Going to make the assumption that if you’re reading this you already buy into the idea that you need a phone answering service, so we’ll skip the sales speak (well, until the end anyway). Instead, let’s focus on how to improve your ability to respond promptly and professionally to customer inquiries to protect your brand reputation by leveraging an overlooked service routine… One of the most crucial aspects of maintaining seamless communication is the method you choose for call forwarding. Believe it or not, your preferred method of call forwarding says a lot about your business needs and can significantly impact how your answering service interacts with your callers.
Let’s explore the different methods of call forwarding and how each can influence your customer experience.
The Different Methods of Call Forwarding
24/7 Call Forwarding
Some businesses choose to forward all their calls to an answering service 24/7. This approach is typically favored by companies that need to ensure round-the-clock availability, such as emergency services, healthcare providers, or any business that prides itself on exceptional customer service.
Impact on Answering Service:
- The answering service becomes the primary point of contact for all inquiries.
- Your answering service will create time of day-dynamic call guides to ensure it feels like we are a seamless extension of your office. You’ll want to avoid any chance that an agent ever says something like, “the office is closed” or “this is the answering service”. I cringe when I think about how often answering services get this one simple thing wrong…
- Consistent, professional responses are essential to maintain the company’s reputation.
- The service must be well-versed in the business’s operations to handle all types of inquiries effectively.
How to forward calls (three options):
- You can call in and ask your telephone carrier to have all calls to your specific number (or numbers) to automatically forward to your answering service’s call forwarding number or SIP connection point.
- If you leverage an office PBX, you can program your system to forward all inbound calls to our line on the first ring.
- Or you can manually forward your number by punching *72 or whatever key press code your carrier requires to manually forward to our number (your carrier may have unique instructions for how to manually forward or un-forward calls).
Scheduled Call Forwarding
Other businesses forward their calls only during specific times, such as when the internal office receptionist is out to lunch, after hours, on weekends, or during holidays. This approach is suitable for businesses that have defined operating hours but want to ensure no call goes unanswered during off-times.
Impact on Answering Service:
- The answering service needs to manage calls during specific periods and may require a different script for different times of the day.
- Within this form of delivery, after-hours calls are understood to follow a different routine than daytime call-handling procedures. Messages are captured for each call, but only select call types are forwarded through to your on-call personnel based on urgency and priority preferences you define.
- This form of call handling often includes an on-call calendar for calls that require live escalation or dispatch for a returned call in near real-time.
- It’s crucial to have clear guidelines on handling calls during business hours versus after hours.
How to forward calls:
- You can call in and ask your telephone carrier to have all calls to your specific number (or numbers) to automatically forward to your answering service’s call forwarding number or SIP connection point at a specific time of day each evening and un-forward at a scheduled time of day each morning. Your carrier should be able to help you define your routine for each day of the week.
- If you leverage an office PBX, you can often program your system to forward all inbound calls to our line during specific windows of time. This information should be searchable in your configuration settings or the system FAQ. If you have any trouble figuring this out, AnswerNet’s helpful solution experts would be happy to assist.
- And even though you’ve programmed your lines to automatically forward and un-forward on a schedule, most carriers and PBX systems will still give you the option to manually forward and un-forward your number with a keyed code (again – your carrier may have unique instructions for how to manually forward or un-forward calls).
Manual/On-Demand Call Forwarding
Entrepreneurs and small business owner/operators often keep their phones on all the time unless they step into a meeting or enter a noisy environment. During these times, they manually forward their phones to an answering service until they are available again.
Impact on Answering Service:
- The service must be flexible and ready to handle calls at a moment’s notice.
- Understanding the entrepreneur’s schedule and typical call types is important for providing personalized responses.
- Designing a way for company contacts to let the answering service know where they will be or when they might be free to return calls helps create a more fluid and connected experience for all. This can simply be a place in the answering service account to jot down temporary instructions or status info.
How to forward calls:
- If you leverage an office PBX, you can control when you wish to forward all inbound calls to our line during a window of time you control. Usually, there is a way to forward and unforward calls with a simple slider control or radio button within your configuration window of the PBX (or your business phone app). This information should be searchable in your configuration settings or the system FAQ. If you have any trouble figuring this out, as stated above, we’re happy to help you.
