How to Start a Company Answering Service
Savvy business owners know that clients prefer speaking with a live representative over an automated operator anytime, which is why many small businesses and self-employed people turn to answering services to answer business calls during the day or outside of business hours. In addition to answering phones, an answering service may take orders, page clients, relay messages, call clients, set up appointments or collect survey information.
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Things You'll Need
- Business license
- Errors and Omission insurance
- Phone lines or telephone answering equipment
- Operational procedures manual
Instructions
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Set your work hours. Clients may request your answering services during normal business hours, extended business hours or as an emergency service during non-business hours. Unless you intend to work around the clock, you will need to decide what hours you are willing to work before you can seek clients.
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Create a home office and organization system to accommodate your phones or lease space if you intend to hire operators. Procure a long table to house your computer, fax machine and telephones. Ensure that your home can accommodate a switchboard, if necessary. Make room for a filing cabinet, which you will use to file client information and tax paperwork. Purchase pencils, pens, note paper, index cards, paper clips, rubber bands and staplers.
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Obtain a business permit. Invest in Errors and Omission liability insurance which will protect you and your operators in the event that you miss a call or make a mistake.
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Contact your local phone company to find out how many phone lines you can open. You will need a line for each client. If the limit works within your business schedule, purchase the needed phone lines, headsets and telephones. If you intend to work for more companies than your phone company can host, purchase digital telephone answering equipment.
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Purchase telephone answering equipment that allows you to record each phone call. Other features should include computer software, integration capability, dispatch, voice mail, fax, and email delivery. Have someone on hand to work on your system in the event that it breaks down.
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Implement a system for answering phones and tracking messages and actions. Have a separate folder or spreadsheet on your computer in which to store messages from various clients. If you will have other operators, implement a physical system, such as message boxes for each client so that operators can track their work. Design an operational procedures manual. With each call, collect the date, time and caller ID, as well as what action was taken by you or your operators, such as forwarding or faxing a message, if applicable.
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Hire friendly operators with experience working in telephone service or customer service. Train them on the proper way to answer the phone and on your organization system. Oversee the answering process from time to time. Have your staff sign a non-compete contract, which means that they cannot solicit your clients in the event they quit.
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Create a detailed brochure about the services you provide, your commitment to privacy and the benefits of having a company answering service. Present your brochure to local doctor's offices, contractors and small business owners. Find leads via online directories and local phone books. Once a client signs up for your service, have them sign a service agreement which details the nature of the work and your rate.
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Tips & Warnings
Detail all of your expenses prior to determining what you need to charge each client. Contact other local answering companies to find out what rates to charge. You may charge anywhere from $30 to $100 per month, per client, depending on the nature of the work. Consider offering health benefits to reduce employee turnover.
