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Strategies – Page 15 – Reginald Chan

Reginald Chan

Category: Strategies

Find the best strategies to get more traffic, sales, and revenue from affiliate marketing, blogging and becoming a leader in today’s world.

  • Effective Ways to Help Grow Your Small Business

    Effective Ways to Help Grow Your Small Business

    Small businesses face a lot of challenges throughout their journey towards success. Being able to overcome these obstacles and persevere through the hard times is what gives a business the ability to succeed. While there isn’t one fixed blueprint to follow to grow your business, there are tons of different tips and tricks that every successful business out there utilizes to their advantage.

    Research Who You’re Up Against

    One of the first things that a small business should do is to study their opponents in the market.  It’s more likely that they’ve been around for much longer and have more experience. This can give you very good insight into vital information like their prices, product quality, and marketing strategy. Doing this makes it much easier to tell what the standard in the market is while also highlighting any possible advantages that your business has over theirs.

    Go The Extra Mile For Your Customers

    An issue that most small businesses can’t overcome is their low customer retention rates. It’s very easy for customers to be swayed away by the larger businesses in the market, so making your customers feel valued and appreciated at your business can make a big difference in developing their loyalty. This requires your business to be very fast with resolving any complaints that the customers may have or answering any questions regarding your products/services.

    Have A Clear Picture Of Your Target Audience

    Large businesses spend millions of dollars every year researching their target audience’s behavior and there’s a very good reason why. Understanding the people you’re trying to sell your products/services to makes all the difference in how you’re going to market yourself to them. A business that doesn’t accurately figure out what their target audience likes ends up failing to grab their attention, rendering all their marketing efforts useless.

    Utilize The Power Of Social Media Platforms

    The average person spends around 2 and a half hours a day on social media, which means that there’s an opportunity for your customers to be searching for a product that you offer at any given moment of any given day. Using social media isn’t as simple as it’s perceived to be as a lot of time and effort is required to be able to create good social media content that grabs people’s attention. Every social media platform has its own set of tricks that you need to learn, so find out which ones your customers use the most so that you can begin creating content there.

    Participate In Local Events

    Making your business known in your neighborhood can be a great way to acquire a good amount of customers in a short time, as the location will be convenient. Making yourself known to your neighborhood community can be done easily if you either participate in local events, sponsor these events, or even host them yourself. This can be a great way of improving your reputation locally while also potentially attracting customers through word-of-mouth.

    Prioritize Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

    Under 6% of people who search for things on the internet visit the second page on Google and only under 1% visit any page after the third. If your website is buried under hundreds of other websites then the chances are that no one’s visiting it when they search for products that you offer. SEO changes that through optimizing keywords using effective SEO management that causes your website to shoot up the results, potentially making it the first result that your target audience sees whenever they search for things related to your business. This significantly impacts the traffic that your website gets so make sure it’s capable of handling it without any speed issues.

    Always Be On the Watch For Trends

    The market can shift very quickly towards a specific direction and if your business isn’t ready to adapt then it might lose out on a big opportunity that can help its growth. Jumping onto new trends as quickly as possible can greatly boost sales throughout that period, just make sure that the quality doesn’t drop due to hasty manufacturing. Some trends are seasonal, like Christmas, while other trends can appear out of nowhere, so you’ll have to always be ready when one of them appears.

    Expand Your Team Whenever Possible

    As your business grows, it’ll be harder to maintain the same quality of work without hiring more people to lessen the load on your existing employees and yourself. This can benefit the quality of work immensely as having more people makes it easier for everyone to put in all their effort into a small number of tasks rather than having a small set of employees that compromise quality by focusing on way too many tasks.

    Remain Goal-Oriented

    After creating short-term and long-term goals for your business, maintain them by regularly checking if you’re on track to achieving them by the date that you’ve set. This can easily be done through proper data management as setting it up correctly will automatically cross-reference the results that you require with the results that you’re currently getting. If you’re failing to achieve your goals, figure out what the problem is, and solve it. If you’re on course for achieving the goals that you’ve set, then keep up the good work and start planning your next set of goals.

    Partner With The Right Businesses

    Some products/services synergize very well, like cereal boxes and milk, making it very beneficial for businesses from each industry to partner together to create new products and promotions that attract customers that would be interested in both businesses simultaneously. Search for a business that offers products/services that complement the ones that you offer and begin thinking of how you could utilize this to your advantage. Once you come up with a good plan, set up a meeting with the business you’re interested in and make your proposal.

