Helping Team Members Achieve Financial Freedom

/in /by

Supporting employees means being there for all of life’s moments — big and small. Though showing appreciation in the little ways is important, it is also important to be there for employees when they truly need support and help to guide them through life’s largest obstacles. 

At Answer Midwest, we do not just want our team to succeed at their jobs, but also in their lives outside of work. Over 70% of Americans report that financial stability is a major concern in their lives, with stress from financial concerns posing a risk not just to job performance but also to personal well-being. We are always looking to help our team in new ways, including this month’s featured resource: the SmartDollar Program.

The SmartDollar Program

Knowing how to manage money is not an innate skill for most people, and good money management examples and learning opportunities can be hard to come by. Jen Schulz, President of Answer Midwest, knows from experience how challenging financial wellness can be. Nearly 20 years ago, she and her husband, James, took Ramsey Solutions’ “Financial Peace University” course, originally intending to apply its lessons to just their personal finances. Gradually, Jen saw how she could apply those lessons to business as well and how her team could also benefit from these tools. 

SmartDollar is a set of financial management tools specifically designed for businesses to offer to employees. Created by the same company behind “Financial Peace University”, it provides financial coaching to employees to help them achieve their goals. 

The Employee Experience

Since we introduced the SmartDollar program to Answer Midwest, many of our team have taken advantage of the resources available. One such person is Holly P.,  who participated in the SmartDollar program in pursuit of her ultimate goal of owning a home. 

Holly has been with Answer Midwest for nearly seven years and found herself struggling to create a household budget after she and her husband decided they wanted to become homeowners. Holly was introduced to the SmartDollar program through Answer Midwest and began taking advantage of the learning resources available. 

Using strategies discussed in the recorded videos, podcasts, and other services, Holly’s family started taking steps in the right direction. By saving money, reducing debt, and raising her credit score, Holly and her husband were eventually approved for the purchase of their first home. In the end, Holly says, “Had it not been for the tools and resources provided by SmartDollar, we would not have been able to make the changes needed to complete our biggest goal!”

Discovering New Resources

The Answer Midwest team wants to make sure our employees thrive in every part of their lives, and we are happy to provide resources to help them achieve personal financial goals like owning a home and living debt free.

In January, we were thrilled to add one-on-one financial coaching to our program, giving participants free access to a money mentor who can answer financial questions. This personalized guidance allows employees to make well-informed decisions and navigate through the financial tools available to them with ease. 

We are continuing to expand our existing programs and look for new ways to provide support to our team. With SmartDollar, financial coaching, and our other employee programs, we hope to continue to strengthen the amazingly positive and optimistic culture here at Answer Midwest. 

Want to meet your financial goals?

Come join the Answer Midwest team! With competitive pay, growth opportunities, and financial wellness resources, you will be put on the path to success. Apply today! 

3 Ways to Show Your Associates Appreciation

/in /by

Now more than ever, people are searching for meaning and camaraderie from their workplaces. Companies that neglect to appreciate their team members can experience a loss of productivity, morale, and talent. By its very nature, a supportive, positive culture leads to increased peer-to-peer recognition, happiness, retention, engagement, and more!

As the Answer Midwest team knows, showing appreciation doesn’t have to (and shouldn’t) be reserved only for March 3’s official Associate Appreciation Day! We would like to share some of the things we do throughout the year to make our associates feel valued. We hope these spark ideas to help you show gratitude to your team members!

       1. Build Camaraderie

Nurturing peer-to-peer camaraderie is a great way to increase trust and collaboration among team members. Holding team celebrations and themed fun days are a couple ways Answer Midwest encourages our associates to come together and form friendships. Here are some highlights from the past year that show how our team celebrates each other’s successes, creativity, and unique personalities!

 

Our yearly Christmas party gave our team a chance to get into the holiday spirit and celebrate with each other.

 

Gathering for our first in-person team meeting since the pandemic brought everyone together to catch up, laugh, and be recognized!

 

Team members showed off their crocs and enjoyed some delicious crock pot food on Croc Day! 

Team members let their creativity (and smiles) shine with a dazzling array of Valentine’s Day boxes during our annual competition!

Team members let their creativity (and smiles) shine with a dazzling array of Valentine’s Day boxes during our annual competition!

      2. Give back

When a team takes time to help their community, they gain a greater sense of service and purpose by sharing their talents. Holding community service events at work throughout the year can be as simple as collecting food or clothing donations during the holidays. 

This past year, Answer Midwest shared our time with our community by holding a Reverse Advent Calendar donation drive. This event brought us closer together as we gave back to our community!

