Happy Holidays from AnswerFirst

Happy Holidays from AnswerFirst, a photo by AnswerFirst on Flickr.

Wishing all of our partners, clients and employees a safe & happy Holiday Season.

Our call centers are U.S. based and staffed with English speaking customer service professionals 24/7/365. No contracts or long-term commitment required. Pay only for what you use and no hidden fees. No additional charges for nights, weekends or holidays.

For more information, please download our Pricing & Info Packet: http://www.answerfirst.com/pricing or call us at 1-800-645-2616.

AnswerFirst Answering Services Booth at the Florida Bar Midyear Meeting in Orlando

AnswerFirst Answerin Services Booth at the Florida Bar Midyear Meeting in Orlando, a photo by AnswerFirst on Flickr.

AnswerFirst Communications is currently attending the Florida Bar Midyear Meeting at the Walt Disney World Resort Hilton in Orlando, Florida.

The organized bar in Florida began in 1889 with a small group of lawyers but officially became the Florida Bar in April of 1950. Today, the bar is a statewide professional organization of lawyers that serves as a guardian for the integrity of the legal profession; the Bar also serves an advocate and intermediary for attorneys, the court and the public. The Midyear Bar Meeting is an annual gathering of bar members including lawyers, judges and other legal professionals; the event provides committees, bar members and sections an opportunity to meet midyear to carry out goals, while also serving as a networking and educational environment for members and other attendees. AnswerFirst is attending the 2011 Florida Midyear Bar Meeting as an exhibitor with the intention of marketing their answering services to the hundreds of attorneys at the meeting.

Teri Erickson, Business Development Coordinator at AnswerFirst said, “Legal professionals are a large part of our client base because our services are a perfect fit for their business models; we help their businesses run more efficiently while reducing their operating costs. The Florida Bar Midyear Meeting is the second largest bar-wide meeting and our attendance provides us with the opportunity to introduce our company and services to more than 1,000 attorneys and legal professionals.”

AnswerFirst Communications, Inc. is based in Tampa, FL and provides answering services, virtual receptionist and call center solutions to more than 1400 customers around the globe. For more information about AnswerFirst's answering service and call center solutions please visit their website or call Teri Erickson at 1-800-645-2616.

AnswerFirst is on FourSquare

AnswerFirst is on FourSquare, a photo by AnswerFirst on Flickr.

Stop by and check-in on Foursquare to receive free set-up on a new answering service account. Up to a $100 value! foursquare.com/venue/23511966

Happy Birthday U.S. Army! - June 14, 2011

Happy Birthday U.S. Army! - June 14, 2011, a photo by AnswerFirst on Flickr.

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 attended the Association of the United States Army Suncoast Chapter’s Purple Heart and Cake Cutting Ceremony at the V.A. Hospital in Tampa, FL. The ceremony was a celebration of the United States Army’s 236th birthday which fell on June 14, 2011.

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. The Purple Heart and Cake Cutting ceremony was held in honor of the U.S. Army’s 236th birthday and attendees included AUSA corporate sponsors and representatives of the United States Army including veterans, officers and enlisted soldiers.

Teri Erickson, Business Development Coordinator at AnswerFirst said, “We’re happy to have the opportunity to support our local chapter of the Association of the United States Army. The organization provides recreational and educational opportunities to soldiers and their families and our 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.

How will you know how to answer the phone for my business?

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 the 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.

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

Answering Service Client Testimonial

"While I was out to lunch, one of your operators took a message from a Robin S. at the State Attorney's Office in Lake City. I returned her call and she ended up telling me how impressed she was with our answering service - she said what a great answering service we had and how very friendly the operator was."

Lisa C., Legal Assistant
Fritz, P.A.
Attorney at Law

Answering Service FAQ's

Q. In what ways may I receive my messages?

A. The choice is yours and we do not charge any additional fees for any specific type of message delivery method. Some methods may take a bit longer for our operators to deliver and thus will use slightly more operator time each month. For example, it is much quicker for an operator to deliver an e-mail message as compared to calling you on your cell phone and reading you the message while you jot it down. Here are a few of the ways we can deliver messages for you:

• Hold For Call In
• Call And Give You Message
• Call And Leave Message in Voice Mail For You
• Alpha-Page
• Digital Page
• Text Messaging
• E-Mail
• Fax

While it is generally a matter of which method is most convenient for you, we sometimes can make suggestions to you for alternative methods.

