It's considered normal, for many companies, to expect to miss a certain percentage of calls that may have translated into extra business. Then again, there are those companies for which this concept is unacceptable. That's the kind of business thinking that can separate the successful companies from the ones who fall by the wayside. This is the reason why more companies are looking towards using a Chicago answering service in order to keep potential business from disappearing into thin air. Those companies know just how easy it is to move on to the next company that has been pulled up on an Internet search engine.
This can be even more critical if you own a company that is based on providing service to your customers. These customers can require a great deal of care and will generally call whenever they have a problem or need a service. This can (and will) occur during your normal off hours. Getting a live operator or agent can mean all the difference between a satisfied customer and a frustrated one. But this also means that you need to know your Chicago answering service options so that you can choose the service that fits the needs of your business.
The first option that you may want to consider is the time frame for answering your calls. This will require some thought as to whether or not you only need extra coverage during off hours or throughout the day. For example a medium-sized physician's office may not require extra coverage during office hours but would certainly want coverage once the receptionist has gone home for the day. This will make a big difference in the type of service that you require and will ultimately affect the cost of that service.
Other options that are up for consideration for a Chicago answering service may include:
Is order taking a necessity?
Is some kind of product support needed?
Does the service "round-up" the billing for minutes even if the call went one second over the minute? (You may wish to avoid this)
Other considerations can include taking a look at how long the company has been in business and how well they train their agents. You can actually look up reviews from previous customers and form an impression that way. In any case, it pays to look at all the aspects of the Chicago answering service that you are considering.