Phone answering services have become an indispensable tool for businesses of all sizes. Whether you’re a small startup, a busy healthcare practice, or a large enterprise or franchise business, having a reliable system to manage calls can improve customer satisfaction and streamline operations.
If you’re considering using a phone answering service but have questions, you’re not alone. Here, we’ll answer the top 10 questions businesses commonly ask about Abby Connect’s phone answering services.
1. What Are Business Phone Answering Services?
Abby’s business phone answering services are offered to businesses of all types to handle calls on their behalf. A team of highly-trained virtual receptionists handle inquiries, forward messages, schedule appointments, and even qualify leads and other communication tasks for your business. In addition to answering calls, Abby offers live web chat services and has an AI receptionist product launching soon.
Our phone answering services ensure that no call goes unanswered, helping your business stay connected with customers while freeing up in-house staff to focus on other operational tasks or in-person customer service.
2. How Does a Phone Answering Service Work?
Abby’s phone answering service works by forwarding your business calls to a team of professional virtual receptionists located at Abby’s headquarters in Las Vegas, Nevada. When a customer calls your business, our service answers the call in your company’s name and follows a set of instructions tailored to your needs. Your callers will believe Abby receptionists are working for you, right in your office.
The receptionists answer frequently asked questions, take messages, route calls to specific departments or persons, or perform tasks like scheduling appointments.
In addition, Abby’s phone answering services have integrations with many types of business applications, streamlining call handling and customer data collection. Our service also provides technology to support your business including an app and portal that allow you to track and manage your business’ calls with ease.
3. What Types of Businesses Benefit from Phone Answering Services?
Virtually any type of business can benefit from a phone answering service. However, businesses that rely heavily on customer communication or operate during hours when their in-house team is unavailable can gain the most. These include:
- Healthcare Providers: Doctors, dentists, and other healthcare professionals often use answering services to handle appointment scheduling, patient inquiries, and after-hours calls.
- Financial Services: Accountants and tax preparers need time to work with their clients. They benefit greatly from having appointments set for them, so they can come to work and do what they do best.
- Legal Firms: Law offices often need help managing calls during non-business hours, when attorneys are in court or working with current clients.
- Real Estate Agents: Agents can have messages taken during the day when they’re meeting clients or showing properties.
- Hair Salons and Medical Services: It’s difficult to focus on cutting your client’s hair when the phone keeps ringing. Having customers’ calls go to an answering service allows those in the salon to focus on their work while virtual receptionists take appointments and send customers to your door.
4. Is It Expensive to Use a Phone Answering Service?
For businesses that would otherwise need to hire a full-time receptionist, Abby’s phone answering services can be a more affordable and scalable solution. You would need to hire multiple receptionists to handle the call volume of an answering service, plus, you wouldn’t get the overnight support you may need or additional features, such as bilingual receptionists, call tracking, caller portal, or integrations with existing software. Abby’s pricing is linked here.
5. What Features Do Phone Answering Services Offer?
Abby’s phone answering services come with a variety of features designed to enhance customer service and improve your business operations, including:
- Live Call Answering: Professional receptionists answer calls in real-time.
- Voicemail Services: Missed calls can be routed to voicemail, and messages are sent to you via email or text.
- Call Screening: Calls can be filtered to determine urgency or importance.
- Appointment Scheduling: Abby’s services allow for appointment scheduling and can integrate with many businesses’ systems.
- Bilingual Support: Abby offers Spanish receptionist services for diverse customer support.
- Custom Call Scripts: Receptionists follow specific guidelines based on your business needs.
- 24/7 Answering: Abby offers an add-on service for 24/7 support.
- Caller Portal and App: Track and manage your calls plus you can send texts and call customers right through the app.
6. Can a Phone Answering Service Handle Calls After Hours?
Yes! An important service that Abby offers is after-hours call answering. Whether you’re closed for the night, on vacation, or simply unable to take a call, our answering service ensures that your customers don’t feel neglected. Our receptionists can take messages, schedule appointment, or even provide emergency contact information, depending on your preferences.
7. How Secure Are Phone Answering Services?
Security is a key consideration when using a phone answering service, especially for industries like healthcare or legal services, where confidentiality is paramount. Abby is a reputable answering service that has been in business for 20 years. We follow strict data protection protocols and comply with regulations like HIPAA (for healthcare).
8. Can Phone Answering Services Be Customized for My Business?
Yes! Abby phone answering services are highly customizable. You can provide specific scripts and instructions that your receptionists can follow to ensure consistency in how calls are handled. Whether you want all calls to be answered in a certain tone or need receptionists to follow detailed workflows (e.g., directing calls to different departments or have specific scheduling requirements), we will work closely with you to tailor your call handling service.
9. How Can I Ensure My Answering Service Represents My Brand?
Abby’s professional answering service can be a seamless extension of your brand if you work with us to ensure we know your company’s tone, values, and customer service goals. Some ways to align our answering service with your brand include:
- Providing clear, detailed scripts.
- Maintaining your frequently asked questions.
- Working with your customer success manager on a regular basis so we stay informed of changes within your organization.
- Regularly reviewing call logs to ensure quality assurance.
10. How Do I Choose the Right Phone Answering Service for My Business?
Choosing the right phone answering service involves evaluating several factors:
- Reputation: Take a look at Abby’s countless positive reviews, testimonials, and experience in the industry.
- Features: Abby’s answering service offers features you need, such as 24/7 availability, appointment scheduling, or bilingual support.
- Integration: Abby’s system integrates with a wide variety of technology, incusing CRMs and scheduling software.
- Pricing: You’ll find that Abby is priced to give you the services you need at a fraction of the cost of hiring in-house receptionists.
- Scalability: Abby’s service can grow with your business, handling increased call volumes as needed.
Abby’s phone answering services can bring tremendous value to your business, improve your customer service, and help you manage more calls effectively. Get started with Abby today or schedule a free consultation to learn more!