      3. Personalize praise

Celebrating individual team members’ contributions, successes, and roles within the company in a personalized way helps them feel recognized and appreciated. It also gives them the confidence and opportunity to grow!

For example, each month Answer Midwest highlights one of our team members on LinkedIn and Facebook. We also recognize our team in our newsletters and with letters of appreciation, in addition to rewarding them with compliment bonuses. Create opportunities for your team to applaud each other, like an internal shout-out board, to create a nurturing culture.

 

Holly was recently recognized when a new client was referred to Answer Midwest thanks to her outstanding service.

Luna receives a compliment bonus from President Jen during a team meeting.

Year-long associate appreciation is crucial to building an environment that retains and satisfies its workforce, no matter your industry. A culture built on nurturing its team members also goes beyond the walls of the business to help the community and other businesses. We hope our examples of how we recognize and engage with our team have inspired you to integrate community service, personalized praise, and building a culture of camaraderie into your business!

Are you looking to make the Answer Midwest team a part of your team through our telecommunication services? Contact us today to experience our culture and expertise firsthand!

How To Show Gratitude All Year Long

/in /by

Researchers at the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania confirmed what we at Answer Midwest have known all along: call center employees, when recognized by management, are 50% more effective than those who work in a negative work environment. 

We don’t need data to tell us that recognizing and supporting our team members is the right thing to do — after all, we always operate on the golden rule. Here are a couple of ways we recognize our employees year-round. 

      1. Recognizing the individual

Positive vibes start at the individual level. We know our people are the most important part of our company, and we try to recognize them at every opportunity. We take the time to send our employees personalized thank-you notes when they go above and beyond, so all our team members know their hard work is appreciated.

We’re proud of each and every team member, so we go to great lengths to spotlight them on our Facebook and LinkedIn and elsewhere. One of our recent spotlights was for one of our customer service representatives, Pam, who turned the positivity back at us: “When I get to go to the office, it feels like coming home. I love my colleagues and I love my managers — anyone who joins is immediately a part of the family!” 

      2. Appreciating the team

It takes a village to run a successful business, and so recognizing our employees as a whole is just as important as recognizing them individually. With dedicated team appreciation events and holiday parties, our team members are able to give thanks in each other’s company. 

Take a look at the whole team’s joy in the pictures from our last holiday party — the first one we were able to hold after COVID-19 lockdown restrictions were lifted! 

      3. Giving incentives and bonuses

Last but not least, we know it’s important to recognize employees for their hard work by helping them advance in their careers. There are many advancement paths with rapid promotion opportunities available at Answer Midwest. We also award bonuses for each in-depth compliment given to our team members — and since our team is so great, regularly, we hand out thousands of dollars at staff meetings! The bonus for us is seeing our team’s hard work get recognized by organizations like the Association of TeleServices International and St. Louis Small Business Monthly. 

Recently, we asked some of our Answer Midwest team members to share what they were thankful for, with answers ranging from family to opportunities to jobs. With another great year nearly behind us, we’re thankful for all our team!

4 ways Answer Midwest supports our team’s personal growth

/in /by

Self-improvement is more than setting one-time goals to achieve. It’s about the continuous learning goals one sets for themselves! And in today’s workplaces, self-improvement and growth are top-of-mind for many. 

A 2022 LinkedIn Workplace Learning Report found that employees’ top motivations to learn are connected to their careers. People are looking to stay up to date in their field and have learning opportunities tailored to their specific interests and career goals. 

With that said, our goal is to continue doing what we do best: fostering a company culture that encourages growth and supports our team to be the best versions of themselves every day. 

Here are four ways we support our team’s personal growth: 

  1. Offer internal opportunities for growth. Providing a healthy work environment is only one factor in delivering great results in a 24/7 business. To encourage our team to grow alongside our business, we extend opportunities for our team members to be rewarded for their hard work with great benefits and competitive wages.

    On top of that, we offer rapid advancement opportunities, insurance options, a company-matching retirement plan, and more because we want our team members to strive for excellence in their careers and future.
  2. Strengthen our company culture. Respect and appreciation are of utmost importance to our business. We operate on the golden rule — treat others as you would want to be treated. Luna P., one of our main dispatchers, says, “Everyone makes sure you feel good going to work. And if there’s something that makes you feel hesitant, the team is there to talk you through it.”

