There’s a difference between cost and value. Cost is the actual price for something. Value is how much it’s worth to you. If you’re a business owner considering a call center, this is an important thing to keep in mind. Just because one call center may offer the cheapest price, it doesn’t necessarily mean they provide the best value for your business.

Big corporations enjoy many benefits from outsourcing their customer service processes to third-party providers. But did you know small businesses have the ability do the same thing?

It’s a question any business with inbound calls must ask itself: live answer or interactive phone menus? While it’s true that businesses with interactive phone menus and automated systems can handle a higher volume of inbound calls, a recent report from the CFI Group — a company specializing in improving customer satisfaction — clearly shows that reaching a live representative instead of an automated phone menu makes a significant difference in customer satisfaction.

This month’s hero maintained a positive attitude and provided excellent customer service while escalating a particularly complicated call.

Many call centers and phone answering services offer a wide range of services. From basic call handling and after-hours support to web applications and order entry, there are a lot of options out there for businesses that receive inbound calls.

The only question is, which ones are most popular? Which ones do businesses request the most? To answer both of these, here is a list of the top five most popular services from an answering service (as well as the other names they go by).

Contrary to popular belief, answering services these days aren’t limited to just answering calls and taking messages. At A Better Answer, we take full advantage of the latest technology in telecommunications to offer innovative services that go beyond the basics of an answering service. These optional add-ons not only provide valuable convenience and organization, they give you peace of mind and let you get back to running your business.

Customer service is a huge part of any business. After all, studies show that two out of every three people will switch brands due to a poor customer service experience. When people move away from your company or brand, it can affect your bottom line. So, there’s obviously a direct relationship between customer service level and the bottom line. But how do you increase the former while decreasing the latter?

This month’s hero truly exemplified a Good Samaritan, going out of her way to help a client with a unique situation.

It’s hard to believe, but it’s been almost half a century since A Better Answer started serving its customers. A lot has changed over the years, to say the least. In honor of this — and to celebrate our 45^th anniversary this year — we thought we’d take a look back at what’s changed since 1971:

Every company has to find its own culture. Sometimes you know what you want; other times you fall into it because of circumstances and experiences. Either way, it’s a big part of entrepreneurial success. You need an identity and a way to make employees feel invested in your business if you’re going to last.