Author Archive
Why AnswerNow has gone Social
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As our company grows and expands, we are constantly looking for new technologies, concepts and trainings that will help us improve our service. This includes new marketing and networking strategies involving the use of social media tools, including this very blog that you are reading (feel free to retweet this article). Since AnswerNow! is relationship focused, whether it is with our customers or our employees, what better way to build relationships than through a strong online presence? Our company has come a long way since 1976!
Follow Us on Twitter!
Are you on Twitter? If so, we invite you to follow us on Twitter @AnswerNowInc. AnswerNow! is using Twitter as another outlet to connect to our customers as well as other great people in our network. We provide informative information, article and blog posts, as well as fun and informative tweets on what is happening in the AnswerNow1 offices. We would love to “talk” with you on Twitter, hope to see you soon!
Like Us on Facebook!
Not too long ago, AnswerNow! started a Facebook fan page on to connect with current customers and our employees. We are starting to build up our fans and would love for you to join us for discussions as well as other pieces of information. Plus we have the occasional contest for prizes, but you can’t win if you don’t “Like” us! Stop by, join in the conversation and let us know what you’d like to see on our page, we want to hear from you. AnswerNow feels very strongly about connecting and communicating with our clients. A strong client-vendor relationship builds a great business!
This Summer Brings New Growth for AnswerNow!
Posted by: | CommentsDespite a “bad” economy and low job ratings in the state of Arizona, AnswerNow is continuing a natural growth and is expecting a large expansion over the next few months. This includes adding team members to handle the influx of business. So that means AnswerNow! is hiring! Our plan is to add 20-25 new people to our team, with applications being taken immediately! If you are interested in becoming a member of our team you can apply online at www.answernowinc.com. All jobs are a result of natural growth, and are not replacement positions.
AnswerNow!: Best Places to Work
Many businesses will tell you they are a great place to work, but we have it in writing. AnswerNow! has been a recipient of The Phoenix Business Journal’s Best Places to Work several years in a row. In order to win the award, we had to submit our nominations and then we were picked based on employee surveys submitted to Quantum Workplace. Our employees have spoken, they love being a member of our team! As hard as we work, we play equally hard. Our break room has satellite television, Wii gaming consoles, computer with internet access and a Ping Pong table that has been the center of many employee competitions focused around winning the coveted Ping Pong trophy. AnswerNow! also holds fun company competitions, where winning teams are rewarded with fun evenings at places such as Dave & Busters.
The Cost of Staffing a Receptionist vs. Virtual Reception
Posted by: | CommentsYour business is on the rise and you’ve made the decision to hire someone to start fielding all your calls, a true sign of prosperity. Before you begin the lengthy interview process of hiring the right person to be your in-house receptionist, have you considered what it’s going to cost you? Are you going to be able to provide enough hours and work for someone who is relying on this job for stable income? There is a lot more to hiring a receptionist than most people realize, so before making that decision, ponder these next few thoughts.
Is it Cost Effective?
There are many advantages to partnering with an answering service for your virtual receptionist, beginning with being more cost-efficient than hiring a receptionist. A staffed receptionist is another person on a payroll, which could affect the percentage you pay to an outsourced human resource company. Another staff member affects the taxes you pay on a business and will also cost you more in providing benefits. Does your company also require overflow calls or after-hour phone service? Are you meant to be available 365 days a year? That is a lot of overtime to be paid to a receptionist or you may need to hire several receptionists to be on staff. Partnering with an answering service for your virtual reception will guarantee that you will be provided with their answering service whenever you need it. It does not matter if you need it part-time, for overflow calls, after-hours or on a full-time basis, 24/7, even 365-days a year. At AnswerNow! we never call out, ask for vacation, or require constant management time.
Will You Be Paying a Receptionist to be on the Internet?
Before hiring a receptionist, you also need to consider if you truly have enough work to keep them busy 40 hours a week? A receptionist will need to be available to answer the phone any time it rings, but what will she do in the meantime? Perhaps you don’t have enough call volume to keep your receptionis busy 40 hours a week so you provide them with other tasks to complete. When you do provide work to be done like data entry or other office management jobs, she could be overwhelmed with handling all incoming calls and other important work does not get . Hiring AnswerNow! as your virtual receptionistyou will essentially fill three job positions for less than the cost of one! You will have a personal assistant, a receptionist and high quality customer service representatives. While you are out doing what you do best, AnswerNow! will be busy covering your calls, taking messages, registering people for an event you are having, or scheduling appointments. AnswerNow! includes multiple shifts of live team members, who are fresh and ready to handle your business.
AnswerNow Explains Outsourcing Services
Posted by: | CommentsThe main meaning of outsourcing services for business owners is to save time and money, leaving room for you to do what you do best. You can outsource almost anything: answering service, accounting, design work, the list can go on and on. There are, however, several misconceptions when it comes to what outsourcing really means. We would like to go over a couple main points of what outsourcing should mean for your business.
