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How Can A Telephone Answering Service Help Grow Your Business?

Posted on January 12, 2016 by atcadmin

Telephone Answering ServiceThere are several components to furthering a business and helping it grow. A positive relationship with the customer shows you appreciate them and are dedicated to giving the best service. This relationship will flourish over time and eventually your loyal customers will help your business grow by telling all their friends and family how great your business is.

Credibility

To grow your business, you need customers and prospects to feel they can rely on you to provide them with the best service.  Trust is built with quality products and services as well as showing them you care. A telephone answering service is a great way to show them you care because you are giving them as many tools as necessary to retain the information they need. Some people struggle with the online tools and links but giving them the choice to call will show them you are dedicated in providing the best service possible.

Spread Awareness

Spreading awareness is important and that’s how more prospects turn into customers, which will help grow your business. Having a call center will allow for more people to get to know who you are and spread the information they’ve received. During busy days, your attention might be focused on other issues. However, it’s important to make time for those calls. A telephone answering service can help tremendously by taking calls that come at inconvenient times which will help spread awareness and more people will be able to get a hold of you.

More Forms Of Contact

With several forms of contact available, each person has a different preference. Some people like to contact a business through email, social media or with a more personal touch without having to leave home, talking with someone over the phone. It can be frustrating when all you want is to ask a few questions about products and services and you are not able to get the answers. People are not going to chase your business to get to know you. Make the relationship process easy for them with several means of contact. And your business will grow because they know they can depend on you.

Save Money

Paying for a professional and full time receptionist can be quite costly. If a receptionist is critical to your business, you will have to hire someone short term for their absences, which means spending even more money to train them, since they will probably be unfamiliar with the position. Telephone answering services, however, are cost effective and will work with you to find the best communication coverage you need for your business without requiring pay for times their services are not used.  Saving with phone services help you focus your money and time on other topics to help grow your business.

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How Can My Medical Receptionist Better Handle Sporadic Call Volume?

Posted on July 9, 2015 by atcadmin

This is a dilemma that every office faces today.  Call volumes differ daily, typically medical offices are busiest on Mondays and following holidays.  Call volumes also fluctuate throughout the year depending upon the season and the specialty of the practice.  A pediatric office almost always receives more after hours calls than a podiatry practice for instance.  The goal of every front office is to figure out the best way to handle the sporadic call volume, thus maintaining the best patient care without breaking the bank.

 

I have visited some medical offices and witnessed firsthand, the front desk busying out the lines so they can catch their breath.  That is not the best solution for maintaining good patient care.  Sometimes a busy office will have more than one person at the front desk juggling calls.  This method works well when the call volume is consistent but when the call volume dips and requires only one receptionist, more money is being ear marked for the front desk to take incoming calls than is necessary.

An internal voice mail can help streamline and deflect calls to where they need to go but not every office has a state-of-the-art phone system.  What does one do then?

Virtually every local dial tone provider offers call forwarding features that can re-direct calls that would otherwise over-ring or even worse, receive a busy signal.

Those two features are known respectively as Call Forwarding Don’t Answer and Call Forwarding Busy.  These features are most likely already included in your bundle of telephone features and only have to be engaged.  Call Forwarding Don’t Answer and Call Forwarding Busy are permanent call forwarding features; in other words they do not need to be activated or deactivated on a daily basis after the initial programming.

How does Call Forwarding No Answer work?  Based upon your desired pre-determined ring cycle, your office will have a certain number of rings and seconds to answer a call before the call is re-routed to Around the Clock for Live Answering by one of our friendly operators, or for Voicemail options and message dispatching back to the appropriate recipients at your office.  Call Forwarding No Answer can be installed on any or all of your lines.

How does Call Forward Busy work?  If all the phone lines at your office are full at a given time, the last caller will receive a busy signal.  As many business owners and practice managers know today, a busy signal can lead to loss of potential clients or patients.  Call Forward Busy prevents that from happening by re-routing the call to a pre-determined number and by-passing the busy signal.  This feature should be programmed on the last line of your hunt group.

