Another wonderful company spring picnic is in the books! This cherished annual tradition brought our team together for a perfect day of relaxation, delicious food, and meaningful connections outside the office.

Companies of all sizes can benefit and cut costs by outsourcing certain roles to an answering service. Top-tier answering services do far more than simply answer phones and provide basic information to customers — they can also act as brand representatives and handle administrative tasks. When professionals handle the lines of communication, you can focus on your business. 

You may be unable to handle every aspect of daily operations when your business starts growing. An answering service can assist customers in relieving your in-house staff. It’s important to hire a call center with the best features that meet your needs.

Let’s review what qualities to look for when hiring an answering service.

The challenges facing small businesses are similar to any other — the difference is, they have to address them with smaller teams and fewer resources. They need to be creative in solving any emerging issues without compromising quality customer service. One of the main reasons some small businesses never reach their full potential is because they neglect customer service; whether you are a team of one or working with a small group, you should be using your time and resources wisely.  

Here are six customer service tips for startup businesses to help them reach their goals.

Our May Call Handling Hero® award goes to Dena! She went beyond what was expected in handling this call in order to assist the caller.

This month's Call Handling Hero Award goes to Michelle Rowe, who showed exceptional customer service for our customer in reworking and fine tuning their account.

A Better Answer is no stranger to awards. From winning the Association of TeleServices International Award of Excellence for 18 consecutive years to receiving several honors from the Dallas Business Journal, eWomenNetwork Foundation and other prestigious organizations, we have our fair share of them. They’re a true testament to the positive culture we’ve created for our staff and the exceptional customer service we provide for our customers.

Law practices can be demanding and complex. On account of this, many are hesitant to outsource customer service because of a fear that they won’t be represented properly to current and prospective clients. Fortunately, the right answering service can serve as an extension of your brand and reinforce the same qualities your staff embodies on a daily basis.

It’s no secret that business picks up during the holidays. According to the National Retail Federation, sales in November and December of 2016 are expected to increase 3.6 percent to $655.8 billion. That’s higher than the 10-year average of 2.5 percent and above the seven-year average of 3.4 percent since the economy started to recover in 2009. Furthermore, NRF forecasts non-store sales to increase between seven and 10 percent to as much as $117 billion.