Thursday, March 31, 2011

Do I have to sign a long term contract to use your answering service?

No, the initial contract period is 12 weeks or 3 billing cycles. The commitment over these 12 weeks is the three base rate charges plus whatever usage is incurred. Should you decide that you don't want to use our services, simply provide 28 days written notice at any time to cancel. An answering service account may also be deactivated at any time, which is like turning off the switch so no further calls will be received. Remember, there is a very small base rate and no additional charges unless we actually answer your calls.

If you have additional questions about AnswerFirst and our services then please contact us at 1-800-645-2616 or www.answerfirst.com

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Freelancers: How To Put Your Phone Down and Get Work Done


Millions of Americans have stepped out of the corporate world and into the realm of providing freelance services. Many freelancers think that being their own bosses will mean more flexibility in their schedules, more independence and potentially less hours at work. Unfortunately, freelancers are just like any other business owners in that they have to manage all aspects of their businesses from generating leads to handling customer service issues and maintaining their accounting; this type of commitment usually ends up requiring more hours per week than a regular full-time job. How can these entrepreneurs shed some of their responsibilities and focus on the important aspects of running their own businesses? Utilizing a telephone answering service is one method of reducing workload while not sacrificing their clients' customer service experiences.

How does a telephone answering service work? For a monthly fee, a real person answers a business's phone calls 24/7. The service will take messages, screen out telemarketers and other useless calls, set appointments and even answer basic questions about the business. This gives business owners more time to focus on other important tasks while still presenting a professional face to all current and existing clients.

Freelancers, get a telephone answering service so you can put down your phones and get to work. Call us or visit our website for more information about what we can do for your freelance business:

Thursday, March 24, 2011

An AnswerFirst Minute - Answering Service & Contact Center Solutions


You can contact Teri directly at 1-800-645-2616 for more information about AnswerFirst and their answering service and call center solutions.

Mention this video for 25% off your first month access fees.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Answering Service Client Testimonial

"I am thrilled with the answering services you are providing. You are a huge help to me and I am glad I am with you. Your agents are always professional and courteous and you are batting 1,000 in my book!!"

Matt D.

Thank you for your business, Matt!

Contact us today for more information about how we can help you save money and provide better customer service to your clients.

AnswerFirst Communications, Inc. - Answering Services & Contact Center Solutions

1-800-645-2616

Thursday, March 17, 2011

What professional organizations should my answering service take part in?

From the Florida Parking Association for members of the parking industry in Florida to the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers for technical professionals and students, there are professional organizations for almost any industry that you can imagine. While it's not crucial that you do business with a company that is involved with the professional organization in their particular industry, it is usually a good choice. There are several organizations that focus on the call center and answering service industries including ATSI, CAM-X, STA and WSTA. We strongly suggest that you choose an answering service that is involved with at least one of the call center professional organizations because it is an indication that the answering service is investing in their own education and interested in providing excellent service. ATSI Certified call centers are known to have particularly high service standards.

For more information about ATSI, click here.

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

How do you charge?

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 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.

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Answering Service Client Testimonial

"I love your answering service! I trust that every time I forward my phones, they will be answered professionally and timely. I just want to take a moment to say 'THANK YOU' for your hard work. I sincerely appreciate what you do!"

Elliot
Tampa Tent & Rental

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

AnswerFirst Answering Service Becomes A Corporate Sponsor for the Association of the United States Army Suncoast Chapter

AnswerFirst Communications, an international telephone answering service and customer service solutions company specializing in answering & messaging services, virtual receptionist and call center solutions, announced this week that they are now a corporate sponsor for the Association of the United States Army Suncoast Chapter.

The Association of the United States Army (AUSA) is a private, non-profit educational organization that has been supporting America's Army - Active, National Guard, Reserve, Civilians, Retirees, Government Civilians, Wounded Warriors, Veterans, and family members since 1950. The AUSA represents every American Soldier by being the voice for all components of America’s Army, by fostering public support of the Army’s role in national security and by providing professional education and information programs. AUSA works to support all aspects of national security while advancing the interests of America's Army and the men and women who serve. AUSA also provides numerous professional development opportunities at a variety of events both local and national. The Suncoast Chapter includes MacDill Air Force Base, home of the US Central Command and the US Special Operations Command both of whom provide operational support for the Chapter.

Teri Erickson, Business Development Coordinator at AnswerFirst said, “We are honored to be able to help the Association of the United States Army Suncoast Chapter provide recreational and educational opportunities to soldiers and their families, corporate sponsorship provides us with the ability to show our support for our troops”.

For more information about AnswerFirst's answering service and call center solutions please visit their website or call Teri at 1-800-645-2616.

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Do I have to sign a long term contract to use your answering service?

No, the initial contract period is 12 weeks or 3 billing cycles. The commitment over these 12 weeks is the three base rate charges plus whatever usage is incurred. Should it be decided that the service is not working out, simply provide 28 days written notice at any time to cancel. An account may also be deactivated at any time, which is like turning off the switch so no further calls will be received.

Contact us today for more information about our call center solutions and answering service.
1-800-645-2616
Answering Service, Live Answering Service, Virtual Receptionist, Call Center & Contact Center Solutions

Thursday, March 3, 2011

How Reliable Are AnswerFirst's 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.


Contact us today for more information about our call center solutions and answering service.
1-800-645-2616
www.answerfirst.com - Answering Service, Virtual Receptionist, Call Center & Contact Center Solutions

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Ybor City Walking Tours Uses AnswerFirst

"I listen to all of my calls and I can tell that your agents have a very good understanding of what I do. Please thank each and every one of your agents for their hard work on my account. I truly appreciate the service you provide and I am very glad I found you. Your agents are rated as the best as far as I am concerned."

Lonnie
Ybor City Walking Tours