Frequently Asked Questions

Question: I don’t want to offer 24 hour answering service, is there a market for daytime only answering service?

Answer: Scaling back your hours of operation does lessen your labor liability, but also significantly reduces your prospective market.  There will be perhaps only one client out of 100 who is looking for daytime only coverage.  These accounts are hard to find.  There are few answering services who are only open during business hours and they usually do so in conjunction with another business, such as secretarial service or executive suites.  

There are two possible strategies that some services use to provide 24 hour coverage without staffing 24 hours.  The first is to revert to 100% automation for third shift (when the fewest calls are received).  With today’s modern systems, containing voice mail and automatic dispatching, this is a viable option – assuming that your clients accept it.  

The other strategy is to outsource your slow times to another call center.  There are many answering services and call centers who can handle your calls for you.  Generally, it is good to outsource to someone who uses the same type of equipment you do.  For a list of outsourcer answering services, go to www.connectionsmagazine.com/ads/classified/outsource.html.

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