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Every time we onboard a new customer, part of the process is us getting to know your business. That includes, what your business does, how you would like us to handle your calls and deal with certain types of calls and customers.
When you outsource us as your UK-based call answering service to ensure that you never miss a call again, we schedule a telephone appointment with you, to build your call handling instructions. Your call greeting, a business overview, and FAQs are all important aspects of allowing your new virtual receptionist to provide the perfect customer experience.
Our telephone answering service is the lifeline of our customers
It is our priority that you see our telephone answering service as a natural extension of your business. You can count on us to handle your calls calmly and professionally. We never deviate from your call handling instructions, and we will deal with every call, your way, even in high pressurized situations. The idea is that your callers never realise they are interacting with a UK-based call answering service or virtual receptionist unless you want us to disclose it. The quality of our telephone answering service and how we represent your company all rely on the scripts you place in our hands. For us to represent your company, you must outline the way you expect our call agents to interact with your callers. But what does a good call answering service script sound like? If you have been tasked with creating a call answering service script, here’s how to make it perfect:Creating the Best Telephone Answering Service Script
Step One: The Greeting
It goes without saying that the first thing your callers hear is the greeting, so it’s important to get this right. First impressions are important, and this will set the tone for the rest of the call. All calls answered must start with a greeting and the tone a call agent takes will depend on the company. The words you choose should aim to make the caller feel welcome. To help you brainstorm ideas for how you would like your virtual receptionist to answer your calls, here are some examples.Some examples of great greetings:
Thank you for calling [company name]. You’re through to [agent], how may I help?
You’ve reached [company name], I am [agent]. Can I start by taking your full name, please?
Hello, [company name].
Tip: is the name of your company difficult to pronounce? Provide us with clear pronunciation and we will place this below the greeting, so our UK-based telephone answering service agents get this right every time.Step Two: Key Information
Once you know how your calls are going to be answered, you now need to put together a list of information that you want us to collect from every call, such as:- Contact number
- Address
- Reason for calling
Step Three: Dealing with Enquiries
Now we know what information you want the call handling agent to collect, we now need to know how we can help your callers. Would you like your virtual receptionist to advise based on your list of FAQs? Would you like us to take a brief reason for the call and transfer it to your team? Or perhaps you want us to book your appointments. What you need in a UK-based telephone answering service, is your call.Here’s an idea of what our virtual receptionist can do to help your business:
- Take a message and request a call-back (or email response)
- Offer advice based on the FAQs you provide
- Transfer all or some calls to your team
- Book appointments via your shared cloud-based calendar
- Ask screening questions
- And much, much more!
FAQs
How does Pocket Receptionist’s telephone answering service work?
Our UK-based answering service works simply by how little or often you would like us to answer your calls. Whether you would like us to answer all your calls or just your overflow – either way, you will never miss a call again. When you sign up for an account, we’ll give you a telephone number. This telephone number is unique to you and your new business. You can then choose to either advertise this number directly or forward your existing telephone number to it – this will divert your calls directly to us. If you need any help forwarding your telephone number, we have a handy call forwarding page. Alternatively, you can give us a quick call on 0800 009 6555 and we’ll be able to talk you through it. When a call is made or forwarded to your unique number, one of our receptionists will answer your calls with your preferred greeting. During the call, your UK-based receptionist will use your call handling instructions. You can add or change these call handling instructions at any time by speaking directly with your account manager. At the end of the call, the receptionist will then send you the details of the message together with the date, time, callers name, company, contact details, and even the caller’s mood. You’ll receive the message notifications via your app, email, or even SMS.Am I tied into a contract for your call handling and answering services?
We have no contract for our live call answering services or live chat, however, there is a 3-month initial period followed by a one-month rolling notice period. The reason for this initial 3-month period is that our call-handling receptionists establish a relationship with you and your business, and we spend time and resources in getting your receptionist and the associated UK-based team trained in the basics of your business. As we take on new customers, we resource that by recruiting and training new live call answering agents, so it really is like gaining a new business team member.How do I share my cloud-based calendar with your telephone answering service team?
We often make bookings for our customers using cloud-based calendars and two of the most popular are Google and Microsoft. Once you have shared your cloud-based calendar, we will be able to make and cancel bookings for you, as per your call handling instructions. ‹ Back