    It can be quite a frustrating journey for a small business to grow while battling against large businesses that offer better quality products at lower prices.  However, thousands of businesses have turned the odds in their favor by using different tricks to acquire a loyal customer base. Patience plays a huge role in achieving that success that most businesses desire, as most businesses will tell you a lot more about the trouble that they’ve encountered throughout their way rather than what they currently have.

  • How to Measure Performance of Your Business’ IT Efforts

    How to Measure Performance of Your Business’ IT Efforts

    The world of Information Technology, or IT, has changed immeasurably over the last few decades. Businesses have gone from using fixed-line telephones, fax machines, and physical document storage in the 1980s to email and server-based storage in the 1990s. The 21st century, however, has seen the biggest change in the way that IT works, with cloud-based computing has become the norm and companies switching from email to business communication platforms that all employees can use no matter where they are on the planet. These tools allow advanced efficiency as different teams in different locations can communicate and share information with each other much more easily than they could with email. 

    These modern IT symptoms are tricky to run and require careful management to work properly so it is important to be able to measure the performance of your systems to ensure that you are not wasting money and manpower. In this article, we are going to take a look at how to measure your IT efforts with KPI’s so that your business becomes as streamlined and efficient as possible, so read on to find out more. 

    Cost Per Ticket

    This is one of the easiest KPI’s to understand yet is also one of the most important as it gives you the raw data in terms of efficiency. Basically, it measures the entire monthly cost of your service desk against how many tickets they had in that month. All costs are taken into account from the salaries of employed personnel to technology and telecom expenses. Your utilities and rent will also be taken into account, effectively every expense relating to the IT side of your business. Once you know the ticket cost you can work out whether the related project was a success or not against the costs spent. 

    Customer Satisfaction

    This is one of the key metrics when it comes to measuring performance because as every business knows, keeping your customers happy is one of the most important ways of making money, and it is also easily measured based on the number of complaints that you receive. If customers are complaining about something as simple as your website’s poor readability on a mobile device, then you have immediate feedback on which to improve your IT infrastructure. Asking customers to comment on your performance is the best way of measuring whether this department is operating efficiently or not.

    Feedback Resolution

    When you receive negative feedback, the next step that you want to measure is how long it takes to resolve the complaint that you received, because customers expect action today, not tomorrow. You can easily measure this based on response times to the initial complaint, and then how long it takes for the whole issue to be resolved. Obviously, major IT issues such as a cyber attack will take longer to resolve than others, but you should keep your customers in the loop so that they are aware that you are doing all that is possible to rectify the issues as quickly as possible. 

    Use an Outsourcing Firm

    Sometimes measuring all the metrics that you need to understand your IT performance can be exhausting both in terms of the man-hours required and the sheer number of metrics to measure. Professionals from onestopit.com recommend that you use a firm that can manage your IT services to ensure that they are run as efficiently as possible. They will look at your strategy and security as well as measuring performance based on uptime, response to queries, and the difference between desired performance levels and actual performance levels, which will give you a perfect metric to understand where your IT efforts are failing. This will free up your staff to concentrate on making money whilst at the same time giving you the data that you need in order to improve your IT performance. 

    Technician Utilization

    Whether you employ technicians in-house or you outsource and use freelancers, it is vital that you measure their utilization as labor is expensive and this will be your biggest cost relating to them. If they are not working at 100%, then why not, and this is why you need to measure their labor efficiency. If you employ two technicians and they only work 50% of the time, then it is time to consider whether you really need two or not. If you get busy in the future, you could always outsource one role in order to keep your utilization high, and therefore your costs low, so it is integral that you have their utilization per ticket data to hand. 

    Technician Satisfaction

    IT technicians can be a funny bunch. Given that they are so vital to your IT function and infrastructure, the higher their job satisfaction rating, the lower the staff turnover, absenteeism, and ticket times meaning that they will be much more efficient at their job. So, by measuring their satisfaction, you have a perfect bellwether for the rest of your IT performance. You should be measuring their satisfaction at least biannually as they can be fickle as the last thing you need is a disgruntled technician as your ticket times will increase and morale will drop. Staff training schemes are a great way of incentivizing as well as offering a clear path to career progression and coaching when it is needed. Make sure you do what you can to keep your technicians happy as they are the heartbeat of your IT infrastructure. 

    As we have learned there are many different ways to measure the performance of your IT efforts. KPI’s are always useful, but perhaps the most important is the cost per ticket analysis as it tells you whether you are being efficient or not. Customer satisfaction and complaint resolution should feature highly as well as the satisfaction of your IT technicians. If you are overwhelmed by your IT efforts, then outsource to a firm that can measure performance for you, allowing you to free up your staff for more important matters. Ensure that you never rest on your laurels, and then you will have an IT department that functions as efficiently as possible.

