arrange meetings with customers.

It's always in the best interest of small companies to hire an answering service provider to work for the company during the extended business workday, say from 8.00 AM to 8.00 PM or may be even for the rest of the day if your business needs it. Now it doesn't costs an arm or a leg to hire an answering service. Generally, in a competitive market you can get it for as cheap as $30-$50 per month on the lowest slab! So go and hire an answering service provider so that you never lose that customer again.

Vipul Gupta is the founder of http://www.answering-services.org Visit his site today to gain all proven information on the hiring your answering service provider without burning a hole in your pocket.

Answering Service - A Must Have for Your Online Business

Every day you miss calls from customers who need your products or services. But now you can get rid of all these problems, your call will be answered by a live answering service with your company name. Representatives at answering services will provide you services like answering phone service, answering message service or even enter data into your web form.

But finding a answering service company is not easy, after all you are going to trust one of your assets i.e. your customer or prospects or clients or patient - to a third party about whom you know a very little. Hence, it is very important to choose a perfect answering service suitable for your business. We recommend you to take a glance of this article before taking a decision regarding answering services.

If you are serious about growing your business and providing superior customer service, you need a solution that provides 24/7 answering services with live operators that handle every call correctly and professionally. Some big companies are available for you to assist you in the regard. These service providers not only serve you with answering phone services, they also assist you with other services like answering message service, pager, voice mail, PDA, live operator and even via web portal to fit your schedules and needs.

People at answering services are consultant. They recommend right products and services to help you accomplish your goals. These answering services are working from the 1980's and developing cost effective, customized answering services to meet your specific objectives.

There services include:  In-depth, 24/7/365 customer service support  Dispatch of service, emergency, or technical support personnel  After hours, weekend, holiday, overflow coverage.  Dedicated receptionist during normal business hours.  Live operator answering service.  Medical service bureau.  Message delivery service.  Toll-free telephone answering service. Whether you are a corporation, an independent professional, in the medical field or related to any other profession that demands round-the-clock answering service and telephone support, companies can deliver the coverage you need and the professional care of your clients, patients and customers. Leading answering service firms are continually search for pioneering technologies and services to help you better serve and improve your business.

While dealing with leading answering service companies you will be sure about:  Answering services appoint courteous, professional and knowledgeable agents for your service.  Dialer systems used at answering services are of good quality so that you can hear crystal clear voice quality.  Customized answering service with your personalized greeting.  Round the clock nationwide answering telephone service will give new horizons to your business.  Multilingual answering message service is also available at answering services 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. If you are a physician or businessman related with medical field, Medical Answering Services are for you, which is a full-service professional answering service. Medical answering services are medical call center that provides answering phone service, e-mail and fax messaging and other telecommunications services to doctors and other healthcare providers. Medical answering services also help in reminding your appointment, insurance verifications, data management, event registration and custom scripting.

Tyson J Stevenson creates useful articles & reviews on a wide variety of everyday subjects. Expect to see his name often. View further samples of his work at HubbuH or atMy Answering Service

Answering Call Centre Services

Answering Call Centre Services If you are in a business where your company needs to answer calls quickly, reliably and professionally, then call centre answering services may be the best business option for you. There are a number of situations where call answering services will work well for you: * If your profession needs to attend to calls quickly but don't have the resources, call centre answering services help by taking messages for you and faxing, emailing or texting these to you - even calling you directly or patching callers in the case of very urgent enquiries. * If you have a high call volume which you need to screen and only answer the important ones, a call answering service may do this for you by only taking bona fide messages and screening out cold callers. * If you are expanding your business, then you may want to outsource to a call centre answering service. Call centre answering services benefit you in more ways than one: * They help in saving you time and money investment in terms of infrastructure and manpower by providing you with both. * They help you in providing better customer care service and support to your customers, making them feel important, and dealing with their problems correctly. * They maintain your professional image and may even help enhance this. * They help increase your profits and income by increasing your market share and accumulating information for your customer database. There are a number of service providers who offer call centre answering services. Fully-fledged call centers provide all services such as taking messages from customers and callers, customer service, providing other technical assistance, etc and taking orders. Armchair Answercall is an established service provider that offers professional telephone answering services to suit your business needs. The wide range of services includes: 1. Answering/ Message Taking Services: They answer calls from your customers and provide them assistance and take their messages, when your staff are unavailable. 2. Brochure and Order Line: They provide skilled operators who take orders from your customers, help in filling forms and collecting data, and processing credit cards. They even help in cross-selling your products, thus, increasing your business profits. 3. Lunch-time Receptionist: Their customer service executives answer your customers' calls seamlessly, as if they were working directly for your company, when your staff are away for lunch/ break. 4. Holiday Cover: Their highly experienced staff take calls on your behalf in a seamless manner, providing technical support and assistance to your customers even during holidays. There are other services also to suit your needs, including Recruitment Hotline and Late Opening. You can discuss your needs with the sales team who will suggest to you the best service to meet your business requirements.

