Tell us about your background – What were you up to before you were lucky enough to join Answer-4u?

Prior to Answer-4u I was lucky enough to be a chocolate maker at Thornton’s and also I worked at UPS looking after the preferred customers. I then came to Answer-4u and started my career here as a Telemarketing-4u agent, then after 3-4 months had the opportunity to become an Account Manager. I have now held this position for nearly 2 years.

What does your role entail?

I currently have a portfolio of about 120 clients which is continually expanding (thank you Sales) and my job is to ensure each of those clients are happy with the service. With the recent launch of our reseller system, I oversee the management of these accounts as well. I also provide support for the Answer-4u Corporate Key Account Managers as well as the Answer-4u Account Manager.

What do you love about your job?

The role is very varied, no two days are the same and this is something that I’ve not had in any other jobs. I also love the people and the banter we have. Especially with the Sales Team and I have a blast winding Adrian the Corporate Sales Exec up (which is really easy!)

What are you a whizz at?

Does acting the fool and winding people up count? If not then I guess I would say building client relationships, identifying opportunities to improve scripts and then of course I’m a complete whizz at fetching cobs on a Friday for my colleagues (It also makes me a very popular member of the team!)

Once you have departed the office for the day/weekend what are you most likely to be getting up to?

In the week after work I try and get out as much as I can, so I’m either in Nottingham at the cinema or one of the many bars having a coke or 2 or watching football matches with friends. At the weekends I either head to the local or go into Nottingham for a drink and some comedy dancing. Sunday is normally a day of rest watching as much sport as I can whilst recovering from the previous 2 nights antics.

If you could invite any 3 famous guests to a dinner party (either dead or alive) who would they be and why?

Muhammad Ali – The man is a legend and one of the first sportsman to transcend his sport. He has been through so much in his life and it would be fascinating to listen to all of his stories.

Brian Clough – Old Big ‘Ead was a legend for both his mouth as well as his achievements in his playing/management career. To listen to him tell his tales would be absolutely amazing.

Will Ferrell – The man is just so funny and would more than likely make me cry with laugher.

If you could be a contestant on any gameshow which would it be?

It would have to be Bullseye. I am no good at darts but Jim Bowen is an absolute legend and I would love to win a speed boat that I would never use, or a caravan that I could put on Ebay.

Describe yourself in 3 words

Sarcastic, outgoing and positive.

One of our customers is Boost Digital Advertising, based in Birmingham.

Boost Digital specialise in online marketing, including Adwords & Pay-per-Click Campaign Management, Search Engine Optimisation, Online Lead Generation and Website Optimisation for clients.

You should check them out at http://www.boost.uk.net

Anyway, early last year, Gez McGuire, the company’s Managing Director went on a search to find a call answering business. Why? He didn’t want to miss out on any potential new business so getting all calls answered promptly, professionally and out of office hours too, was a must. He called on Answer-4u and our comprehensive call answering service and ‘pay-as-you-go’ payment option was a major attraction and we have been answering Boost Digital’s calls ever since.

Here’s Gez talking about Answer-4u‘s call answering service and how it has paid off – helping them to win at least three new clients.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=fu2DijcqCaA

Testimonial from Boost Digital recommending Answer-4u and its call answering service.

Gez McGuire, Managing Director, Boost Digital: “Knowing that calls are going to be answered quickly and professionally is very reassuring when you run a small business – it’s one less thing to worry about”.

“I know that no call is going to get missed and that if the call can’t be put through to me for whatever reason, I will get a text and an email from Answer-4u, so I have full details of who called and what they want to speak to me about, which is an invaluable service”.

“I would definitely recommend Answer-4u to anyone who is looking for a call answering service. If they provide the same quality of service as they do for my business, then I guarantee you won’t be disappointed.”

For more details about Boost Digital Advertising, visit www.boost.uk.net

For more information about Answer-4u and its call answering service, visit www.answer-4u.com

Nottingham-based Answer-4u, has won the contract to provide a round the clock, call answering service to another local business, the Nottingham lift company, Morris Vermaport.

Since its formation in 1979, Morris Vermaport has installed over 3,500 lifts across the UK, in hospitals, care homes, schools, libraries and numerous commercial premises.

Due to the nature of the business, it is essential for Morris Vermaport to be able to provide customers with a 24 hour emergency service, to repair any lift that may have broken down, and also to ensure that any out of hours, non-emergency enquiries are dealt with promptly the following morning.