  • 7 Essential Tech Solutions for Small Businesses

    7 Essential Tech Solutions for Small Businesses

    Technology can always improve businesses and their daily activities, streamlining every step to save time, effort, and money. Implementing tech solutions can empower your employees, making them work harder and focus better. 

    If you’re thinking about taking your business to the next level, then read on to learn more about seven essential tech solutions that can be beneficial for you and your company.

    1-Artificial Intelligence (A.I) 

    One of the most effective tech solutions that any business should utilize is artificial intelligence (A.I) because it effortlessly streamlines every task. Implementing it will transform small businesses and help them compete with bigger corporations. The benefits you gain include machine learning, which means processing large amounts of information, tasks, and data quickly. Automation protocols that finish trivial and repetitive tasks quickly, giving your employees a chance to finish their important duties. A.I should be managed and set properly to ensure that it continues to minimize mistakes for you, eliminating human errors that can be easily missed.

    2-Cybersecurity

    Small businesses need defense protocols against malicious digital attacks and using cybersecurity solutions can keep their data protected. Having the right software programs and the professional IT specialists that can manage it is key, allowing you to prevent cybercriminals from penetrating your system. Kansas has several major companies that can be targeted by hackers and cybercriminals, making protective software programs a necessity. Advice from several digital specialists and IT support in Kansas City suggests that threat monitoring tools that protect networks should be easily managed to eliminate IT frustrations. This means that the right program that is simple to use and effective in protecting data can be worth the cost to have complete digital security.

    3-Electronic Timesheets

    Utilizing electronic timesheets can increase productivity levels significantly in your business. This type of tech solution allows you to monitor the progress of each employee, project, timestamps, history data, and reports. One of the best advantages of timesheets is that it can be customized to fit your business needs and requirements, allowing you to create custom fields that don’t require manual entries. It reduces time and effort, allowing every supervisor to monitor and oversee each project and every department effortlessly. Electronic timesheets allow you to see which project is progressing right and which ones aren’t profitable. The perks of monitoring each task this way will always improve productivity and success levels in any small business. 

    4-Customer Communication Tools

    Another way to improve your company’s practices is by having customer communication tools that make it a hassle-free experience for both your customers and employees. Increasing satisfaction and retention levels should be one of the main priorities of a small business because customers can elevate the company to gain more success. 

    Your business should have systems that allow clients to open a line of communication with you through live chat systems, emails, or virtual assistants. You could either hunt for a pre-made system for that specific purpose or have one custom-made by a programmer. However, make sure you know the right way to find a programmer for your start-up.

    As a result, problem-solving protocols will be easier and customers will be happier, increasing your brand recognition levels significantly.

    5-Employee Collaboration Tools

    Implementing software programs and digital tools that increase employee collaboration can improve productivity levels. Staff members will be able to communicate easily and in real-time, sending important documents or data to each other effortlessly. Team leaders can use these tools to coordinate between every employee, ensuring that everyone is on the right track. Communication and collaboration can streamline your small business and allow it to succeed a lot more.

    6-Cloud Systems

    Cloud systems are quite useful for storage and protection, making the process of saving and sending data a hassle-free experience. Backing up your data on the cloud will always protect your company from system failures or cyberattacks. Even if your main servers and data were compromised or got deleted, you will have the essential backup to ensure that your client and project information isn’t lost.

    7-Mobile Applications for Payments

    Companies can use mobile applications for payments to speed up the process, making it easier and better for both the business and the customers. The idea is to incorporate a tech solution that allows customers to pay using their smartphones, getting funds directly and quickly from them without waiting. Mobile applications will streamline the payment process and save a lot of time because credit and digital payments are easier for the customer.

    Business owners and entrepreneurs must utilize tech solutions for the sake of survival. Customers and clients will appreciate a company that uses technology to improve their experience, increasing your customer retention levels tremendously. When your employees don’t waste time on trivial tasks and finish important activities quickly, productivity levels will skyrocket beyond your expectations. Undoubtedly, technology will always improve and elevate any small business and help it expand for more success.

  • Expert Tips That Will Prevent Your Office From Experiencing Serious IT Problems

    Expert Tips That Will Prevent Your Office From Experiencing Serious IT Problems

    A person can have their hands full setting up a company and keeping it running. There are so many considerations ranging from budgeting, employment, providing goods and services, premises, marketing, and advertising. 