I write articles on call center services provided by www.armchairanswercall.com.........For further details please visit the site.

How a Live Answering Service will do Wonders for Your Website

Running a home business can be one of the most rewarding experiences of ones life. In my case, doing so has allowed me to be my own boss, spend more time with my family, and gain real financial independence. When I look at how much my business has grown over the past few years, I am filled with an immense sense of achievement and satisfaction, which are things I never felt while working 9-5 for someone else.

Nevertheless, having my own business is not without its challenges. I quite often have to deal with problems that hardly ever crop up in larger companies. Even something seemingly as basic as making sure my customer service phone line gets answered used to be a logistical nightmare for me -- until I started using a live answering service.

Signing up with a live answering service was one of the best business decisions I ever made. By doing so, I immediately gained several real advantages over my competitors. For example, my customers can call the phone number listed on my website and reach a human operator (rather than just a recorded message) at any time of the day or night. The operator has access to a file containing basic information about my products and company policies, so he or she can answer some of the more straightforward questions that my customers have, right on the spot.

By using a live answering service, I am essentially getting extra employees that help spread the word about my company.

Another advantage of using a live answering service is that it makes my whole operation appear more professional. Many people are still wary of purchasing products from websites that don't have a nationally-recognized name because there are unfortunately a lot of sites that sell sub-par products, never follow through with shipments, or just suddenly disappear with no warning and no refund of unprocessed orders.

The first thing cautious shoppers look for on unfamiliar websites is the company's contact information. Because I use a live answering service, I can be sure that my customers will always get through to someone when they call in to place an order or ask questions.

This distinguishes my company as more legitimate and trustworthy than places that only have voicemail available, and serves to reassure first-time customers that they're dealing with professionals. This has in turn led to an increase in sales as well as to a great online reputation, which is definitely hard to come by.

Because a live answering service can do so much more for you than just take messages, choosing which company to work with is a critical decision. Most live answering services are available nationwide and have their own websites where you can check out their specific packages and prices.

Before you enter into a contract with any of these companies, be sure to read the fine print concerning the package you wish to purchase. It's very common for a live answering service to assess extra fees if you go over your allotted number of calls for the month or break any of the other terms of your contract, so it would be in your best interest to read everything thoroughly.

It takes a lot of time and energy to run a successful business, which is why it makes sense to outsource tasks whenever it is financially feasible to do so. Signing up with a live answering service is a cost-effective way to provide your customers with phone support and to make your business more reputable.

So compare some live answering services now and sign up with the company that best suits your needs.

Tyson J Stevenson creates useful articles & reviews on a wide variety of everyday subjects. Expect to see his name often. View further samples of his work at HubbuH or at My Answering Service

Choosing An Answering Service: Part I

What does it take to create an amazing call center? Many businesses have tried answering services and been turned off for reasons ranging from they don?t understand my business to pricing issues to rude operators. But, the reality is, small business owners need a break from their business. Finding an efficient live operator answering service to answer calls is a priceless commodity. Throughout this article, I will highlight a few necessities business owners should look into before committing to a service.

