What Differentiates Live Phone Answering Services from Automated Services?

An essential part of any business is effective communication. If it is poorly handled, it can adversely impact the success of your venture. A professional approach is key for the overall growth and profitability of your enterprise.

All channels of communication need to be open and transparent when running a professional establishment. Based on the nature of services offered, the volume and frequency of calls received will vary. Irrespective, it is critical to give each caller their due respect by giving off your time as well as by patiently hearing and responding appropriately to their queries or concerns.

A live answer service company employs trained representatives to answer and suitably respond to every call received, to the satisfaction of the caller. This hugely differs from an automated answering service. The differentiating aspects between these two approaches are clearly enumerated for your better understanding:

Human Element
An automated service will have a pre-recorded message that plays out when you call in. After you hear the recording, you are expected to record your message and subsequently disconnect the call. This method does not leave scope for an exchange of communication and the personal touch involved when speaking to a live person.

Handling Large Volumes
When there are a larger number of calls expected, an automated service will ensure no call goes unattended. In the absence of an available customer service agent, the call can be routed to the automated system rather than being missed out completely.

Chances of Calling Back
A caller encountering a person at the other end to talk to rather than a recording will be more likely to strike up a conversation and call back again at a later stage, whenever required. An automated service may in all likelihood result in the caller disconnecting the call altogether without even hearing the pre-recorded message, in its entirety.

24/7 Availability
It may not always be practical to have agents available round the clock to attend to every call received, especially at odd hours. Efficient customer service is of prime importance in today’s competitive era. An automated answering service will keep away complaints about having phone numbers that remain unanswered.

Accuracy of Messages
A message recorded courtesy an automated service, will be heard in its entirety by the person it is meant for. On the contrary, using a live answer service company can result in messages getting distorted while being passed down. There is scope for miscommunication when the message is not properly understood or heard in its entirety.

Diluting Urgency 
When your call is directly answered by a human being, the person at the other end is more likely to understand the urgency of the situation and take prompt action as opposed to a machine. The message recorded by you, being heard and acted upon, will depend on when your recorded message is eventually played by the recipient.

Even though human interactions are very valuable in today’s impersonal world, technology helps to ease the load. A perfect balance between the two will ultimately have the best impact. Identify your priorities and work towards your goals in a systematic manner. Choose what best meets your specific requirements and also what fits your budget. A well thought out decision will reap rich dividends in the long run.

If you are looking for Live Answering Service For Small Business, the author of this article suggests Sunshine Communication Services.


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