    Virtually every business is dependent on its computers. They provide access to the internet, cloud data, customers, and so on. When a workplace goes paperless, it means the work data has migrated online. This is a very popular thing because it makes offices tidier, but it creates a huge vulnerability too. What if the computers crash or the data is hacked? Could a company survive such a hit? Let’s look at some tips to help protect a business from the unthinkable. 

    Understand the Implications

    If a business doesn’t grasp the full risk, it will not invest in protecting its computer systems. The money will be spent on ‘more important things’ than employing quality staff to oversee the IT.

    Almost one-third of all small business crimes related to malware issues. It’s a sobering statistic that the average fee to recover from an online data breach is $4m. Few small businesses have this much money in reserve! That’s why 60% of businesses only last half a year after encountering a cyber attack. 

    Obtain Third Party Help

    It can be very reassuring when certified Microsoft or Apple engineers visit the workplace to make an IT assessment. People often employ the use of manager services so they can have the latest technology and platforms recommended to them. Such IT companies will know how to bring together the different streams of email, data storage, software, and the internet seamlessly.

    On a continuing basis, IT management companies perform risk assessments, look at cost savings, and recommend upgrades and downloads.

    Employ Quality IT Staff

    A business should never cut corners when employing its own computer technicians. If it cannot afford a third party to oversee its IT, everything will depend on them. Computer staff will have access to all company data, so it’s essential they can be trusted. 

    Money should regularly be spent on keeping IT workers up to date because today’s cutting edge computer systems will become tomorrow’s dinosaurs. Spend money on training and let them gain new qualifications. 

    The world of IT is very broad, however, and it’s unlikely one person will have the expertise to cover everything for one business. 

    Manage the Staff

    Every business should have an IT policy. Employees need to be educated that there are risks when a person leaves their computer unlocked. If they leave their workstation to urgently catch someone or make a coffee, anyone can access their data. 

    If access to the work building is gained using security cards, this can be really helpful. Different staff can be given access to different areas. 

    When computer data are held in the cloud, access levels can once again be restricted. Selected folk will be able to open documents, edit them, and share them. This can provide a safeguard against everyone looking at whatever they want. 

    Install a Firewall

    This needs to be an integral part of a company’s IT infrastructure. It will be designed to keep intruders out of the computer network. Firewalls watch incoming and outgoing computer traffic day and night. If it detects something as a threat, it will report and block it. 

    Use Antivirus Software

    These days this protects against more than just viruses. The online world is full of malware, ransomware, trojans, spyware, and more. 

    It’s a sound business decision when a company purchases an expensive version. This is because the more costly software can also tackle such things as online banking or phishing attacks, or spam emails.

    Maintain Passwords

    Just as emails are more secure when they are encrypted, passwords are more secure when they are complex. Staff should have their key documents (e.g. in Excel or Word) password protected. Access to different software should be by password only. 

    Staff should not write down their passwords in a book. This is because the information could easily be found by someone else. The IT policy should advise that people must not share their passwords either. 

    Backup All Data 

    This can be so easy to ignore, yet be perilous in its implications. If people keep key documents on USB sticks or external drives, the data can degrade over time. They can also get lost or stolen. 

    When data is stored on a cloud system, it won’t matter if an individual computer or laptop breaks – the data will still be secure.

    Have a Backup Generator

    If a business encountered a sudden power outage, valuable equipment could be irrevocably damaged. Access could suddenly be lost to email, the internet, and the cloud. Valuable data could be lost at that moment too. 

    Companies should invest in backup generators. The portable versions may work for small businesses, but a fixed one would be needed for something larger. When the equipment has been installed, there would merely be a ten-second gap before the electricity was restored. It would be a totally automatic procedure, requiring no human intervention. 

    An added bonus would be that the electric locks, cameras, and alarms would also be back up and running in no time. The premises would be fully protected once more, including the valuable IT equipment. Staff would be able to continue working normally. 

    Have a Disaster Recovery Policy

    Every company needs to have a business continuity plan. This would be for such events as power cuts, hurricanes, fires, or earthquakes. Perhaps an insurance policy should be put in place.

    Businesses should consider certain scenarios and document how the company could continue. A strategy would need to be put in place. If a third party company is overseeing the IT system, they would be able to help with compiling this report. 

    Companies should look at what is held online or in paper format. What data would be backed up, and could there be alternative premises and equipment available at short notice? These are all valuable questions. 