With these two features in place you can feel confident that your calls will never over-ring nor will your callers hear a busy signal.  When you rely on Around The Clock, you can expect to receive the guidance and support to fully understand the features and benefits of all our available services.  Whether the calls are re-routed to one of our operators to be live answered or to our full-featured voice mail system, outsourcing in this manner will enhance the quality of patient care you can provide while reducing payroll costs.

To learn more about these features and how you can benefit, contact us at 800-400-LIVE or e-mail us at info@aroundtheclock.com.

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What Is HIPAA Compliance?

Posted on June 11, 2015 by atcadmin

HIPAA, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, sets the standard for protecting sensitive patient data. Any company that deals with protected health information (PHI) must ensure that all the required physical, network, and process security measures are in place and followed.

This includes covered entities (CE), anyone who provides treatment, payment and operations in healthcare, and business associates (BA), anyone with access to patient information and provides support in treatment, payment or operations. Subcontractors, or business associates of business associates, must also be in compliance.

The HIPAA Privacy Rule addresses the saving, accessing and sharing of medical and personal information of any individual, while the HIPAA Security Rule more specifically outlines national security standards to protect health data created, received, maintained or transmitted electronically, also known as electronic protected health information (ePHI).

A supplemental act was passed in 2009 called The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act which supports the enforcement of HIPAA requirements by raising the penalties of health organizations that violate HIPAA Privacy and Security Rules. The HITECH Act was formed in response to health technology development and increased use, storage and transmittal of electronic health information.

Around the Clock Telemessaging Corp. of Wethersfield CT has been providing its clients with ways to be HIPAA and HITECH compliant since 2012.  Using miSecureMessages, clients of Around the Clock have the peace of mind that their data and PHI is secure and compliant to these privacy and security rules.

miSecureMessages keeps your communications private by:

  • Encryption – Unlike SMS text messages, miSecureMessages is HIPAA and HITECH compliant, keeping your data and PHI secure. By utilizing end-to-end message encryption, miSecureMessages ensures that messages in transit are secure and protected.and eliminates outside access to information. Your information is protected by:
  • No messages stored on your device – miSecureMessages quickly retrieves message information each time you access the App, but nothing is stored on your device.
  • Passcodes -While it is optional, a passcode on the App helps ensure your information remains private.
  • Allowing remote disabling – When you lose track of your device, the App can be remotely disabled so that the device can no longer access miSecureMessages information.

*Healthcare organizations that use email and SMS text messaging risk HIPAA-related fines.*

Although miSecureMessages (MSM) was initially developed for healthcare organizations to meet these strict secure messaging standards, all types of industries, including Information Technology (IT), Legal, Real Estate, Finance, Utilities, and more have started using MSM.  Organizations within these industries choose MSM because of the convenience of the quick messaging system and the appeal of separating MSM messages from other email and SMS text messages.

Call Around the Clock Telemessaging Corp. at 800.400.LIVE to discover how your business can become HIPAA compliant today!

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What Services Should Every Call Center Provide?

Posted on December 17, 2014 by atcadmin

1. Encrypted Text Messaging

For many businesses, security is of the utmost importance. The introduction of third party services can complicate things, as more people have potential access to your sensitive information. With encrypted text messaging, a business can enjoy the convenience of text-based communication without the risk of exposed information.

2. VoIP

Our Voice Over Internet Protocol software ensures fast a reliable communication over a stable broadband network. Standard landlines can be pricey, especially for corporate customers. VoIP services allow companies to increase their avenues of communication without breaking the bank. For call centers, this technology has become an industry standard.

3. Insurance

Even with a full suite of services and technologies, a call center becomes useless without adequate power. Without backup power, the bridge between you and your clients can be crippled in a moment. At Around the Clock, we use a natural gas backup generator, a secondary server, and an automated transfer switch, ensuring a speedy and reliable connection for your customers 24/7.

4. Flexibility

We understand that each business has its own specific set of needs when communicating with clients. Around the Clock is able to tailor its answering services to the needs of its clients, allowing each business to offer a customized, personalized communication experience for its customers.

