Why Order-Taking Answering Service Is Indispensable for Your Business

If you are managing a service-oriented business, order-taking is one of the most indispensable tasks. More orders taken means more sales to be translated into more revenue. Conversely, missed orders mean wasted opportunity for more sales.

But what if your company is short of manpower and cannot handle all the continuous stream of incoming calls especially during the peak season and the busiest times of the day? Bear in mind that these calls should not be neglected for long. If this takes place, an order-taking answering service can be your best tool for dealing with your ever-growing business. An answering service that contains an order-taking purpose is a practical solution to leverage your sales and customer service functions.

Most order-taking answering service firms perform call services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every day; they even include during weekends and holidays.

So what can you expect from order-taking answering services for your business?
For one, these companies already possess the right tools and facilities ready to cater to your needs. That’s why you don’t have to worry about expanding another on-site call center facility since office space can be very pricey.

Not to mention that these order-taking answering service agencies provide the needed order-taking agents with corresponding back-up contact center support available when you need it. Since they operate for 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, it means that you can still grow your business operating hours while you and your own personnel are still asleep.

On the whole, your organization can capitalize on this order-taking answering services by taking into consideration that more calls means more orders, and more orders also means higher sales volume.

Live Answering Service For Black Friday Sale

For many people, the phrase Black Friday is something akin to mayhem, panic, and chaos. For those in the shopping business, it’s just the biggest shopping event right after Thanksgiving. It certainly is normal to see department store owners and employees bracing themselves against the flood of people that is certainly to come. It would be nice to find a solution for that. Perhaps this is the good time to try a live answering service. By hiring a contact center to set up an order taking or order processing system, it is possible to reduce the problems that come during Black Friday sales.

Like any major shopping event, department store employees are constantly harried by shoppers asking around and looking for the best merchandise. In order to reduce the amount of stress, and perhaps help them improve their service, it might be a good idea to set up a customer service support. A live operator who can answer customer inquiries and process purchases on the phone can be a big help. Outsourcing the job to a telemarketing firm with that specialty will not only save the customers more time, it can also result to a more positive customer experience. Shoppers and owners would love that kind of advantage.

Of course, this strategy is just a suggestion. Companies are free to use the traditional shopping method. At least they have an alternative strategy. If not, then they can also have it as an augmentation of their traditional method of doing business during Black Friday.

The Benefits of Live Answering

For many firms that rely on a lot of phone calls in order to make a sale, particularly those involved in the world of airline and hotel reservations, they would stand to benefit much from the use of a live answering support service. This is a very useful arrangement for the firm that seeks to get all the calls that they need, without sacrificing the quality of service as well as reducing the number of calls abandoned simply because the agent is unable to answer them. It is certainly a winning strategy that they can employ. In order to succeed, they would need to get in touch with the right contact center with live answering skills.

Since the holiday season is coming near, it won’t be surprising that a lot of firms would be experience a high number of calls coming into their business. Now, the question here is about capacity. Given that a single day can have as much as a thousand calls, it only makes sense that hotel and airline reservation firms would seek to improve their rate of answering calls. A customer service support system would be a very useful idea. With an extensive order processing network, such firms would be able to deal with a lot of calls. Since the firms would now be able to deal with order taking processes, they would then be able to handle calls, no matter how many are coming in a single day. That’s how easy it becomes.


It certainly is a very winning arrangement.

A Profitable Investment - Customer Service Support

Despite what pundits are saying, getting an outsourced order processing contact center can do a great deal of benefits for the firm using it. If we are to count the number of firms using such a service, then they can certainly say that this will work well for them. There are so many firms that rely on a lot of customers calling them in order to make a sale. To make sure that all calls are answered, they would need the help of a live answering service. This is something that can be best provided by an outsourced contact center.

What are the benefits? There are numerous, to be honest. But to focus on a few: outsourcing this task is much more affordable than keeping an in-house team. Second, the results delivered are much better. And third, it frees up the client company to focus more on their core operations. That’s just a few.

A Useful Investment - Customer Service Support

Does an order processing contact center work well with companies? Sure, that is, if the company deals with customers calling in to make a purchase or order. These people are much more responsive to companies that employ live answering services, since there is that rare charm of talking to a live person that appeal well for the majority of people. Of course, there are things that that a real person can do that even the most advanced Interactive Voice Recognition (IVR) software will not be able to do.