    We have discussed enough aspects to realize that IT problems can not just cripple a company- they can destroy it. Businesses are not wasting money when they act to protect themselves; they are investing in their future. Everything has to work together, from the equipment to the staff and external companies.

  • How Corporate Cards Can Help You with Your Startup Company

    How Corporate Cards Can Help You with Your Startup Company

    If you’ve decided to open a startup company then this is an exciting time in your life. You probably have some big ideas and hopefully, a reasonable plan that will allow your business to grow and develop. More than half of new startups fail in the first five years and the predominant reason is that they try to scale too quickly.

    One of the things that can help you with handling your business in a more productive manner is corporate credit cards. Although obtaining one can be very difficult for a startup, more and more providers are focusing on this part of the business sphere. Let’s see how you can get a corporate credit card and how helpful it can be.

    What are Corporate Credit Cards?

    They function pretty much in the same way as standard personal credit cards all of us use. The difference is – they are issued to specific employees by their employer for business-related expenses. You can use them to buy tickets for work-related tips, to acquire office necessities, or something similar. Instead of waiting for the worker to report the expenses, the money will be immediately deducted from the firm’s funds. This way you won’t have to rely on the statements of those working for you to have credit card reconciliation. However, in most cases, you will have to provide a finance team with proofs of purchase, for tax reasons.

    This will make the whole situation less stressful for everyone involved. You will have regular reports when it comes to the financial standing of a company while your employees won’t have to worry about payment charges and debt. Most of the corporate cards offer various perks for those who use them such as airport lounge access and travel emergency services.

    There are also certain drawbacks when it comes to using this type of card. Those using them might be less inclined to spend the money reasonably since it’s not theirs. Noticing something like this can be more difficult, that’s why you need to have an agreement with those who use them as well as with your financial team. Overall, this is definitely a more practical alternative to filing endless expense reports and waiting to be reimbursed. It’s something you should include in the work practice of your company right from the get-go as it will bring a lot of benefits down the road.     

    How Does It Work?

    We don’t have to say how important it is to manage your finance in a proper manner, especially if you’re just entering the market with a startup company. As experts from https://www.tribal.credit/ know well, the banking sector is not providing this part of the economy with what it needs. The traditional financial system doesn’t look at startups too kindly but more and more providers are focusing on covering the needs of these young entrepreneurs and helping them reach their goal.     

    Corporate credit cards seem like a good solution for several reasons. First of all, you will be able to separate personal and business expenses. This is important and should be done from the very start. This will not only make it easier to track where your money is going but it will also be very helpful when the time comes to do your taxes.

    Another perk is that you don’t have to wait ‘till the end of the month to see the list of expenditures. Many providers are now giving you an opportunity to follow your team’s spending as it happens and get an instant overview of all payments.

    Young entrepreneurs very often hear ‘No’ from traditional banking systems when they want to obtain a corporate credit card. Given the fact that they represent completely new businesses, they don’t have credit histories. However, there are more and more providers entering the financial scene directing their services towards startups specifically.

    Many of them will allow you to register and submit all the necessary documentation via online application. Understanding the situation these companies are in, they will not judge you by person or by company credit history. Even more than that, you will be able to set and adjust individual spending limits for every member of your team. And if anyone steps over the line and uses more money than needed, you can in one click freeze cards.

    Also, having a balanced cash flow is usually difficult for startups. This way, you will get access to higher credit limits which means not worrying about unplanned expenses all the time. Basically, you will be borrowing money now to pay it back later. This kind of leeway will give you more room to create a successful business story. Plus, a higher limit means a lower ratio which also helps improve your overall score. 

    Are You Familiar with Virtual Cards?

    As technology moves forwards and the rhythm of our everyday lives gets faster and faster, we are looking for more practical solutions that will be able to make us more productive and time-efficient. Physical credit cards are something all of us are familiar with but what about virtual ones?

    Virtual credit cards can be used for shopping, just like the regular ones, but they are issued on a temporary basis. This option will be good for any startup as they eliminate the waiting period and your team can start using them immediately.

    Differently from plastic ones, virtual cards represent random 16-digit numbers with expiration dates and CVV codes. Another benefit of using them is that they add another level of security. If a hacker somehow gets hold of your information, you don’t have to close the whole account. Thanks to spending limits, you will feel safer when it comes to hidden or unauthorized charges.

     Getting a corporate credit card will make life easier for those who are managing a startup company. Not only will this allow entrepreneurs to separate personal from business spending but it will also give them a better insight into their financial situation overall. Expenditures will be immediately available to them via online application so they can take the necessary steps if money is being used unreasonably.     

