How reliable are your systems?

Our IT staff takes extraordinary means to insure our call center stays operational. Our telephone answering service was designed and built to function both during and after a category 5 hurricane. On premise we maintain our own power plant and utilize redundant telephony, including multiple circuits from different providers. Software and hardware are protected by the use of redundant servers, switches and routers, including both physical and virtual machines.

The other area of concern is employee reliability and attendance. To combat this, our center uses a mix of both in-house and remote virtual receptionists, insuring we always have agents with access to our systems. In short, our systems and center are very reliable, however we also understand the need to communicate should something happen. In the event of an emergency we are able to quickly notify clients via e-mail or fax through the use of our robust automated communications platform. In addition we encourage our clients to follow us on Twitter and Facebook as important updates also may be found there.

Please contact us for more information about answering services:

1-800-645-2616
www.answerfirst.com - Answering Service, Virtual Receptionist, Call Center & Contact Center Solutions

Is privacy important to you will my and my client's information be protected?

Yes, our answering service takes privacy very seriously. All employees sign a confidentiality agreement which remains in effect indefinitely. Our call center utilizes the highest data encryption and firewall technologies to insure the integrity and security of our network. We are HIPPA compliant, employing the highest standard of customer data and information protection. Clients can rest assured that information is safe and secure.

Please contact us for more information about answering services:

1-800-645-2616
www.answerfirst.com - Answering Service, Virtual Receptionist, Call Center & Contact Center Solutions

Do you have an online management portal where I can access my account?

Yes, it is included at no additional cost. Our online account management portal is called Client Web Access and it was developed in-house with suggestions about design and functionality from our clients. By using CWA clients can access a wide variety of account information. Messages, performance reports, billing reports, average ring, average talk reports, recordings of all calls and much, much more is accessible 24/7 from anywhere via the internet. Data may also be queried by account and date range and if desired may be exported as a .csv file. While logged into the portal clients may also manage on-call after hour schedules or escalation protocols. Account screens and data may also be viewed and updated

Please contact us for more information about Client Web Access: 1-800-645-2616

www.answerfirst.com - Answering Service, Virtual Receptionist, Call Center & Contact Center Solutions

Will Your Callers Ever Be Placed on Hold?

Once an agent answers a call, it will never be interrupted. This provides a much nicer experience for callers, as opposed to being repeatedly interrupted with, "Will you hold for just a moment? I have to answer another call." At our answering service the only time a caller is ever placed on hold is if the account instructions are for an agent to patch through a call. In this instance an agent would have to place the caller on hold while they attempt to connect the caller directly to a staff member at your office.

The only other scenario where a caller would not immediately speak with an agent can happens when the call first arrives. Our call center agents answer 85% of our calls on the first ring, at which time an agent stays with the caller until completion. An additional 10-12% of inbound calls are still answered by a live virtual receptionist, who takes the caller to completion, however they are answered on the 2nd, 3rd or 4th ring. The remaining 3-5% of inbound calls will complete the 4th ring, at which time a custom announcement, in your company name, will play to let the caller know all representatives are busy and that someone will be with them in less than 15 seconds. The caller is then placed in a hold queue where professional music is played until the call is answered by the next available call center agent. Our average hold time in this queue is 15 seconds or less. Again, because of how our answering service bills, we do not want callers in the hold queue. If they hang up, you miss a call and we don't earn revenue.

1-800-645-2616
www.answerfirst.com - Answering Service, Virtual Receptionist, Call Center & Contact Center Solutions

How Do I Know That Your Operators Will Answer My Business Calls Quickly?

This is a matter of motivation; how critical is it for us to make sure this happens? You only need to look at how our answering services are billed to determine whether or not we are highly motivated to answer your calls quickly. With many services you pre-buy a block of calls or minutes, in which the call center receives payment prior to answering any of your calls. We don't offer these types of rate plans, so it's easy to see why we are motivated to answer your calls. With our answering service rate plan only the base fee is guaranteed to us, we earn additional monies only when we answer your phones and help your callers. This rate structure provides a tremendous amount of motivation to answer calls quickly and professionally. Frustrated callers, who hang up in a hold queue, are lost revenue for us. You can rest assured that we pay a lot of attention to proper staffing and timely responses to your incoming calls.

1-800-645-2616

www.answerfirst.com - Answering Service, Virtual Receptionist, Call Center & Contact Center Solutions

How Can I Be Assured That Friendly, Intelligent People Will Answer My Business Calls?

Our hiring and training methodologies insure that professional agents answer your calls. Potential new agents are first subjected to a battery of computerized testing to gauge their cognitive and physical skills. Typing speed, spelling, grammar and comprehension are all measured.  Once the best candidates have been identified they move to our interview process, which focuses on communication skills and attitude. We are always looking for "can do" attitudes and energetic agents who share our company focus towards quality and friendly service.  After agents complete the interview process they move on to our training program which requires them to take classes that educate them about our company, our clients, our software and hardware systems.  After agents successfully complete our training courses they are moved to the call center floor where they work under other agents for several weeks before they are allowed to take calls on their own.  Our agents answer and end calls with a smile.  Through strict selection criteria and intense training programs we guarantee that our agents are the best in the industry.

1-800-645-2616
www.answerfirst.com - Answering Service, Virtual Receptionist, Call Center & Contact Center Solutions

How Will AnswerFirst Know How To Answer My Calls?

As part of our set-up process, we ask for certain information regarding products and services, as well as general information about the business. This includes, but is not limited to, a company address, phone and fax numbers, web site address and directions to locations. If a client so chooses, it can be made to appear as if our agent is actually the office receptionist. Any information a client wishes us to disseminate may be provided. This includes everything from pricing information, FAQ's to emergency contacts. Very quickly agents will begin to "learn" more about your business, simply by answering calls. How quickly agents become knowledgeable is a function of how busy the account is and how long the client has been with our telephone answering service.

1-800-645-2616
www.answerfirst.com - Answering Service, Virtual Receptionist, Call Center & Contact Center Solutions

How Does AnswerFirst Charge Clients?

Our call center charges a low base rate each billing cycle, much like an access fee. The base rate provides 24/7 access to our agents, a provided phone number and an unlimited web portal through which instantaneous account information is available. The low base rate is the only commitment, after that you only pay only for what is used.

Accounts and services are billed for the time actually used. Because all usage is billed in arrears, there is never a reason to worry about changing rate plan size nor is there ever any concern about paying for unused calls or minutes. There are also never any unexpected "overage" fees.

1-800-645-2616
www.answerfirst.com - Answering Service, Virtual Receptionist, Call Center & Contact Center Solutions