It is even better if the order processing service is outsourced. For one, it is cheaper than having an in-house team. Second, such a contact center have more trained personnel, more advanced equipment, as well as the facilities to ensure a reliable service. All these are just some the reasons why a company would opt for this kind of live answering service. It really works.

How Answering Service Helps Your Company to Earn More

Business managers know the value of time when it comes to earning profit—they open their establishments like, 8-9 hours a day just to make money. However, what happens then if it’s closing time? What’s going to happen to your clients and customers who want to place their orders or buy something from you? Who is going to cater to their needs? Is this the same as saying that your business have to stop raking in the cash just because working hours are over?

This is the reason why an answering service or more specifically, a 24-hour answering service can be an asset to your company. With this kind of service, that dilemma of yours will be solved. This tool will still enable you to attend to your customers’ needs and queries even beyond working hours of your establishment.

One of the functions of answering service is that it can work usefully as a customer service hotline. People can call to look for help with the services and products or about any questions they might have. And another role of answering service is that it can serve as an order processing or order taking service. It means that, for instance, a company is engaged in a shipping business, it simply means that customers can now have their orders 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and that’s just something you would want to have.

This is why, with the help of 24-hour answering service, we don’t have to stop business after the usual working hours. After all, as entrepreneurs, we all want the best for our customers to keep them coming back for more, right?

Learn How Customer Service Support Can Bring You Happy Customers

Surprisingly, a lot of businesses consider their customer service support as an enemy, or a nuisance to say the least, that they need to deal with. Why is that so? For them, to maintain a program that delivers fast response, courteous replies and decisive action is very demanding and time consuming. And who would have the time and wherewithal to focus on customer support, huh? Nevertheless, firms that wish to get more customers for their business need to recognize the value of a good customer service support, be willing to take more time to do it, get a bit more creative and push further to serve their customers efficiently.

Good thing, there are contact centers today, particularly inbound call centers that offer dependable services to improve the customer service program of any firm. They offer a live chat support wherein customers can get in touched with a business more easily due to its easy access. For sure no one can afford to lose customers just because of a sluggish website. With live chat support, which has the element of customer care and feedback, businesses can communicate with their customers both during and after office hours.

Another service that inbound call centers offer to improve customer service is live answering. Unfortunately, there are businesses that use answering machines to take the calls coming from their customers. We know for a fact that customers hang up and call competitors when they fail to talk with a live person during a call. However with a live answering service, customers can have their concerns met accordingly. On the other hand, businesses can still serve their customers even on weekends.

Well, if you are planning to outsource customer service support to an inbound call center, you need to make sure that such partner has a group of live operators who have the skills needed to perfect live chat support and live answering. Remember, the way your team handles the chat session or answer the call will make or break your business.

Contact Centers: Delivering Dependable Customer Service Support

In reality, smart companies want to build strong bases of loyal, profitable customers who can also be their advocates. However there is one problem that keeps these firms from doing so. Customers are increasingly raising the bar when it comes to customer service;their expectations continue to rise and they are becoming harder to please. When this is the case-how can companies manage to survive? Luckily, there are contact centers that will help businesses develop their customer support services. By changing the way they treat customers through improved sales and service strategies, organizations can create a right experience, at the right time, for their customers to enjoy.

Modern contact centers manage a wide array of customer service interactions including live answering service, online interaction such as live chat support, assistance and collaboration to serve consumers more efficiently. Not only that, because they have strategies running broad and deep, they can also serve other consumers including business partners, employees and field agents. Contact centers are truly a place where the rubber meets the road and where firms put their strategies in real application.

There are several reasons why firms need to hire the services of a contact center.

One, contact centers are capable of delivering higher level of customer service in a lower operating budget. When businesses outsource to them, they will be able to realize the following vast improvements: decreased telecom expenses, met service level targets and reduced staffing cost.

Two, the services of these contact centers are the key to attracting and maintaining customer, which leads to increased revenue. Having an excellent contact center significantly increases the chances of improving customer relationships, and with these, firms can improve their bottom line.

Three, contact centers employ the best people to handle customer services. If customers are happy with the way agents treat them, they will come back and make purchases repeatedly.

Why Live Answering Should Be Part of Your Order Taking Service

Order taking is a flourishing service and any business that has a product to sell uses it to expedite orders. Nevertheless, there are still proprietors who are not familiar with its potential benefits and gets even more curious when they hear about live answering service as a tool in carrying out this function.