  • Qualities to Look For in an Answering Service for Your Business

    Qualities to Look For in an Answering Service for Your Business

    In today’s digital age, most companies prefer to work remotely or outsource services to save time and money. One such remote service is customer and reception service. Today, many companies are hiring answering services, which can positively impact a company’s reputation, sales, and customer reviews. Hence, it is necessary to do your research and hire a competent answering service that is not only more proficient than an in-house customer service department but is also more affordable and manageable. If you are thinking of hiring an answering service for your company to improve customer service, now is the right time. But, how does one choose a qualified answering service? Continue reading on to find out what you should look for in an answering service.

    1.    Packages Offered

    Affordability is one of the most important factors when hiring an answering service. Depending on the size of your business, you will have a designated budget to hire an answering service. You should do your research to determine the cost of their services and look at the packages they offer. Certain answering companies offer additional services along with the basic ones, such as call screening, appointment setting, call forwarding, setting appointments, web access, and some other applications and services. If these align with your company’s needs or could benefit it in some way, such packages should definitely be considered. In some cases, you can even take the plunge and discover new services and witness the way it benefits your company along the way.

    2.    Training and Expertise of the Staff

    Needless to say, the staff of any answering service should be skilled and trained to conduct any type of interaction. Whether your company handles legal matters or manufactures products, it is your right to measure and determine the expertise of the service’s staff since you are entering a partnership for a prolonged period. Question the staff and call operators to ensure that they are adequately trained to handle any questions about your business. While conducting this research, also find answers to questions like – Do they work remotely or at a designated site? Are they aware of your industry values? Do they have prior knowledge about your discipline? Are they quick on their feet? Do they sound polite and professional? Along with expertise, training, and skills, the amount of experience should also be considered.

    3.    Confidentiality

    Every company needs to follow certain ethics, which mainly comprises trust, privacy, and confidentiality. The interaction between a company and a potential customer should be encrypted and kept private, and the same applies to an answering service as well. The skilled operators at TelephoneAnsweringService.org.uk highlight that confidentiality and privacy are key to gaining a customer’s trust. As a company, you are placing your trust in the answering service to maintain customer confidentiality, which is why it is necessary for an answering service to maintain discretion at every step, from the very first introduction to filing the customer claims and requests. Look for an answering service with operators who are trained in maintaining confidential information. If possible, look for a service that specializes in HIPAA-compliant calls.

    4.    Availability

    There is no point in hiring an answering service if it is unavailable during your prime business hours. The service should be quick on its feet and ready to answer all calls at any moment. This is necessary because a single missed call could lead to a major loss. To avoid this, look for an answering service that operates in your time zone or has similar operating hours. Some businesses are more active during the night, which is when an opposite time zone comes to your rescue. Also, some answering services offer 24/7 availability, which is necessary for some types of businesses. Even if the answering service does not operate 24/7, look into the types of emergency plans and backup options that they offer. What is their emergency strategy in case they missed a call? What is their outlook on disaster planning and redundancy?

    5.    Language Assistance

    If your business attracts non-English speakers, you should ensure that the answering service is ready to assist them in the customer’s preferred language. In such cases, a bi- or trilingual answering service is necessary to break the language barrier. It is easy to lose a potential customer who does not speak your language, so taking the time to understand the customer means money saved. Take note of the types of customers you get, relevant reviews, and the language they speak. For example, if a majority of your customers prefer to speak Spanish or English, a bilingual answering service that is fluent in these two languages is preferable. In case you attract many international clients who speak varied languages, look for an answering service that can deal with multiple languages. Even though it may demand some extra expense, it is worth the investment.

    6.    Connection and Routing Options

    All your efforts are in vain if the connection and routing options offered by the answering service are poor. If all calls are managed at one common location, call diverting can be an issue as it often causes confusion and mistakes. It not only causes misunderstandings and probable losses but also affects your company’s reputation. Even if the call is diverted to an expert who works for the same service, human errors are still possible due to poor connection or miscommunication. To ensure that your company’s customer service is lauded, consider every aspect of connection and routing options offered by the answering service.

    By choosing a capable and reputable answering service, you can boost your own company’s reputation and convert leads into sales. To find the right service, it is necessary to do a little research, compare different providers, and read customer reviews to ensure that your company is represented by the best customer service representatives. After all, this will directly affect your company’s sales and identity. With hundreds of reliable answering services on the market, you’ll have a myriad of options to choose from.