    With relationships built on trust and empathy, our team members can find a support system within the company and one another.
  3. Provide flexible time off. We understand everyone has a life and commitments outside of work, which is why we offer a wide range of schedules that meet both our teams’ and our clients’ needs. At Answer Midwest, our teams are able to work from home, and we also allow team members to trade shifts when a need arises. We’ve found being accommodating makes everyone feel more positively about their work-life balance.
  4. Support our team members’ hobbies. Being a 24-hour business means our teams work around the clock to provide award-winning service to our clients. Their dedication is what makes it all happen, so we make sure to celebrate successes big and small — in and outside of the workplace — with team spotlights and wins in our monthly newsletter and on our Facebook and LinkedIn. 

All in all, Answer Midwest strives to create a healthy foundation for everyone to reach their goals, pursue endeavors outside their comfort zone, and continually expand their knowledge of the world.

Answer Midwest’s Unique Business Model Credited with Helping Win Three Coveted Awards

/in /by

Our amazing team has been busy as ever this year, and their hard work, dedication, and prompt and personalized support that we aim to provide every day haven’t gone unnoticed – by our leadership team, clients, colleagues, friends, and fans!

ATSI Award of Excellence

We are honored to once again have earned the Association of TeleServices International’s (ATSI) Award of Excellence. This year marks the 21st year that Answer Midwest has been recognized with this exclusive award that evaluates providers of telecommunications and call center services across North America and the UK for response time, courteousness of rep, accuracy of call, knowledge of account, and overall impression of call. 

We are so proud that our team was recognized for their pleasant disposition and professionalism to our clients (and their customers) — no matter the situation. 

St. Louis Small Business Monthly – Best in Reliability and Family Business Award

We also were recently awarded two recognitions from St. Louis Small Business Monthly, being named a 2022 Best in Reliability winner and receiving their Family Business Award. To have our small but mighty business be recognized as a top family-owned business and for our commitment to being a reliable partner to our clients is such a privilege. 

We are so thankful for every member of our team for all they do to continuously demonstrate the proven quality service that they provide daily to our customers, but more so, for who they are as individuals. At Answer Midwest, our people are our most important asset, and we truly feel so fortunate to have them not only on our team but also as part of our family. Thank you to each of you … you should be so proud of the humans you are – we certainly are!

The secret to creating a successful 24-hour business

/in /by

 

All businesses have needs. But sometimes, those needs extend to all hours of the day and night in the name of customer service. This is where our team at Answer Midwest shines. Although it no doubt gets tough with a team that runs 24/7, we also know it makes an incredible difference for our clients every single day.

As a truly full-time answering service, Answer Midwest has dozens of team members working hard to keep the lines of communication open between our clients and their customers. It’s a busy and sometimes stressful job, but we know our staff is our greatest asset. 

Our approach to customer and employee satisfaction is all about building relationships. Over the past 32 years, Answer Midwest has grown leaps and bounds, and we pride ourselves on fostering a healthy, happy workplace. Since we’re available and on-call all day, every day, our team must have that needed energy our clients require of us to provide to their customers.

As the saying goes, success is 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration. We’ve worked hard to cultivate a culture that is good for our clients and our staff. Learn more about the lessons we’ve learned that have helped us to create, build, and sustain the successful 24-hour business we are today. 

  1. Show your appreciation — and show it often.
    One of the top reasons people leave a company is because they feel undervalued. If you don’t take care of your staff by recognizing their needs and making accommodations that are mutually advantageous to their lives and the company, you’re more likely to run into trouble.To show our appreciation at Answer Midwest, we provide flexible in-office and work-from-home capabilities, incentive programs to boost productivity, employee assistance programs, wellness resources for mental and physical health, and more.
  2. Celebrate the wins!
    We don’t just provide 24-hour service for our clients. At Answer Midwest, we’re there for each other 24/7, cheering each other’s wins and consoling the losses. Caring for people is at the core of who we are. Here are some of our favorite ways to celebrate our team’s accomplishments both inside and outside of the workplace:
     

    • Honoring each other’s dedication and achievements.
    • Celebrate personal team member milestones and recognize the importance these moments have in their lives. At Answer Midwest, every team member is unique — and our leadership team ensures they are valued and seen!
    • Create a caring environment. We know when our team members feel they are in good hands and confident in their training, they can provide the highest level of quality client service. A win-win! 
  3. Provide competitive compensation.
    We hinted at this earlier, but it takes more than just a positive work culture to retain talent. A recent survey from Pew Research Center stated that low pay and insufficient benefits were among the top reasons people left their jobs in 2021 amid the Great Resignation. While we strive to provide strong wages and benefits, we understand the importance of advancement opportunities, 1:1 mentoring and encouragement, and support for both personal and professional growth.

By keeping our team top of mind each step of the way as we grow, we know we can’t fail. We look forward to celebrating many more team successes, milestones, and opportunities as we move into the future together. 