Outsourcing really is “In”sourcing
And by “In”sourcing, we mean within the United States. It has been a popular notion that Asian countries are the greatest outsourcing destinations because of the cheaper rate over American or European. But what do you lose? Can you communicate with your overseas outsourcing partner as easily as someone within the United States? We are starting to see that keeping your outsourcing in the US is becoming more of a trend, and in fact many companies that outsourced overseas at one point in time are now changing their philosophy and searching out US based call centers. It not only helps with the US economy, but it helps maintain more a personal feel with your business. AnswerNow is an Arizona based answering service with all of our team-members in house.
Outsourcing Should be a Partnership
Just as you wouldn’t hire someone that you didn’t have a good report with, you shouldn’t choose an outsourcing partner with whom you couldn’t have a solid relationship with. Whatever aspect of your business that you choose to outsource, the service provider should be able to perform the business requirements the best way that YOU see fit. Your clients should never be able to realize that they are not dealing with you or your team personally because your service provider essentially is a part of your team. AnswerNow consults with every client to get a better understanding of how the business is run and we then train our staff in your specialty in order to guarantee call success.
Virtual Reception: Software vs. Answering Service Center
Posted by: | CommentsIt’s a good problem to have; your business is growing and expanding, however you don’t have the time in the day to field all incoming calls and voicemails. You realize that you are going to have to invest in help, but do you purchase software that uses an automated attendant or do you call on an answering service for your virtual receptionist needs? Of course the answer to this question lies in the needs of your business, but let AnswerNow tell you why a high-quality answering service will set you apart from your competition.
Losing the Human Touch
In a world of technology, the personal touch of a human voice is becoming more and more of an archaic thought. However, your customers may balk at talking to an automated system, leaving them feeling cold and you may end up losing a customer. Utilizing a call center service, such as AnswerNow will maintain the personal touch of a live human voice. Our team members answer your company’s calls with the name of your business and then politely and professionally assist them in the same manner that you would. Your customers will never know that they are speaking to an outside agent, and they will never experience the impersonal coldness of speaking with a machine.
Can Your Automated Attendant do this?
Yes, automated attendant software will be able to “answer,” forward calls and take messages, but what else can it do? Virtual receptionists and virtual offices are able to filter high priority calls versus basic questions, which AnswerNow’s team members are trained to quickly navigate through scripts used in your virtual reception account in order to answer properly. We can provide driving directions, hours, basic questions on your products/services and any other general information. Just remember, a virtual receptionist is supposed to be an extension of your team; our AnswerNow team members are trained to do the job as if they are member of your staff. Can a machine do that?
Employee Spotlight: Joanna Luna
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We are very excited to introduce a new monthly segment to our blog spotlighting some of our exceptional team members. AnswerNow! Inc feels that our team member’s hard work and dedication is what makes us an industry leader, so we would like to honor our finest and also let you get to know the faces behind the phone line. This month we are spotlighting Joanna Luna.
We have been privileged to have Joanna on our AnswerNow! team for three years and recently she was promoted from a Team Manager role to an Account Manager role. She has joined our existing team of Account Managers and is responsible for being a single point of contact for all aspects of accounts including updates and informational changes, billing questions, or any other questions or discussion our clients need to have. Joanna is the cheerful voice our clients hear on the other end of the line when they call in on their account.
A Word From Joanna
I have had the pleasure of working at AnswerNow! for the last three years. During the past couple of years, I was fortunate to grow within the company. I started as a Team Member answering incoming calls on the Operations Floor and have transitioned to an Assistant Team Manager, then to a Team Manager, and now I am the newest addition to the Customer Service Department. In the Customer Service Department, we are assigned a group of accounts and we are responsible for managing all aspects of the account from managing on call schedules, following up on Team Member questions regarding the account, keeping account information update, answering client questions, and checking in with our clients on regular basis to ensure they are still happy with service, and to see if there is anything we can do to be of further assistance for our clients. I enjoy working for AnswerNow because of the company culture, positive attitudes, friendliness, and the many opportunities to grow. When I’m not at work assisting clients or answering calls, I like to spend time at home with my family. I have a three year old son named Hayden Jeremiah who consumes the majority of my time. We recently moved into our first home in Avondale, so when I’m not busy unpacking, I enjoy watching movies, shopping, watching sports, spending time with friends or simply going out for a drive. I thank AnswerNow! for all that I have been fortunate enough to experience.
Four Years Running: ATSI Award of Excellence Winner
Posted by: | CommentsIn May 2010, AnswerNow! was thrilled to be ranked NUMBER ONE INTERNATIONALLY for the 2010 ATSI Award of Excellence. We achieved the top score among all participating answering services / call centers around the globe. This is our fourth consecutive year winning this award, and we are very proud to be recipients. The award was presented to us on May 14, 2010 at the annual ATSI Convention in San Diego, CA.
What is the ATSI Award of Excellence?