As we all know, the main ingredient in the success of an order taking program is the people. This task requires a unique set of skill that only professional telephone representatives can provide. When businesses consider outsourcing to inbound call centers, they will be aided with people who are experienced in taking calls and interacting with customers. These telephones representatives have actually undergone series of trainings and processes that enable them to perfect order taking processes through live answering.

Successful order taking should be one of your ultimate goals. You should consider hiring an inbound call center to improve your order taking program and to ensure success in your customer service support. Mind you, this can be the wisest decision you could ever make for your business.

Conquering the Dilemma of Answering Large Volumes of Incoming Calls

Order taking, order processing, hotel and flight reservations, inquiry and complaint handling – these are some of the services that many of today's inbound call centers offer to businesses.

Their aid is greatly beneficial to a company that caters to a large number of calls in a daily basis. Let us look at an example wherein their services greatly needed.

For instance, if the phone rings then someone from the business will act as its representative to cater to the need of that purchaser or the potential client over the telephone. When it does, the representative has to stop with his or her current task to cater to that person who called. If that employee stops to cater to the needs of the prospect or the customer, then the department where he or she works with halts as well. Now, when that department stops, then the entire business will be crippled at that moment, bringing the company's operations to a screeching halt.

Now if the business in question receives a ton of these calls every day, the company may as well shut down since they cannot move their operations as well. That is why professional answering services are needed to cater to this type of need. It is to allow the safety, security, and most especially the acquisition of a financial edge over the business' competitors.

Getting these services assures the business of a lot of things. Businesses are sure to gain a lot of benefits once they are able to outsource such services to these professional call centers.

What Must be the Competencies of Your Chosen Contact Center

Several companies reduce costs and attain higher customer satisfaction when they outsource their customer service support. Their sweet escape from the capital expenses of building an on-site contact center save them not just their money but also time and other resources. Another big feat is that, the risks are shared with the outsourcing partner. They do not bear all the burden of such non-core function. In fact, they do less because the chosen inbound call center shoulders most of the responsibilities, from inquiry/complaint handling down to cross-selling and upselling.

It is good to know how much of your resources are saved when you opt to befriend a reputable telemarketing firm. However, there are also risks involved. It is also possible that you may land on a mediocre outsourcer, the one that only runs after your money but performs poorly. In that case, you will spend more than you think and your company's reputation is besmirched. I bet you never dream of this unfortunate circumstance, not even in your worst nightmares. But, it can turn out to be a reality when you are not too careful of which contact center you are working with.

It is therefore a necessity to probe the competencies of a prospective service provider. Evaluating how the outsourcer works avoids the mistake of falling for the wrong one. The list below enumerates some of the attributes of a first-rate inbound call center:

• Operates 24/7 live answering service, both over the telephone and the Internet;

• Can handle high volume of phone calls;

• Installs specialized call center applications where communication lines perform well even if the caller is on the other side of the Earth;

• Exposes live operators to extensive trainings before putting into actual work; and

• Provides around-the-clock client support; regularly sends reports and updates.

Whether you go for an in-house or outsourcing, your brand is at stake in the conduct of customer care programs. If you choose to seek professional assistance, do not settle for anything less than the best.

The Returns and Rewards of Outsourcing An Inbound Call Center

When you outsource an inbound call center, this generally means that you are passing the responsibility of improving customer service support to the hands of a service provider. However, news about outsourcing is gross and disappointing. Offshore inbound call centers are prejudged as lacking the skilled workforce, who does not know how to properly communicate, and the standard requirement for technological aspect. This is perhaps true to some but not to all. In fact, there is this so-called best-in-class contact centers that provide the necessary services to improve customer service support.

Best-in-class contact centers commit to provide inbound services for the development of customer care. Services including order taking, 24/7 answering service, reservations and bookings are being offered through their competent live operators and order takers and with the access to incomparable practices, methodologies and technology.

If done appropriately, outsourcing can produce incalculable fruits. A snapshot of the benefits includes the following:

• cost minimization without compromising quality of services

• improved customer satisfaction

• eliminate costs of infrastructure, IT products and services, operators' salaries

• concentrate more on a firm's core competencies

• lower risks compared to building an in-house contact center

• removes the necessity of supervising daily operations

• wide market coverage

• faster results of campaigns

• enhanced response ratio of callers

These generalized views of the myriad benefits of outsourcing can be broken down into bits of advantages. The bottom line here is that you must make sure that when you outsource, the chosen contact center ought to provide services more than what an in-house solution can offer.