Contact Answer Midwest today to find out how we can partner with your team to help your business thrive and find success! 

 

 

 

Meet the Answer Midwest Team: Susan H.

/in /by

At Answer Midwest, our team is so much more than employees to us; they are the very heart of our organization. We’re celebrating them both collectively and as individuals not just on Employee Appreciation Day, March 4, 2022, but also throughout the whole year. We know you’ll enjoy meeting and learning about some of the individuals, like Customer Service and Billing Manager Susan H., who make the Answer Midwest Team thrive every single day.

Introducing: Susan H.

Susan, who has worked for Answer Midwest for 16 years, tells us that Tennesee is her favorite place to visit because it’s green, lush, “warmer than here, and close to home.” She dreams of going someplace tropical for a long holiday and would love to go paragliding over the treetops someday. As a matter of fact, she mentioned that looking at tropical pictures is one of her favorite ways to relax.

In her free time, she likes to watch Married at First Sight or the film You’ve Got Mail, and she enjoys listening to Christian music (and also funk). She gets her exercise in during aerobics classes or by working outside and loves watching animal videos for fun. Susan loves fried chicken and hopes to drive a racecar “like a Bahja race, but not as long.”

Susan is an important part of our team, and we’re fortunate to know her. Her unique experience, skills, and talents help create the positive culture at Answer Midwest that continues to attract more wonderful employees like her. We’re so grateful for the work our team does to create an atmosphere of support and professionalism. We appreciate them every day and know that you do, too.

How Our Culture Benefits Your Business

/in /by

At Answer Midwest, our mission is to serve and support our clients to help them grow their businesses. How can we best do this? Through creating an award-winning culture that attracts the best employees—employees that are excited to represent our clients and their businesses. When our team members are excited to come to work, customers experience a more positive interaction. So, what does a focus on team culture look like? It’s truly so simple, but has an amazing impact:

Following the golden rule. Although it may sound cliché, we instill this idea – treat others as you would want to be treated – into all interactions with our team. Since team members feel respected and appreciated, they in turn are genuine to the callers with whom they speak on the phone.

Compliment bonuses. In addition to preaching kindness to each other, we also make it a point to reward positive interactions with customers. At our staff meetings, we give out $5 for each in-depth compliment that our employees receive from callers and clients. We are at a point where we hand out thousands of dollars at each meeting, as our team members continuously receive compliments for delighting our customers.

Flexible work situation. Many of our team members work remotely and have flexible hours – both are practices we implemented prior to the pandemic. We believe that employees who are comfortable in their work environment are happier and achieve better results. For us, flexibility for our associates is all about treating our team with respect and understanding the need for work/life balance.

Our customers tell us that they are surprised by the kindness and respect they receive from our team – and it’s because we strive to create a pleasant atmosphere.

Employees are so much more than just workers at Answer Midwest – they are individuals who matter. Investing in the culture of our team had done wonders for our business and that of our clients – what could a shift to a positive team culture do for your business?

Your Culture Becomes Our Culture

/in /by

When your customer picks up the phone to call your business, they deserve quality service that makes them feel heard. At Answer Midwest, we reach for one goal: connecting your customers to your business. Everything we do, from our on-boarding process to how our customer service representatives answer the phone, maintains that standard. As your supportive partner, we work hard to be a continuation of your company culture through two primary methods.

Team training and process: Training for our customer service representatives is specifically designed based on your business so it is relevant to your customers’ needs. We tailor our communication styles to match your own. For example, when our representatives answer calls on your behalf, they give a customized greeting that tells the customer they’re speaking with an extension of your company. We continually monitor calls to ensure the highest level of quality. Our thorough training process helps us seamlessly align with your business’s voice and vision.

The latest technology: Because we are a continuation of your business, our technology is always up to date. Our systems are state-of-the-art, with backup systems to ensure you have 24/7 coverage. During a call, a custom screen displays information about your business to the customer service representative, so they’re fully equipped to handle the customer’s needs. All call information is logged into our database for future reference and quality assurance. Our tech forward approach means we engage with your stakeholders in the same way you do.

We know that your business has its own unique culture. Whether you look to Answer Midwest for supplemental coverage, after hours business availability, or exclusive reception services, we want to be stewards of your company’s reputation when communicating with your customers. Our process is designed with that standard in mind.

Contact our team today to talk about partnering with us.

Answer Midwest Newsletter – Volume 8

/in /by

ANSW-Newsletter-7-1 ANSW-Newsletter-7-2 AnswerMidwest-Hiring-2-2