The ATSI Award of Excellence is a measure of quality customer service provided by call centers and answering services around the world. As the leading industry association for answering services, ATSI has established a set of guidelines for call centers and answering services to demonstrate their level of customer service. “Mystery calls” are placed by a third party company throughout the year to participating call centers, and can be received at any time, twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. The “mystery calls” are scored in several categories including, but not limited to, hold time, correct use of grammar, manners, verification of information given by the caller, and operator knowledge and confidence.
Excellence equates to GROWTH at AnswerNow!
Since our goal is to ensure a positive experience for every caller, every time and to make sure each call is properly managed, it was time for AnswerNow to grow. We are very excited to bring on 10 new employees in May in order to continue to expand and train high-quality team members to guarantee our callers are always receiving the highest level of care.
Case Study: Health & Wealth Raffle
Posted by: | CommentsAnswerNow! is proud to be a regular part of Phoenix’s annual Health & Wealth Raffle, a fundraising drive that benefits St. Joseph’s Hospital. A community institution, the Health & Wealth Raffle has just wrapped up their 14th successful season. How have we helped? Our virtual call center services have been an integral piece of the Raffle’s success since 2003. By subscribing to our services, the organizers of the Raffle were able to offer the public bilingual, 24/7 phone services – something that would have been prohibitively expensive to do if they hired and trained their own staff.
Virtual Call Center Services is the Solution
Every year we receive compliments from people who have called in, stating that the warmth and professionalism of the call exceeded their expectations. After all, when the public calls in to enter the Raffle, they don’t know they’re calling a call service. Like with other companies, our work with the organization is completely seamless – we truly are the face and tone of voice behind every public interaction with the Health & Wealth Raffle. We take pride in knowing our contribution to this mighty fundraiser is not only functional, but positive as well!
Our Passion Comes through on every Call
We have noticed an interesting side effect of our work with the Health & Wealth folks over the years: when the cutoff date nears, the number of calls received increases exponentially. To handle this overflow, we never resort to outsourcing to other, less busy call centers, or even hiring work-from-home agents. Our team members and operators bond together to work extra hours, bring in friends and family to assist, and even come in on days off! We are passionate with our involvement and believe your busiest days should be our busiest days as well! Whether it’s the Raffle, or your own company, you can be confident that we are passionate about each and every call and will always go the extra mile to get the job done!
Your Business Is Our Specialty
Posted by: | CommentsWhen your valued customers call in to our operators, they fully believe they are speaking to someone at your office. There is no break in the transition: they call your business, we answer, and we deliver a comprehensive message to you. We know the importance of such an undertaking; how these calls are handled is vital to your long-term success. To that end, we offer an exhaustive implementation process and unmatched follow-up to every one of our clients.
We Work for You, Not the Other Way Around
Many business answering services make companies conform to how they do business, to how they handle calls. That’s certainly not the case at AnswerNow! We recognize that timely responses, happy customers, brand recognition, and reduction in overhead are of primary focus. To help integrate your unique business needs into our services, we remain flexible – you can customize what you need, when you need it. We are proud to take the steps that familiarize us with your business needs before we even answer the first call.
Answering Service Needs Are Customized to You
When you begin our service, a dedicated project manager will be in charge of ensuring the quality and consistency that has become a trademark of AnswerNow! Our multi-step training program for our operators ensures that they are familiar with your business, your products, and the types of inquiries they’ll be handling. It’ll be just like having a fully-trained staff … without the time or monetary expense! Your project manager will follow-up with you the first day of your new virtual reception services, and regularly from that point forward. If there’s ever an adjustment that needs to be made, or a customized request, you can rest well knowing that it’ll be handled – by the best in the business.
Virtual Answering Services Help You Meet Your Goals
Posted by: | CommentsThe needs of every business vary, but most of them have one goal in mind: to turn a profit. If your business offers services or is involved in retail sales, you may be trying to find a solution to increase your bottom line without increasing your overhead. A great solution to this is by examining how the flexible, customizable offerings of AnswerNow! can be fully integrated with your existing business. While we previously explained how we can assist with overflow or after-hours answering, we go far beyond just relaying a message.
Services Designed with Your Business in Mind
Depending on your business needs, we can work together on full call center services, including setting appointments, taking reservations, and processing orders; we’ll even handle routine product or technical support inquiries. Our bilingual, in-house staff (no work-from-home agents) man our phones 24/7, so your customers will always receive a live representative – and not be placed on hold for hours on end. We can also assist with fully-integrated market research and surveys, formatting and delivering the results to your specifications.
Phone Solutions for Employees and Customers
Our virtual answering service will also help your business with topic-specific call trees designed to provide customers with commonly requested information or even an ad-expander phone line – a special number dedicated to providing customers with more information on your recent advertisements. We’ll help keep things running smoothly internally with our automatic bulletin board service. Simply call in and leave a message that details where you’ll be for the day, and your employees will always be kept up to date on your schedule. We think you’ll agree that our offerings go a long way towards expanding your business, building customer loyalty, and keeping a well-oiled machine running!