The Evolution of Telephone Answering Services
At one point in the not-too-distant past, telephone answering services were nothing more than a seemingly random person answering the phone after hours and taking down a message to relay to the business owner or service provider when normal business hours began again. The person answering the phone had little or no agency, ability, or knowledge to answer questions or resolve callers’ inquiries, and at times they were not connected with the person or business being called at all. Fast forward to today, and telephone answering services have evolved greatly to keep up with both the needs and expectations [...]
3 Ways Home Services Businesses Benefit from Outbound Calls
As an industry, many home services companies live and die by consumer demand. If everyone cleaned their own house, cleaning companies wouldn’t have any clients. If houses didn’t need to be repainted every five to ten years, house painters wouldn’t have customers. If no one’s appliances ever broke, appliance repair people would be left sitting around. All that to say, you could probably get by as a home services business without doing any direct outreach to new or existing customers—as long as there is an ongoing need for your services, customers will likely find you. But there’s a big [...]
Hot Topics in Compliance: One-to-One Consent
At the end of 2023, the FCC officially modified the TCPA’s definition of express written consent and set an implementation deadline of January 27, 2025. Here’s what you need to know and how to make sure you’re in compliance by then. How did the definition change? There are two major ways that the definition of express written consent has been tweaked. The first is the aforementioned rule of one-to-one consent. The term express written consent now means an agreement “that clearly and conspicuously authorizes no more than one identified seller to deliver or cause to be delivered to the person [...]
How Supporting Your Agents Supports the Customer
When it comes to measuring the success of a call center, we tend to focus almost exclusively on customer satisfaction. After all, unsatisfied customers don’t become repeat customers, and without repeat customers it is nearly impossible for a business to thrive. But the key to maximizing customer satisfaction is not to always be focusing outward on the customer. Instead, your focus should be inward—on the agents and the tools and processes they are using. Taking a close look at the agents’ experience and the ways it can be improved can, in turn, vastly improve the customer experience as well. [...]
Determining Whether to Outsource Your Call Center
The volume of calls to call centers can fluctuate significantly, often overwhelming existing agents. Many call center teams have transitioned from office-based to remote work setups, altering their daily routines. These ongoing changes have prompted companies to reevaluate their call center operations, considering whether outsourcing could offer a more efficient and cost-effective solution. Here are three crucial questions to consider when weighing the decision to keep your call center in-house or outsource it. Agent Attraction and Retention Challenges Turnover rates in call centers are notorious, influenced by various factors. Even with the flexibility of cloud-based software enabling remote work, [...]
Understanding Blacklist Alliance and Their Impact on the Call Center World
In the dynamic landscape of call centers, where customer interactions and data management are paramount, organizations seek effective solutions to enhance efficiency and compliance. One such solution gaining prominence is Blacklist Alliance, a comprehensive platform designed to address critical aspects of call center operations. Let's delve into who Blacklist Alliance is and how they can significantly benefit the call center world. Who is Blacklist Alliance? Blacklist Alliance is a leading provider of blacklist and compliance solutions tailored for call centers and telemarketing companies. Their platform is built to assist businesses in managing their calling campaigns while ensuring adherence to regulatory [...]
Understanding Cloud-Based Phone Systems
Modern call center software is increasingly shifting from premise-based to cloud-based solutions. This transition offers unparalleled flexibility, empowering agents to work remotely while retaining seamless access to essential software and data. Cloud-based systems boast benefits such as unlimited storage, robust security measures, and substantial cost savings compared to traditional landline-based setups. But what exactly defines a cloud-based phone system, and how does it differ from conventional alternatives? Let's delve into the details. Traditional phone systems, known as landlines, are physically tethered to specific locations. Calls are routed through phone jacks and cables, restricting usage to designated areas. On the [...]