“The people who answer our out of hours calls have a very important job to do, because they have to make a judgement about how urgently a problem needs to be treated” explains Andy Waddell, Morris Vermaport’s Operations Director. “Obviously, if it is an emergency situation, then we need to get an engineer out as soon as possible to repair the problem, but similarly, we don’t want engineers being called out in the middle of the night if it is something that can wait until the following day.”

Morris Vermaport employs 76 people at its Nottingham headquarters, and also has operations in Scarborough and London. The company wanted to find a call answering business that understood its specific requirements and could deal with the volume of calls. After an extensive search of suppliers, Andy and his team chose Answer-4u, based on Talbot Street in Nottingham.

Speaking about the reasons why Answer-4u was chosen, Andy, said: “At Answer-4u, we were able to see the set up and speak in detail to the team about our requirements.

“We felt confident that they could provide us with the service we needed. In addition, it is based right on our doorstep, so if we ever do need to visit them to discuss anything, it only takes 10 minutes to get there, which is a big bonus.”

As well as answering all out of office calls, Answer-4u provides Morris Vermaport with an email each day, providing comprehensive details of the calls that they have taken during the evening and through the night – explaining how each enquiry was handled by the member of staff who took the call.

The contract with Morris Vermaport means that Answer-4u is now providing call answering services to over 30 Nottingham companies, ranging from small businesses such as solicitors, accountants and driving schools, through to some of the largest employers in the county, such as the Nottingham Building Society.

Mark Menhennet, the founder of Answer-4u, added: “Morris Vermaport has established an excellent reputation for the quality of its work and its customer service so having a good out of hours call answering service is very important to them. We have a number of customers in various industries who require a round the clock emergency service, so we are used to handling this kind of work.”

“I am always particularly pleased when a Nottingham business chooses to work with us. We like to use local suppliers whenever we can and I do think that businesses in the region should try to trade with each other whenever possible to support local jobs and the economy.”

Web enquiries, Emails, Social Media and Live Chat facilities all have their place, but the telephone is still the preferred communication tool of choice when it comes to business. With this in mind professional call answering service Answer-4u off their top tips on getting it right first time…

1. The first one is probably the most obvious but answer the call quickly. Nothing says unprofessional like leaving a caller hanging on a ringing line. They have made the move to call your business over the others listed on Google (and probably cost you a ‘click’ in the process!) so reward them by answering their call quickly.

2. Answering the phone ‘with a smile on your face’ might sound cheesy but it really works. It doesn’t matter if you are having a bad day, are half way through a complicated spreadsheet or half way out of the door on the way home. Your caller takes priority. Warm and enthusiastic is suddenly the order of the day.

3. Always mention your company name in your greeting. It confirms where the caller is ringing without them having to check and sets the tone for a professional conversation.

4. Speak clearly and use professional language – enunciate every word and avoid using ‘cheers’, ‘uh-huh’, ‘mate ‘,’yeah’ etc. You are speaking to a business contact not your drinking pal. Keep it friendly but business-like.

5. When taking a message check the information you are noting. Re-confirm any spellings that you are unsure of back to the caller. I can almost guarantee any subsequent emails to ‘Katy’ will put you on the back foot if you put ‘Dear Katie’ If you are taking down email addresses or telephone numbers always read these back. You don’t want a red hot business lead in your hand that you can’t get back to!

6. Learn the phonetic alphabet and use it when you are confirming spellings back. It’s not difficult to pick up and N for November sounds so much better than ‘So that’s N for Noddy?’

7. Even if you have no idea what the caller is talking about remain positive and professional by using ‘Let me found that out for you and come back to you’ rather than ‘I don’t know’ as it shows interest and a willingness to help.

8. If possible give the caller an idea when they can expect a call back. If your colleague is in a meeting or out of the office for the afternoon explain it may be the following day that they get a response and check if someone else can help them. Your poor colleague may well get a frosty reception if they call back a day later and from the way you took the message the caller had expected a quicker response.

9. If you have to put people on hold make sure you go back to update them every 15 seconds or so and remember to keep offering to have them called back

10. Be aware your out of hours callers are just as important as those who call within office hours. You may well receive calls in the evening and over the weekend particularly if your callers are consumers. Have a professional call answering service in place for these people your next big sale could come through when your office is closed. Don’t put them off by letting the phone ring or using an impersonal answerphone. A new customer will almost certainly call the next business in your industry that bothers to pick up.