First, and most important, test out the answering service before you commit to any contracts. Many services offer a free trial period?one word ? ?priceless?. The only way to know if a service will work for you is to test them out. Watch out for services that offer a trial then have long contracts you must sign. This is reminiscent of a ?bait & switch tactic?. Services will answer your phones amazingly during the trial, get you to sign a long contract, and then drop the ball. Bad news is, you?re locked in to a horrible service.

This brings up the second point, watch out for long contracts. Many answering services are known to switch owners often and hire grossly incompetent operators which result in a serious disruption of quality services. The ideal answering service contract is on a month-to-month term. This forces the call center to be in the hot seat every month. If you have a problem, leave them without penalty.

Thirdly, ask for references. Make sure you get at least 3 references and make sure those references vary by industry. This will prove if the answering service is able to adequately manage calls for many industries. Don?t be shy to ask these references the questions most important to you, for instance, 1) how are their hold times, 2) how is their customer service, 3) Are there hidden charges, 4) how long have you been a customer, etc. Also, make sure you call these references after hours so you can see how they manage calls first hand for other businesses.

Fourth, price is NOT paramount. More often than not, the cheaper the answering service, the worse the service is. Imagine if you have a $15.00 an hour employee compared to a $6.00 an hour employee. Who do you think will care about your calls more? Which employee is more dedicated to their job? Which employee is ?job? oriented, and which one is ?career? oriented? Along the same vein, it is not a bad idea to ask what the average operator gets paid. If you are looking at a few answering services and the price is right for one but the service is more impressive with the other, go for the more expensive service. Remember, main goal of using an answering service is to expand your business. If you have an unreliable service, regardless of how much money you believe they are saving you in the short run, they are ultimately costing you thousands of dollars in lost revenue.Todd Cardin is the regional sales manager for Specialty Answering Service's Philadelphia office http://www.specialtyansweringservice.net. This article may be reproduced as long as it remains intact.

24/7 Answering Service Can Keep Customers Happy and Facilitate Sales

Many businesses stimulate their market round the clock. Whether sales literature, web sites or advertising, prospects are reached frequently overnight and on weekends.

What do you do when your customer is ready to buy and your doors have closed for the day?

Have you experienced a situation when you've called after hours and get an answering machine asking you to call back during business hours, or worse yet, no answering machine at all?

You can only hope that potential customer is the patient type and will keep trying to shove their money under your door. Or will that customer satisfy their need by moving on to the next available supplier?

Few businesses have the budget for staffing and equipping for 24 by 7 live staff or order-taking operation.

A solution frequently used by retailers, contractors or professionals is to utilize a professional live answering service.

Answering services provide the valuable service of a live receptionist available to answer questions, make appointments or take orders.

Long gone are the days when answering services simply took and relayed messages.

Technology and proper training enable the receptionist to answer each call as if they were an employee of your company. Computers queue the receptionist instantly identifying the call's source. A prepared script or fact sheet is utilized to handle the call.

In addition to off-hours call handling, many answering services can handle calls after a certain number of rings or when there would be a busy signal during periods of hyper-activity, often saving a sale.

The reality is most businesses are open less than one-third of the time. That is a small window of opportunity for your customer to buy.

In today's economy and lifestyle, customers want to satisfy their need as quickly as possible. If you're not available when they are ready to buy, you may have a disgruntled potential customer or prospect, or worse yet, a lost sale.

Consider a professional answering service to solve this problem for your business. You should experience increased sales and have a happier customer base.

Gerard Uht Jr. is the owner of Professional Communications Messaging Service and a member of the Association of TeleServices International. E-mail: gtu@pcmsi.com
Website: http://www.pcmsi.com

Answering Machine - A Complete Review.

I recently started a home based business. As a result of this business I am telephoning people across the United States. I cannot believe the messages that people leave on their answering machine. I know that everyone has their own character and ways of expressing themselves, but using an answering machine to do this does not leave a great first impression.

As I have been making my telephone calls I have come across all sorts of messages. Some people have the standard computer voice saying that no one is available please leave a message, and others have the standard message that is suggested in the hand book that you get with an answering machine system. These messages may seem boring but they leave the caller with a neutral opinion of the person that is called. Of these two I prefer to hear the person?s voice stating that they are not available and to leave a message.

