Archive for category: Blog

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!

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!

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.

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.

WE HAVE BIG NEWS!
Answer Midwest has been awarded International Top Ten

 

We’re thrilled to announce that not only have we been awarded our 16th Award of Excellence but we ranked in a coveted TOP TEN POSITION.

Our team competed against answering services from all over North America and Canada and was recognized as the cream of the crop.  We know we have a great team, but such highly esteemed international recognition sure feels good.