One of our customers is Space4Work, which provides a number of serviced, unmanned, virtual offices and industrial spaces across Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire.

Speaking to Space 4 Work ‘s very own Alan Woolley recently, got me thinking about the whole subject of serviced offices and what a great idea they are for small businesses that want to provide a professional image and service, without the hassle and expense of a permanent office. So, here’s my starter for ten on serviced offices and what businesses need to know and ask.

What is a serviced office?

A serviced office does what is says on the tin. Businesses rent an office space within a managed building, which comes kitted out with furniture and includes all business rates, heating/air conditioning, lighting and power, security, cleaning, building maintenance and insurance. They also tend to have short leases giving businesses the flexibility to expand or downsize as their business dictates.

Who uses a serviced office?

Serviced offices tend to be popular with start up businesses that want to separate work and home life and that want to portray a corporate image without taking on the ongoing expense of leasing or owning their own building. They are also useful for companies that are downsizing or for business people that need an office base but spend much of their time either on client sites or on the road.

What are the benefits of serviced offices?

There are a number of benefits for small businesses that move into serviced office accommodation – they have a professional business address, a receptionist to greet clients, business meeting space, fax and printer facilities and the opportunity to network with other tenants.

What do you need to watch with services offices?

Unlike the serviced and virtual offices run by Space4Work, which uses Answer-4u for all its call answering, your typical serviced office will only provide call answering and receptionist facilities at an additional cost, and then only 9-5pm Monday to Friday. If there is only one receptionist, calls will often get missed if they are busy, on other calls, or taking a break.

What you need to ask?

Never underestimate the importance of getting your business calls answered. Make it your job to find out what level of call answering the serviced office provides, and ask is it good enough? Do calls get missed? Who answers the phone, and what happens if they’re busy on another call? Is the service 24/7, including Christmas day? If you’re paying for a service, you need to make sure it suits you and your business not just what is convenient for the serviced office.

Benefits of your own call answering service

By using and choosing your own call answering service, like Answer-4u, businesses get their calls answered 24/7 and there is no fixed contract so you can cancel at any time. This is no set-up cost and you are up and running on day one. That way, you only pay for the service you need, when you need it.

Why do our customer’s say yes to call answering?

Space4Work uses Answer-4u to ensure that any calls from prospective customers are answered, night or day so that they can fully capitalise on their marketing activities. Alan Woolley, director of Space4Work, said: “Before we moved to Answer-4u we were finding that 60% of our own calls weren’t getting answered. Nobody wants to miss calls and as we were spending money on marketing our service, it was basically money down the drain as there weren’t enough people to answer the phone.

“That was a real lesson so now Answer-4u answers all our calls and we even get emails and texts with details of who has called and their message. Like our serviced and virtual offices, this service is on easy in, easy out terms, so businesses just pay as they go. Nobody should commit to a long term contract. One of the big appeals of this flexibility is that small businesses can test the suitability of the office, or the call answering service, and get the confidence that it works for them. If it doesn’t, they can just walk away, but more often than not, they see and enjoy the benefits straight away.”

“Once I was a customer of Answer-4u, I realised the benefits that I was experiencing would also be valuable for my tenants because it means that they can offer a 24 hour answering service too. I set up a referral system and recommend Answer-4u to all of my clients. It’s a win win situation, because they get a great service and I get a commission from Answer-4u, which means that my bills are reduced too!”

Here’s Alan talking about the benefits of using Answer-4u for all its call answering, and why they refer and recommend Answer-4u to all its tenants too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_iT-92FrKQs

For more information on Answer-4u and its call answering service for serviced and virtual offices, contact Answer-4u on 0800 8 223344 or at http://www.answer-4u.com/

Contact Space4Work on 0800 019 6769 or at www.space4work.com  for details on virtual and serviced offices across Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire.

A Birmingham business which specialises in selling gold and silver bars and coins to private investors, is providing its busy clients with a round-the-clock service and winning new customers, thanks to a little help from Answer-4u.

Bullion by Post, based in Birmingham’s famous Jewellery Quarter, was set up in 2008 and is now one of the UK’s most successful bullion dealers, providing investors with a simple and secure way to buy gold and silver bullion ideal for investment at low trade prices.

In little over three years, Bullion by Post has grown rapidly and today the business boasts a multi-million pound turnover, as investors increasingly turn to more stable investments in gold and silver following a lack of confidence in other financial products after the banking crash.