What Must be the Competencies of Your Chosen Contact Center

Several companies reduce costs and attain higher customer satisfaction when they outsource their customer service support. Their sweet escape from the capital expenses of building an on-site contact center save them not just their money but also time and other resources. Another big feat is that, the risks are shared with the outsourcing partner. They do not bear all the burden of such non-core function. In fact, they do less because the chosen inbound call center shoulders most of the responsibilities, from inquiry/complaint handling down to cross-selling and upselling.

It is good to know how much of your resources are saved when you opt to befriend a reputable telemarketing firm. However, there are also risks involved. It is also possible that you may land on a mediocre outsourcer, the one that only runs after your money but performs poorly. In that case, you will spend more than you think and your company's reputation is besmirched. I bet you never dream of this unfortunate circumstance, not even in your worst nightmares. But, it can turn out to be a reality when you are not too careful of which contact center you are working with.

It is therefore a necessity to probe the competencies of a prospective service provider. Evaluating how the outsourcer works avoids the mistake of falling for the wrong one. The list below enumerates some of the attributes of a first-rate inbound call center:

• Operates 24/7 live answering service, both over the telephone and the Internet;

• Can handle high volume of phone calls;

• Installs specialized call center applications where communication lines perform well even if the caller is on the other side of the Earth;

• Exposes live operators to extensive trainings before putting into actual work; and

• Provides around-the-clock client support; regularly sends reports and updates.

Whether you go for an in-house or outsourcing, your brand is at stake in the conduct of customer care programs. If you choose to seek professional assistance, do not settle for anything less than the best.

Why Live Chat Support is Important

A business website can be best optimized when it is accompanied with a client support. It is the firm's obligation to find avenues where the buyers can express their issues and concerns. Online users seek ways where they can conveniently make their inquiries, simple or complex. Although the telephone is the widely used channel, some customers want to try the Internet as another means. After all, the World Wide Web offers comfort, free use, fast process and 24x7x365 coverage that cannot be found from other client support services.

In this case, customer service should extend to include live chat support. This channel uses the convenience of instant messaging that is common in chat rooms and social networking sites. It is in itself a live answering service for it allows real-time conversation between the customer and a company's agent. It is a better solution than email for it answers queries as and when it takes place. So, when a prospective client wants to dig more about the products listed in your e-Commerce site, an online assistance can answer his/her needs quickly. This service then improves customer satisfaction and company goodwill.

If you have already outsourced inbound services or are planning to outsource, do not forget to include live chat support. Adding this to your customer care programs strengthens your campaign of not missing a single inquiry or complaint.

Saving Every Opportunity Through A 24/7 Customer Service Support

Around the world, not all people sleep during the night. There are those who keep their spirits alive even when everyone around them snores in peace. Cashiers and sales men of convenience stores, for example, are still energetic to serve buyers around-the-clock. Security guards are deployed to protect something from thieves and other criminals. Hospitals are always open to accept victims of diseases and accidents. There are thousands of other people who do night jobs in order to be of service to others.

However, not all companies have 24/7 customer service support. This is a sad truth for some customers for they do many phone calls beyond business hours. For the firms, they are wasting opportunities that might have been saved when a day-and-night customer care exists. Here are other reasons why customer service support must be programmed twenty-fours a day, 365 days a year:

1. Most customers work during the day. Therefore, they will use the night time to make phone calls.

2. Emergencies happen at night. What if a woman wants to know why her ATM card isn't working while checking in a hotel?

3. Many orders are being placed at night. What if a family happens to see a TV ad of a product and wants to buy it immediately?

4. Customer are dissatisfied with limited service time.

5. It is needed to expand internationally.

6. There is a modest number of reservations and bookings being done after the sun sets.

Capturing the Hearts of the Customers with Seven Customer Service Support Essentials

The main goal of customer service support is to have high customer satisfaction and retention. When your endeavors are satisfactory, then customers are most likely to stay for the greater good. These good remarks will have its way to the ears of potential customers, thus attracting prospects to your company. If otherwise, then there will be a hemorrhage wherein customers jump off your ship and find another firm, perhaps your rivals, that offers better customer care. This bad name will spread like wildfire and little did you know that your firm is a taboo for some prospects.