- Most small businesses prefer the method of manually forwarding and un-forwarding their phone as needed with a keyed code. This is the lowest tech option and the most familiar to business owners and office managers.
Conditional Call Forwarding
Some businesses with more chaotic schedules opt to forward calls only if they can’t take them because they’re already on the line or if they don’t answer within the first three rings. Conditional Call Forwarding is also sometimes referred to as Busy/No Answer Forwarding. That label actually does a pretty good job of explaining how the service works. When a telephone line is already occupied or if the call is not answered within a pre-defined number of rings, that call is forwarded to the answering service. This method ensures that no call goes unanswered, even during the busiest times. This is a popular method of call forwarding because it is always active, but also allows you to elect to answer calls yourself when you are able!
Impact on Answering Service:
- The answering service must be prepared to handle a mix of urgent and non-urgent calls with time-of-day call routing.
- Quick response times are essential, and the service must be adept at managing high call volumes.
- This form of call handling works best if the answering service can route callers, book appointments, take payments and perform other simple, repetitive tasks without having to take a message for a returned call (when possible). In high call volume scenarios this is especially important so that you do not develop an unmanageable queue of unattended messages.
How to forward calls:
- You can call in and ask your telephone carrier to have all calls to your specific number (or numbers) to automatically forward to your answering service’s call forwarding number or SIP connection whenever the line is busy or whenever the line rings more than X number of times (or Y number of seconds depending on how your carrier quantifies it). Your carrier should be able to help you define your routine leveraging the features that work best with your system.
- If you leverage an office PBX, you can often program your system to forward calls within your defined thresholds. This information should be searchable in your configuration settings or the system FAQ. If you have any trouble figuring this out, sorry — good luck to you. Just kidding. The AnswerNet team would be happy to help figure it out when we perform your onboarding.
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Why Your Call Forwarding Method Matters
Each one of these call-forwarding methods requires a tailored approach from your answering service in the way that we script or provide guidelines to our teams to deliver the appropriate customer experience. Imagine if you just stepped away for five minutes and your answering service told your customer that your office was closed! This kind of thing happens. If you haven’t had an in-depth conversation with your call center or answering service provider about your preferred form of call forwarding, you might be missing out on optimizing your customer interactions. And here’s where we can make an impact:
Customized Caller Interactions
Understanding your call forwarding preferences allows the answering service to tailor their interactions with your callers. For instance, knowing that calls are forwarded 24/7 might prompt the service to handle all inquiries with comprehensive answers. Conversely, if calls are only forwarded after hours, the service might focus on taking messages and providing basic information.
Consistency and Professionalism
Clear guidelines on call forwarding ensure that your answering service maintains consistency and professionalism in all interactions. This consistency is crucial for building trust and reliability with your customers.
Enhanced Customer Experience
A well-informed answering service can provide a seamless customer experience, regardless of when the call is forwarded. Whether it’s handling urgent inquiries during off-hours or providing support during a receptionist’s lunch break, understanding your call forwarding method allows the service to meet your business needs effectively.
Efficient Call Management
Knowing the specific conditions under which calls are forwarded helps the answering service manage calls more efficiently. They can prioritize urgent calls, provide relevant information, and ensure that no call goes unanswered, enhancing overall customer satisfaction.
Which Method(s) Work Best For You?
Your preferred method of call forwarding has a significant impact on how your bilingual answering service interacts with your callers. By understanding and communicating your call forwarding preferences to your service provider, you can ensure that your customers receive the best possible experience. Whether you forward calls 24/7, during specific times, or based on conditional scenarios, a well-informed answering service can tailor their approach to meet your business needs, maintaining professionalism, consistency, and efficiency in every interaction. If you’re not clear which method might work best for you, or if you want to discuss how to leverage some of the enhanced capabilities each of these methods lends to your solution, we’d value the opportunity to collaborate with you. This is one of many small considerations that can deliver a BIG impact for your business. Let us know if you would like help with this or any other business communication need:
