Alice Lamar is a successful composer for television. She is well known for her work on children’s programming, especially animated features. “I work closely with the creator of one show in particular, who also happens to be the executive producer. He has a clear vision for how every episode should turn out. He’s obsessive, but … Continue reading Composer Increases Productivity by using a Telephone Answering Service →

The economy, markets, and commerce continually move in cycles. There are periods of expansion and times of contraction. To remain viable, businesses must navigate these ever-changing conditions. As a result, businesses grow and businesses shrink. Being at the helm of a growing business offers excitement and invigorates, while downsizing requires patience and fortitude. Between these … Continue reading Use an Answering Service to Right Size Your Business →

In the post “How to Train Your Answering Service Sales Rep” we covered five options for training a telephone answering service sales associate. One of the ideas was job shadowing. While job shadowing in itself will not fully train a new sales representative, it can be a viable element of a comprehensive sales training program, … Continue reading Should Your Answering Service Sales Rep Job Shadow? →

The telephone serves as an essential tool for most businesses. It’s the primary means of communication with prospects, customers, vendors, and employees. The telephone provides the potential for immediate, direct communication with these important groups. As far as effectiveness and making personal connections, we cannot overstate its value. When it comes to urgent and emergency … Continue reading Use an Answering Service to Screen Calls →

Summer is an incredibly busy time for Weyden Dozier. His company, Dozier Prop Works, offers propeller and fiberglass hull repair services to recreational boaters. Dozier’s business is nestled on the bank of a major waterway and reservoir popular with fishermen, water skiers, and vacationing families. To cope with the high seasonal demand for its services, … Continue reading Boat Repair Shop Owner Meets Growing Demand because his Answering Service was a seamless partner! →

Many people, especially in the corporate environment, use the terms “call center” and “contact center” interchangeably. Most of the time this is okay, and no one will object. After all, both are centralized places that serve as communication centers, but from a strict definition, they differ in terms of the variety of communications handled. A … Continue reading What’s the Difference Between a Call Center and a Contact Center? →

In “What Is a Call Center?” we defined a call center as “a centralized location where calls are answered or made.” This is the traditional, literal definition. The reality, however, is that with today’s advanced technology, a call center no longer needs to be in a centralized location. Here are some benefits of not having … Continue reading Does Your Call Center Need to be in a Centralized Location? →

Leading well is a lifetime effort that managers never fully achieve, but they need to seek continual improvement. For the short term, here are some commonsense steps that will immediately improve your effectiveness as a call center leader and manager. Interact with Agents: To often the only time agents see a manager is after they’ve … Continue reading How to Lead Your Call Center with Effectiveness →

Setting appropriate staffing levels in a call center is a critical task, an absolutely essential one. If you overstaff then payroll costs will explode your budget, and if you understaff then service levels plummet. Finding the right balance is tricky and even the most experienced schedulers can make mistakes, sometimes-drastic ones. Crafting the optimum call … Continue reading Who Staffs Your Healthcare Call Center? →

Most people in the call center industry have a general idea of what HIPAA is, but they lack an understanding of how to apply it to their call center. Ignorance is not a sound defense for HIPAA violations. Follow these quick tips now to reduce penalties and pain later. First a review. HIPAA stands for … Continue reading Quick Tips to Implement HIPAA in Your Call Center →