A personal, out of hours service

Bullion by Post recognised that to expand further and provide its customers with the best possible service, it needed to improve its telephone answering capabilities. With staff working standard office hours it was important to provide prospective customers with a personal out of hours’ service. It was at this point that Bullion by Post looked for a professional answering service and after an extensive search, decided upon Answer-4u to provide the solution it required.

Rob Halliday-Stein, Bullion by Post’s Founder and Managing Director explains why a 24/7 answering service is so important for the business: “Although the majority of our business is transacted online, many of our new customers looking to buy gold for the first time tend to telephone us as they are seeking personal advice and the reassurance of knowing that they are dealing with a real, reputable business. With this in mind, it’s vitally important to us that no calls are missed and that customers get to speak to a friendly, professional human being, rather than a voicemail message.”

A service that’s paid for itself many times over
Bullion by Post estimates that around 50% of its calls are made during out of office hours with some customers wanting to invest hundreds of thousands of pounds at a time, so the Answer-4u service has already paid for itself many times over.

“Answer-4u has contributed to improving the productivity of our company,” adds Rob. “It saves our bullion advisors time, as they are given precise details about the nature of each call, so they can make sure they have the information to hand when they return the call. In addition, an answering service is also invaluable for us at certain times of the year, even during normal hours. For instance, whenever there is a sharp fluctuation in the gold price, we receive lots of calls from customers, far more than our own staff can deal with, so having Answer-4u there as back up for situations like that is very reassuring.”

Working together for future success:

Looking to the future, Bullion by Post is seeking new premises to expand into, as the business has doubled its turnover in the last year alone and its growth looks set to continue.

“One of the main secrets behind our success has been our exceptionally high levels of customer service,” said Rob. “We have a great team here, providing customers with advice and information, competitive prices as well as same day fully insured delivery, and Answer-4u has also been an integral part of our success.”

For more information about the gold and silver bullion services offered by Bullion by Post, visit: http://www.bullionbypost.co.uk/

A big thank you to Al of Scratch Repair Group for taking the time to share his experience of using the Answer-4u service….

At Scratch Repair Group we work within a variety of different industry sectors, offering a market leading scratch removal system which guarantees the removal of all scratches from glass.

We decided to explore the idea of using a professional telephone answering service back in 2009, as we wanted to make sure our phone lines were covered when we were busy running the business, but we didn’t need a full time member of staff and the salary and management that goes with employing someone.

We made the decision to place our business with Answer-4u, because when I first enquired about using the service I found them both professional and responsive and they have continued to manage my account in the same fashion.

Using Answer-4u allows me to keep overheads down without relinquishing the level of service I wish to provide to potential customers.

From my experience I consider Answer-4u to be an effective alternative to hiring another employee. I would definitely recommend the service to other companies within my industry.

Al Tashkandy
Scratch Repair Group

Professional call handling for dentists?
Dental practices are perhaps not the first type of organization you imagine when you think of businesses that use telephone answering services. However at Answer-4u they make up a significant portion of our client base.

So why is this?
Our dental clients recognize the importance the importance of having their phones answered politely and professionally no matter how busy the practice becomes or what time of day it is. Dental nurses often carry out a dual role, assisting in surgery along with reception duties and at peak times with a full waiting room and busy surgery the focus can inevitably be taken away from the telephone.

So How Do We Help?
Our Pay-As-You-Go telephone handling service enables you to divert your calls to us any time of the day or night safe in the knowledge they will be handled courteously and professionally and that your messages will be delivered accurately and immediately. It also means you can prioritise your call backs depending on the nature of the call.

Who Sees The Benefit?
We’re proud to be the number one choice for UK dentists and to offer a 10% discount for all member of the British Dental Association. We’re also recommended by Ashley Latter – The Selling Coach who specializes in partnering with forward thinking Dental and Orthodontic Practices to improve the performance of the dentists and their teams, which leads to improved business results and bottom line results.

