Friday, December 14, 2012

Factors To Consider When Starting A Live Operator Answering Service

By Celia Hall


People with great communication skills and interpersonal relationships will do well to start a live operator answering service. There is an increase in the demand for this type of service since customers started to prefer to be answered by a live person instead of computer generated operators when they contact customer services. Another advantage of employing live operators are the touch of character that it brings for the company that hires it.

A business that is already established in offering transcription services can easily add telephone answering into the format. Adding another related venture requires only a minor adjustment on the existing program used by the system. It also requires additional telephone with multiple lines attached to it and a new set of business cards.

One important factor to consider when incorporating a live answering service is to the existing venture is the location. This also applies to instances where the venture is starting up. It should be located in an area where it can be accessible to other small business owners who may require it.

A way to increase the visibility and exposure of the business is to place at the central business district or near other commercial establishments. The large volume of foot and auto traffic brings great exposure for your company. You can also pay the local paper and the yellow pages to include your company in the advertisements and listings for services.

Another factor that could attract clients is the use of the latest advancements in technology. The usual equipment required to operate this venture is telephone sets, mobile phone with the latest programs for text and paperless fax messaging, and other communications gadgets. You should also have an internet connection to be able to connect with more of the potential customers.

Because of the popularity of the internet, you can also use it to promote your work. You can post advertisements on popular sites or mention your company name is forums with related topics. You can also build a website for your company to increase the visibility of your work.

A good marketing plan with complete details of the operation is also needed for a successful operation. A realistic projection plan base on modest parameters are needed to estimate the needed starting cost of equipment and daily operation. It should also reflect the target income and the period to achieve a return of investment.

You should be able to choose what type of equipment you will use in your operation. You have an option with using either a leased equipment or buy your own. The advantage of using leased out equipment is the ease in which you can upgrade your system. If you have purchased the equipment, you may require additional income to upgrade or buy a new one. Plus, leasing does not require the owner to shell out large amounts of money for equipment.

A stand alone answering service may not generate immediately the projected income. It needs to be partnered with other related tasks such as the offering of word processing jobs, private postal work, or other errand works. This way, you can also expand your clients who may need a live operator answering service as well.




About the Author:



1 comment:

  1. Companies search for different qualities when they hire a live operator service to make sure that they get the most out of it. It is important for an answering service company to be equipped with the latest technology. They also need to train their employees properly so they can provide the best customer service.

    ReplyDelete