Question: Someone has offered me a low rate to handle my phone calls.  Can you match their price?

Answer: We will certainly look at what they have to offer, but remember the old saying, “If something looks too good to be true, then it probably is.”

We have a long and stable history of providing telephone services to our clients.  We know the business and understand the costs.  We operate on a small margin and know that for someone to dramatically undercut our rates, there is likely something amiss.

First, find out where the calls will be processed.  Many call centers exist in developing and third world countries, which can operate well below our costs because they pay their staff next to nothing and you will get what you pay for.  Heavy operator accents are an issue, as is a lack of shared cultural understanding and even comprehending basic language elements.

Next, find out how long they have been in business.  Start-up companies tend to dramatically underestimate their costs.  After they have been in business a few months or a year, the true cost of doing business emerges.  Then they either raise their rates or go out of business, often with little warning.

Then visit their call center.  Is it a professionally run operation, with a good work environment, like ours?  We have found that a nice work environment helps us to retain quality staff to service your accounts. 

Conversely, businesses that are repressive, boiler-room operations have trouble keeping good staff and only retain those employees who do not have the skills or initiative to find a better job.  Do you want them to process your phone calls?

Also, beware of advance payments or restrictive contracts.  You don’t want to lock yourself into a bad situation and you certainly don’t want to pay a year in advance.  What happens to your advance payment if they shut down in two months?

Then investigate how they will handle your account.  By using technology and automation, costs can be slashed, but often at the expense of quality.  Yes, we can likely match or exceed any level of automation they may offer, but is that really what you want your callers to experience?

Lastly, check references.  What can the Better Business Bureau or local Chamber of Commerce tell you about them?  We are confident that after you have them thoroughly investigated, you will find that we provide the best value!

Learn more about telephone answering services and discover how the might be able to help you.