But Don’t Take Our Word For It!
Here’s what just a small handful of our dental clients say about us:

‘We started to use Answer -4u so that our patients could leave a message when the practice is closed, with a real person rather than an answer machine. We were surprised when we started to log the times people where calling the practice, potential new clients might call the practice at 11.00 at night to leave a message, so it is great surprise when they get through to a real person who takes their name and number and then e-mails the message to the practice so we can call then 1st thing the next morning.’
Advanced Dental Care

‘The brilliant thing is there is no hassle with this service; when you wish to go to lunch you put your work phone on divert, during lunch time emails will be sent to your work address and once you’ve finished your lunch break you take your work phone off divert and call the patients back. Easy.’
Holborn Dental Care

‘Answer-4u have proved invaluable in that they allow us to answer all calls in a professional manner all of the time. None of our clients receive an engaged tone which is very important to enhance customer service and being a dental practice it allows us to provide an out of hours service where again the phone can be answered at all times.’
Chelsea Dental and Dermal

Want To Find Out A Little More?
Fancy trying the service for yourself and seeing how professional dental call handling can help your practice? No problem! Just give us a quick call and we’ll talk you through your options.

In the meantime have a very happy Dentist’s Day.

By Lucy McIntyre-Sowter

Meet Sarah F. Sales Exec for Answer-4u and Answer-4u Corporate

What you did before joining Answer-4u?

I joined Answer-4u, part of the ICS Group, in January 2011 and was working within the Telemarketing-4u team when I applied for the role of sales exec. I was delighted to learn I’d been successful and moved into the Sales Team in November 2011.

What does your job entail?

My role is really varied. I work on projects for the different brands within the ICS Group and have recently become very involved in the launch of our reseller platform which has been exciting. I am lucky as I have the opportunity to work closely with everyone within the sales team and to move about the various brands. As the newest recruit I also have the dubious honour of making the first coffees of the day. Every day.

What you love most about your job?

I love the friendly atmosphere and the fast paced nature of my role. I like having to think on my feet and the opportunity to work with lots of different people within the business. I also love the infamous ‘Quotes Board’ – you have to be careful what you let slip in the Sales Team, anything remotely silly and the Sales and Customer Service teams will know all know about it.

What would you say you’re best at?

Building relationships with prospective clients. I love having a good chat and helping people find the best service and solution for their business.
What’s been your biggest achievement to date?

Getting my first sale on the board and exceeding my target (already!) this month. Both highlights.

What do you get up to away from the office?

I am a trained make up artist and love all things cosmetic. I did the makeup for 2 music videos for Milburn and even featured in one their Send In The Boys video just don’t blink or you might miss me!

Do you have a party trick?

As I have double jointed knees I can occasionally be found contorting at parties after a vino or 2.

Who would you have appeared as on Stars in Their Eyes back in the day?

Boy George. Definitely. It’s a slightly odd choice for a girl but it’s all about the make up!

As the UK’s premier telephone answering service we’re often asked what the ‘best’ kind of number is for businesses to use on their adverts, websites and business cards.

The answer is it all depends on your situation, your business type and your clients.

Who do you want to ring your number? If you are a cleaning firm and you cover a certain area we’d generally advise that you use a geographic number unique to that place, this means that your clients know you are local business and are confident they will fall into the area you cover.

If your business offers financial assistance it makes sense to advertise either a 0800 number which is free to call from landlines or an 03 number which is charged at a local rate even when called from mobiles to keep things as inexpensive as possible for your callers.

If you want to make some revenue from the number for example a completion line or a technical support line then a 09 number offers you that opportunity.

You might also want to consider where you’re advertising the number in your choice. For example if it’s for a radio advertisement ideally you want something catchy, ideally that fits in with a jingle. We’ve all had simple numbers stuck in our head after we’ve climbed out of the car, this is an effective way of encouraging people to call you before they source another company’s details.

If you’re opting for TV advertising your best option is to go for a call that looks attractive and ideally is easy enough for the viewer to remember until they can grab a pen and squiggle it down or tap it into a mobile.

If you’re still not sure then don’t be afraid to ask for advice from the company you choose to take your calls. Any company worth their salt will listen to your situation and what you are aiming to achieve before ensuring you are given the best range of options and ideally a choice of numbers to suit your business or campaign.

You also need to check that the company you are speaking to will allow you to keep using the telephone number, even if your circumstances change and you no longer need to use the answering service. The last thing you want, is to have spent a small fortune on advertising, business cards, websites and flyers, to find out the service is no longer the best course of action for your business and then find out if you cancel the service you lose the number. At Answer-4u we make provisions for you to keep your number through our sister company Numbers-4u whatever you choose to do with your calls.

For more information give our friendly and knowledgeable team a quick call on 08008 223344 and we’ll be delighted to chat through your options.