Q. I have several people in my office who will receive messages, are we limited to all using the same delivery method?

A. No. You can use a different method for delivery for each person, the choice is yours.


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

Virtual Receptionist Services

Our Live Operator Virtual Office Services combine the benefits of an answering service with a sophisticated IVR (voice mail system). Virtual office accounts are typically answered on the first ring by the IVR system where the caller hears an announcement. The announcement directs the caller to one of several choices available to the caller, one of which is transferring to a Live Operator. Other options include leaving a message in a mailbox. The mailbox can then call or page you with a notification of a new message. Callers who transfer to the Live Operator are greeting in your company name and any of the services and delivery methods available with our Live Operator service can be implemented.

In our ever-changing world, the ability to access newer technologies can give your business the competitive advantage you need over the competition. Our commitment to constantly leverage these new technologies enables us to provide our clients with the advantage they need in today's business climate.

AnswerFirst Call Center services are the perfect compliment for small or large businesses who find the cost of providing 24/7 live support prohibitive. Each of our CSR representatives has direct access to the Internet allowing access to your on-line problem tracking system, FAQs, knowledgebase and account information.

Whether yours is a professional, blue collar or internet business, AnswerFirst has a rate plan designed for your specific needs. Information gathering, class and seminar reservations, scheduling, catalog order taking, literature fulfillment, inventory control, order entry and credit card processing are all important components in our range of services. Each account is custom tailored and our commitment to providing high quality service at a fair price is why we are one of the fastest growing services in our industry.

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

Information About Our Answering Services

Did you know one third of callers to your business will not leave a message if the call is answered by a voice mail? In our ever-changing world, the ability to access newer technologies can give your business the competitive advantage you need over the competition. Our commitment to constantly leverage these new technologies enables us to provide our clients with the advantage they need in today's business climate.

Our business telephone answering services provide cost effective ways for businesses to handle after hour calls or when staff are unavailable - live operator telephone answering service, virtual office and voicemail service are key components of our call center solutions. An answering service is more than just someone answering your calls, to your customer, we are your business. Our professional staff will insure your callers are greeted by a courteous and helpful voice and will insure you receive accurate messages in a timely manner.

Whether yours is a professional, blue collar or internet business, AnswerFirst has a rate plan designed for your specific needs. Each account is custom tailored and our commitment to providing high quality service at a fair price is why we are one of the fastest growing services in our industry.
All rates are 24/7 and include toll free access.

Live Operator clients may additionally add voice mail options to either enhance their messaging capabilities or minimize their live operator costs. The setup fee for Live Operator accounts is $100.00 per hour (1 hour min). As soon as we receive the signed contract, setup forms and payment, your account will generally be activated within 72 hours. Emergency setup is available - additional fees apply.

Messages may be delivered in a variety of ways: hold for call in, call out (to cell phone, home phone etc.), digital page, alpha-page, e-mail, fax each as taken, voice mailbox, fax summary and e-mail summary.

Do you have questions about our answering service? Please call 1-800-645-2616 or contact us for assistance.

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

About AnswerFirst Communications

AnswerFirst Communications, Inc. has provided quality answering services since 1985. Our newest center was built from the ground up in 1999 specifically for AnswerFirst and this operations center provides a safe and comfortable environment for our CSR agents. Located along historic Kennedy Boulevard, the center is close to downtown Tampa. Tampa was chosen as the corporate site because of its growing demographics & centralized location in Florida. With its beautiful white beaches and wonderful climate, Tampa is a great place to work and live.

Since the invention of the telephone, answering services have been helping businesses meet the needs of their clients. While many predicted answering services would go the way of the horse and buggy with the popularity of cellular phones, text messaging and newer technologies, answering services have become more prevalent than ever. There are several underlying reasons call centers have continued to flourish in this environment. First and most obvious is the fact people like doing business with other people. If you were looking for a product or service, would you rather speak with a live person or leave a message in a voice mail? The vast majority of the people prefer speaking with a live person, in fact, 33% of people will not even leave a message when reaching a voice mail. It only follows businesses looking for a competitive edge would see this behavior as a means to increase their bottom line.

Our work environment plays a primary role in the health and happiness of our operators. Happy agents equal more productive agents, not only for us, but more importantly, for our clients. Ergonomically correct seating, injury prevention training, and state of the art workstations all add up to reduce the possibility of repetitive strain.

Weighing heavily in the design process of our new center was the desire to provide maximum security for both our agents and client data. Our commitment to protect the integrity and secrecy of our clients' data along with our desire to ensure the safety of our employees was paramount in selecting appropriate security measures. Twenty four hour camera monitoring, electronic key pad access and extensive password protection are just a few of the security measures we employ. Server redundancy, data archiving, the logging of all voice conversations, surge protection and emergency power generation are utilized as well for client's data protection.

Our facility is also home to our state of the art computer and telephony hardware. Designed to blend our technological capabilities with our human resources, our center offers both an efficient and productive atmosphere. We're excited about our work environment and look to provide our quality telephone answering services to the public for the next 100 years and beyond.

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