Experience

You want to find an answering service that not only has a good reputation and impressive references from other companies, but also a service that has knowledge specifically in your industry with similar companies. With this experience, they should be familiar with your company’s practices and have more insight on how your business works. They should also require less training and therefore be able to start answering your calls sooner than later.

Trainable

Though you will want your answering service to start right away, avoid services that offer same day activation. Many of the operators at these phone answering services will not be adequately trained and therefore not prepared to assist your callers. When choosing an answering service, inquire about how they train their staff, if they are briefed on the specifics of your business, and whether they can accommodate your callers’ needs and questions.

Reliable

A reliable phone service is important to ensure that everything runs smoothly. At the very least, you want a service that will accurately and promptly relay a message, which can be made easy with call recording. However, the perfect company should go beyond this basic function. Choose an answering service that has up-to-date technology, an adequate staff to support your callers, and procedures when something does go wrong to ensure they are always available like a back-up power supply and redundant communication connections.

Approachable

The operators will be the first ones interacting with your callers, and therefore often setting the first impression for your business. To ensure that your customers are receiving the professionalism and respect you would give them yourself, choose an answering service that takes pride in their customer service. Not only do you want operators that are professional and well informed, but also who are friendly and patient. Often small and local answering services, instead of large corporations, will provide more personal care for you and your callers.