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5 Myths About Call Centers In Connecticut

Posted on October 9, 2014 by atcadmin

Call Center OperatorMany people often associate call centers with large companies like cable television providers; however, call center services can benefit businesses in a variety of different industries, from plumbing to marketing. Actually, many industries have begun to embrace call centers. Answering services are an important business asset and are increasingly the main point of contact between companies and their customers.There have been certain stigmas against call centers in the past, creating numerous myths about modern call centers.

Here are five myths about call centers in Connecticut, and the facts that debunk them.

Poor Customer Service

We need to cover this myth right off the bat: a live answering service does equate to poor customer service. Around The Clock’s professional team is fully trained to operate as a natural extension of your company. We tend to over-staff our call center to ensure your calls are answered immediately and with minimal hold time. With our answering service, your customers will never reach voice mail or that after hours recording again!

It’s Too Generic

We have heard this myth often – some companies worry that an answering service is too generic to suit their particular call needs. We can assure you: this is simply not true!

Professional answering services are able to work to meet your unique business needs, creating custom solutions that fit with exactly what you require. From custom scripts to message delivery, an answering service is able to handle even the most complicated calling situations.

Call Centers Only Benefit Large Businesses

In the past, answering services ct were only practical for larger businesses, since they required such a big capital investment. Smaller businesses either had to outsource call center operations or manage without them.

Modern call center systems have come a long way. Now you only need the headsets or handsets your agents will use, and some providers figure these costs into your monthly service fee, for even lower up-front investment.

Answering Services Can’t Help My Business

Professional calling centers are used for a wide variety of different occasions, including call overflow, simple order taking, disaster recovery, and lead capturing. If you are overwhelmed with business and are missing incoming calls, or would simply like to capture leads from a recent marketing campaign, Around The Clock has a solution for you!

It Takes Too Much Time To Train The Team.

On the contrary, call centers in Connecticut come to the table ready to work with your business.  We have all the skills and expertise necessary to efficiently engage with customers and help move them through your sales funnel. When you hire a CT answering services company, all you need to do is create specific scripts and messaging for the company to use.

Final Thoughts

While there are numerous myths concerning the efficacy of call centers– the fact is that hiring a professional call center to handle your incoming calls can be of great benefit to your company, providing superior service at affordable rates.

Around The Clock services are customized to satisfy the unique needs and requirements of your business. Your answering service acts as an extension of your business to your client base. If you are falling short with customer service, what are you waiting for? Call us today at (860)529-6881 or 1-800-400-5483. Also, you can contact us through email by filling out the form here.

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Is It Time to Engage a Professional Call Center?

Posted on July 12, 2014 by atcadmin
If any of the following scenarios sound familiar to you, it may be time to look into hiring a remote receptionist service.
  1. Everyone is on the phone: If you look around your office and notice that everybody is spending more time on the phone talking to customers and less time doing their own specific work, it may be time to consider hiring a telephone answering service. An employee trying to design a poster layout, for example, could become distracted for half an hour if a customer called and wanted to discuss an order they wanted to make. It’s not the designer’s job to schedule an order, but if the receptionist is busy with another call, then the designer is forced to assume the position temporarily. If this is a common occurrence in your office, then your office productivity is suffering, and it may be the right time to look into hiring a call center.
  2. You are missing calls on the weekends: Most businesses are closed on the weekends and do not have anyone in the office to answer phone calls. Having a call answering service during this time can boost your company’s responsiveness greatly and provide initial help and direction to possible clients.
  3. You are interrupted by calls constantly: During some days, your company’s attention might be focused elsewhere. Whether you are trying to have a company meeting or are dedicating the day to a specific project, you don’t want to be disturbed regularly by calls. However, you definitely don’t want to be missing those calls, either. A telephone answering service can help immensely by taking calls that come at inconvenient times.
  4. Unexpected problems freeze your business: No matter how careful you are, problems are going to occur concerning your business. Your equipment might break, your computers may go offline, the power could go out due to a storm… the possibilities are endless. It does not make sense to wait for the town to repair the electricity or for someone to come in and fix your phones and equipment. In that time, you could be missing hundreds of calls and transactions with your clients. An efficient phone answering service will have plans and methods to help you when you face unforeseen complications and keep your business running.
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What Are The Benefits Of Hiring A Telephone Answering Service?