The main key in capturing the hearts of the customers is an effective customer service support. This can be broken down into seven equally important components. These components are listed below.

• For simple inquiries, use automated answering services.
• Live telephone operators must be assigned for complex transactions instead of utilizing automation.
• Employ live operators who are friendly, patient and competent. Included in a customer's blacklist are those agents that are either ignorant or rude, or both. Keep in mind that the agents represent your firm. Whatever they do or say reflects the image of the company.
• Answer every phone call through a 24/7 answering service.
• Expand your coverage by including live chat support online.
• Do not put callers on hold for a long time.
• Regularly send email for updates, reports or other relevant information.

However, having an around-the-clock live answering service may be too expensive for you. This will force you to hire professional telephone operators, acquire required technology and other important things. It is then better to find an inbound call center that can offer all of the seven components more effectively and efficiently.

Tight Budget? Outsource With an Inbound Call Center To Suit Your Needs

24/7 customer service support is usually offered by all companies. Employing in-house staff to do the job is usually the case with most companies. However, doing this incurs a lot of strains on your budget. Hiring new employees, training them to know the product and even having to set-up your own call center may weigh heavily on your spending and may take time to complete and bring to fruition. At times like these, perhaps outsourcing seems like a very good option.

Outsourcing with an inbound call center is the best choice. The cost is lower than hiring in-house staff. You obviously won't need to have your own call center anymore, too. Call center companies are readily available and with skilled agents, they can handle your customer support well. Also, they have live operators whom people prefer to talk to rather than hearing the robotic voices on answering machines.

Call center support is enormously needed by some companies that deal with certain products or services. If you don't have the budget to make your own team, then consider outsourcing as your best option. It's cost-effective, readily available and you still get professional service as if you had your own in-house inbound call center.

Giving Your Customers A Voice By Improving Customer Service Support

No company is immune from receiving negative comments coming from customers. However, there are also times when praises and simple words of appreciation are the contents of feedback. Both of these help improve the performance of a company and aids in correcting practices, services and products which went haywire.

One of a firm's social responsibility is to give its customers a voice to speak out what they think and feel about a particular issue, product or service. However, it is only through an improved customer service support that this customer empowerment can be achieved.

An enhanced customer care houses more than voicemails and automated set-ups. I bet that only few individuals will have the patience to hear a recording and leave a message. It is a must that an answering service which welcomes inquiries, complaints and gratitude be made with a live operator. Through this, more customers, if not all, are going to spend time to communicate their sentiments, both good and bad. In addition, any conflict and problem can be directly open up to be resolved as early and as humane as possible.

Aside from the telephone, customers who are active over the Internet must also be given an outlet to discuss what they need and desire through a live chat support. More avenues means that more people are served. A live answering service and live chat support which are around-the-clock is a good customer service support that will provide convenience, comfort and ease to every person. Customers will find it more accommodating to know that they can make a beep anytime and anywhere they want to. This is palpably an authentic expression of customer care.

Outsource Your Order Taking Services to the Right Inbound Call Center

Order taking is one of the many inbound telemarketing services. As the name suggests, order taking requires the precise recording and delivering both of orders and messages. It is a significant tool to fully close a sale. This is so because customers will experience a customized service since they will be able to access a live attendant and can fire inquiries and complaints right away.

Some business entities think of creating an in-house order taking. However, it proves to be more costly for small and medium businesses to do so. Why is it so? The answer is the same with outsourcing lead generation services. On the other hand, when you outsource order taking services to the right inbound call center, your company is secured that every order placed by a customer is accurately accounted for.

Mismanagement of order taking tends to accelerate problems. Imagine the damage if a supposed to be 50 orders is erroneously recorded as 10. You will not just end up losing reliability and positive goodwill but also your valued customers. To ensure that data encoded are accurate and secured, select a dependable service provider which has both the competitive workforce and advance technology.

So to speak, telephone order taking plays a key role for wholesale or retail businesses, a service-oriented enterprise, restaurants and similar firms. When you pick the order taking company, find out whether such firm offers an around-the-clock support. This 24/7 customer care must include a fully integrated services managing heavy phone call traffic and diverse product catalogs, extensive arsenal of skills for the agents and good reputation.