The other answering machine messages that I have encountered range from funny to rude. The mid range is the people that leave very detailed instructions on how you are to leave a message and what to place on it. I have found that often times the people that want the most details have the shortest amounts of time available

To leave a message. I end up getting cut off and have to remember and listen to all the instructions over again to leave the rest of my message. Some people have clips from cartoons or movies that are used for their message. Others have loud music for the first few seconds and then have a recorded message. This is fine if you are using your phone only for friends and family, but if you are looking for employment and have given your number on a resume this is not the best idea.

The rude messages are the worse. One answering machine had the message if you think you are important enough for me to get back to leave a message. Another stated I most likely am not getting back to you loser but go ahead and leave a message. Still others have offensive language telling you to get lost because a message will not be returned.

As I am making my calls to set up interviews, and these are all people that have requested phone interviews, I find that I am rating people from the start. If I encounter a rude message on an answering machine in my first contact I will leave a message asking the person to get back to me, and I will not make another call to that person. I also make a note on their resume regarding the type of message they have on their answering system. I do not think that people realize that the messages they are leaving others make a strong first impression.
Linda E. Joy provides readers with up-to-date commentaries, articles, and reviews for home, family as well as other related information.

A Closer Look At Answering Machine Messages.

Do you have an answering machine? If so what type of answering machine messages do you have? The reason I?m asking you this is that of late, I have been noticing that most people have started personalizing their answering machine messages. Even those who never bothered to do so for years and years. And most of these answering machine messages, if not all of them are rather funny.

I still remember that answering machine message that I heard that went, ?Hi! You have reached XYZ. I?m not home right now. If it is mom or dad, please send money. If it is the bill collector, the check is in the mail. If it is the IRS I don?t have money and if you owe me money, tell me where you are and I?ll get there right away!? There is no doubt that an answering machine message that sounds like that will surely have your sides in splits as well.

There was another answering machine message I heard that went, ?You have reached the house of the XYZ?s. Obviously we are not in right now, so why don?t you call us back at a more easonable time? We promise to take your call if we are in.? To me, this sort of a message sounded almost rude. But when it comes to answering machine messages and a sense of humor, consistency or sameness can hardly be expected.

In recent times, probably because of the want of something better, answering machine messages have achieved a kind of cult status. Most people I know shudder at the thought of creating and storing the right kind of answering machine messages.

This is not because they don?t know what to say or how to say it, but purely because everyone seems to be in the quest for the perfect sort of answering machine messages that is funny, memorable and better than the scores of answering machine messages they have already heard.

But answering machine messages don?t just stop there. Even those who leave messages on answering machines tend to take humor rather seriously. One unforgettable response to a rather plain answering machine message went as follows. ?Hi there! When I called in, I was hoping to find someone interesting to sell this service to. But after hearing your answering machine message, I?m not sure you are the right kind of person I?m looking for. So goodbye. And don?t bother calling me even if you have my number on your machine!? Now how does that grab you as a clever retort to answering machine messages.
Linda E. Joy provides readers with up-to-date commentaries, articles, and reviews for home, family as well as related information.

Your Answering Machine is a Method of Telephone Sales

The tele-selling industry sub-sector often called Telemarketing breaks down their category by incoming telemarketing and out-going telemarketing. Out going telemarketing is what folks got so angry about and why we ended up with all the Federal Regulation on Telemarketing. Incoming telemarketing would be when someone calls your company and you attempt to get them to place an order or upgrade from their current status as a customer.

For instance if you are ordering a Dell Computer, you see that they take your order, this is incoming telemarketing. When you call your credit card company, phone company or an airline or even a hotel to ask a question they will sometimes ask you if you would like this, that or the other type of upgrade. This makes sense too, why would you miss out on such an obvious opportunity?

But what if your customers call and you are not there in your small company? Well you want your answering machine to answer and take a message, but you also have time for a 15-25 commercial when they call, before they leave the message. Perhaps you can alert them of other offerings you company has. You should do this, but keep it short and sweet as to not upset your clientele.

Lance Winslow, a retired entrepreneur, adventurer, modern day philosopher and perpetual tourist.