Posted on June 23, 2014 by atcadmin

Why you should hire a call center for you CT business

  1. Telephone-Answering-Service-OperatorHelp your small business: Call centers aid employees of small businesses so that they can increase their focus and productivity. Many employees answer phones while they are working on others tasks concerning their business. This can easily distract them and divert their attention away from what they should be working on. Call centers provide multiple services for businesses such as answering phones, faxing messages, e-mailing, and holding messages for pickup so that the employees of the business can do the work that they were hired to do. Call centers save both time and energy.
  2. Get assistance during busy hours: Most businesses have certain periods of the day or week when they get overwhelmed with calls and are unable to speak to all of their callers. People usually prefer to leave messages rather than being put on hold indefinitely. A telephone answering service can help during your busiest times by taking messages, scheduling appointments, and directing calls.
  3. Never miss a call: A receptionist can only do so much. Occasionally, calls will be missed and get sent to voicemail, which very few clients enjoy. This, by the way, happens during working hours. A large amount of calls are also missed during after hours. Dedicated telephone answering services provide cost effective and energy saving assistance to ensure that you never miss a call again.
  4. Improve your level of customer care: The purpose of any business is to be there for the customers and their needs. This includes answering their calls and communicating effectively through texts, e-mails, and faxes. When you have customers that rely on you and your services, it is important for them to trust you and know that you are there to help. This trust is not built on missed calls and miscommunication. Instead, it is built on an effective connection with the customer. Telephone answering services can be the key to this connection, as they work around the clock to interact and correspond with your customers efficiently and attentively.
  5. Save money: Paying for a professional and full time receptionist can be quite costly. Besides salary, money will go towards paying for an annual vacation and any sick days, which will most likely be unannounced and unanticipated. If a receptionist is critical to your business, you will have to hire someone short term for their absences, which means spending even more money to train them, since they will probably be unfamiliar with the position. Telephone answering services, however, are cost effective and will work with you to find the best communication coverage you need for your business without requiring pay for times their services are not used.
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What Should I Consider Before Hiring A Telephone Answering Service?

Posted on May 2, 2014 by atcadmin

Is it time to hire live professional phone services for your business? Telemessaging and dispatch services ease you of the routine functions which are easily handled by a virtual receptionist and enables your clients to chat with a representative from your company any time they want. Never worry again that you will not have staff available for answering the telephone during peak times, which could lead to a loss of business and consumer confidence.

What you should consider before hiring a Virtual Telephone Answering Services provider:

  1. How they will deliver messages to you? You should be very clear on all issues before signing any telephone answering service contract.
  2. Check the telephone answering company’s rates. One advantage of hiring a telephone answering service is to reduce cost of handling phone calls. There are various ways an answering company can bill their customers, such as a set rate every month or per minute charges or per call charges and so on.
  3. Ask what current customers are saying about their customer service support. If you need some information at odd hours, will the company be able to accommodate you or not?  Check what type of consumer service the telephone answering company offers.
  4. Backup & Security. Check on the security of the information collected and transmitted and how frequently the company backs-up their equipment.
  5. Keep in mind the Number Of Calls. Make sure the company has adequate staff to handle the calls that you anticipate each day. This will ensure that your clients do not have to wait very long to speak with your company representative.
  6. Review the agreement carefully. The firm you hire should not insist that you to enter into a long-term contract. If the firm is sure of its performance, it will not request long term contracts from its clients. Long-term contracts are intended to deter clients from hiring another company, even if they are not pleased with the performance of the firm.
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Welcome to our new blog!

Posted on August 15, 2012 by atcadmin

We are so very happy to launch our brand new blog to keep friends of Around the Clock informed. We will be updating regularly with info about new services, staff favorites, and other things related to our industry. Thanks for visiting.

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