Sometimes a call comes in that brings forth even more empathy and humanity from our call handling heroes. Elizabeth took the extra steps to possibly save a life as November's Call Handling Hero^® .

If you’ve ever watched the TV show Shark Tank, you either have an entirely new appreciation for entrepreneurs, or quite possibly, you may be an entrepreneur yourself! Imagine pitching your awesome startup idea to a group of investors. You’d better have done your research and be very convincing. Now imagine that you’ve landed a large sum of cash from these investors. What would your next steps be? Maybe one of your first steps should be to hire an experienced answering service. Here’s why.

A business in the service industry is defined as any business that does work for a customer. These services could include anything from food services to household contracting such as plumbing and HVAC. In many cases, service businesses are running a tight ship, with employees wearing many hats. Outsourcing is a highly debated topic among those in the industry and for good reason. When your business pays the bills, how can you trust someone else with your customers?

Outsourcing any task in a small business can be a frightening proposition. Hiring an answering service especially so, as it is an extension of your business. After all, the first line of communication with your customers, other than in person, is through the telephone. Just as your industry has its own lingo, a business owner needs to speak the language when hiring an answering service. Understanding key terms and how to contract with an answering service can make the process more agreeable.

Starting a business means that, at some point, you hope to grow bigger. Believe it or not, sounding bigger can do a lot for your image and help contribute to your bottom line. You’ve heard the expression, “Dress for the job you want”? Making your business sound big is the way your small business is dressing for the part.

Frustrated callers can challenge even the most patient business owner. Often times, the easiest way to calm frustration is communication. Our call handling heroes do everything they can to put callers at ease - as demonstrated by October's Call Handling Hero^® Kyle.

Do you have a small business? Many businesses that provide services such as general household repairs, landscaping and lawn maintenance, HVAC maintenance and repairs and other contractors are typically small businesses. These businesses may be a one or two person shop: one to take appointments and handle billing and another to do the actual work. As the business grows there is a tipping point where there are more calls coming in than ever, and that is where an answering service can help you.

Many companies are faced with the question of outsourcing certain tasks in order to continue growing their business. Hiring an answering service doesn’t limit the options available for outsourcing. Many answering services may offer unexpected and specialized services.

Telephone messaging, or telemessaging, is a frequently requested service among answering service companies. A telemessaging service is typically provided for small companies, service contractors, medical offices, and other businesses who want to be represented as a larger enterprise.

At ABA, we offer three levels of telemessaging services – Inbound, Outbound, and Executive.

Sometimes, a call can challenge even our best call handlers. September's Call Handling Hero^® is Eric, offering compassion, patience and calm during an extremely trying call with a patient.