Exploring 5 Types of Call Routing for Inbound Call Centers
In an ideal scenario, every customer call to a call center would swiftly connect them with a knowledgeable representative capable of addressing their needs. However, as businesses grow, achieving this becomes increasingly challenging. That’s where call routing systems for inbound call centers come in, determining how incoming calls are directed. Let's delve into five common call routing systems to help you choose the best fit for your business. Set Order This basic form of call routing processes calls in the order they are received, with customers waiting on hold. It suits scenarios with manageable call volumes, uniform customer inquiries, [...]
Hot Topics in Compliance: The Difficulty in Defining an ATDS
One of the six central provisions of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, or TCPA, has to do with the use of automatic telephone dialing systems, or ATDS. Essentially, if you are using one of these to place calls to customers, there are many restrictions you need to be aware of, such as the inability to make non-marketing autodialed calls without express consent and restrictions on calls and texts that might charge the person without their express written consent. The TCPA also grants a private right of action to people who suspect violations of this provision, which is why the [...]
Call Centers Are Returning to North America. Here’s Why
Everyone in the call center industry knows that historically, offshore call centers have been incredibly popular. They offer the opportunity to maintain a 24/7 call center at a lower cost than keeping the call center in-house, plus limit or eliminate the problem of agent retention and high turnover. But in recent years, experts have begun to see businesses reshoring their call centers, or bringing them back to the US, Canada, and Mexico. Here, we’re highlighting some of the reasons for this new trend. Work From Home is Here to Stay We’re far enough removed from the COVID-19 pandemic that [...]
AI and the Future of Telephone Answering Services
We in the call center and telephone answering service industry have been using technology for years. Preset menus or interactive voice responders (IVRs) are often the first thing a customer interacts with when calling your call center or customer service line. What’s more, many companies also use instant messaging chatbots that customers can communicate with online to get answers to their more basic questions. But AI has, and will continue to, take these communications one step further. Here, we’re discussing the potential and the implications of AI and its use in telephone answering services. The Benefits of AI Answering [...]
How Home Services Can Benefit from Call Centers and Call Center Software
There are many different types of businesses and industries that can benefit from working with a call center or using one to handle incoming and outgoing calls for your business. One such industry is home services and home improvement. These are often small businesses, run by one or two primary contractors who are constantly on the go and busy managing a team of professional tradesmen, all the while trying to schedule future projects, manage ongoing ones, and communicate with prospective customers. That is a lot of responsibilities that these home service professionals have to juggle, but a call center—and [...]
Unlocking Compliance: Exploring the Essential Features of DNC’s Compliance Guide
In today’s rapidly evolving regulatory landscape, staying compliant with Federal and State communication laws is paramount for businesses. Contact Center Compliance a Premier CallShaper Partner(DNC.com) and a leading compliance solutions provider now offers a comprehensive online Compliance Guide packed with essential features to help businesses navigate and adhere to these regulations seamlessly. Understanding Compliance Challenges Before delving into the features of DNC's Compliance Guide, it's crucial to understand the challenges businesses face regarding compliance. With stringent regulations such as the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), businesses must tread carefully to avoid costly fines and maintain a positive reputation with [...]
Hot Topics in Compliance: Consent
Consent, and whether or not the customer has given it, plays a huge role in whether or not your call center is in compliance with federal and state telemarketing regulations. Here, we are covering all the basics you need to know about consent in this context. Understanding Express Consent The Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) mandates that every business has to receive express consent from individuals to receive communications from the business. Express consent is defined as explicit agreement from the customer and it must be very clear what the customer is agreeing to. One type of express consent [...]
4 More Businesses That Would Benefit from a Telephone Answering Service
Telephone answering services are useful to many more businesses than you might imagine. Last year, we wrote a blog touching on four businesses that use telephone answering services: healthcare, veterinarian, small businesses, and essential home services. Today, we’re discussing four more businesses who can benefit from using a telephone answering service. Real Estate Real estate agents conduct so much of their business over the phone. Whether it’s communicating with clients to coordinate schedules and discuss properties, speaking with other real estate agents to schedule showings for their own clients or fielding calls from other agents about their own listings, [...]