5 Reasons Your Business Needs Answer Midwest

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The New Year is upon us again! Many business owners saw great increases in revenue, customer retention and call volume last year. The economy is continuing to do well, consumers are spending money and our heads are spinning from the chaos and long hours required to run a business over the holiday season. Although this should be a time when everyone is full of joy and cheer, the long lines at stores, waiting for service and excessive hold time on phone calls puts consumers on edge. The age old question is how do I keep my customers satisfied without hiring a team of receptionists and customer service agents? Answer Midwest has compiled a list of ways outsourcing a call center can keep revenue and customer retention up indefinitely.

 

1. An answering service makes you available to your customers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and 365 days a year. With 24 hour service, your customers can rest assured knowing you are there when they need you. 75% of your customers believe it takes too long to get past an answering machine and to a live person.

 

2. You can take a break. You can leave the office early if need be without fear of missing a call from a prospective customer. You can go on a vacation. Many of our clients at Answer Midwest have the ability to do business from overseas, out of state, from their couch. Your customers are greeted with a warm, welcoming voice and our operators give them the assistance they are seeking. We then get the message immediately to you, in whatever form you wish to receive it. Text message, email, voicemail, fax, etc. You have all of the information you need at all times to provide excellent customer care.

 

3. Our services are cost effective. The cost of hiring even one extra person can be overwhelming. With taxes, insurance, vacation, etc., imagine what you would pay to have a receptionist or customer service agent on staff 24 hours a day. Our services are a very small fraction of that cost, with equal payout for your company. Many business owners don’t realize just how affordable an answering service is. Give us a call to get a quote so you can see just how invaluable this service will be for your business. 618-463-2430

 

4. Our agents are highly trained to answer questions and take information regarding your specific industry. We work with you to create a template for exactly how you would like our operators to interact with your customers. Our conversations are always natural and professional. It is like having a customer service professional on site every hour of the day. This makes your customers excited to refer you to friends and family, knowing they are in good hands.

 

5. Repeat customers come back because they receive immediate assistance. They receive answers to their questions, a live person to listen their problems and immediate issue resolve. 3 out of 5 Americans would try a new brand or company for a better service experience. Be the company the customers run to, not away from.

 

80% of companies say they deliver “superior” customer service, while only 8% of their customers agree. Answer Midwest has proven our superior customer service year after year, and we thrive on helping our clients improve theirs. Make your focus on the customer experience in 2015 and see this year be the most productive.

 

Answer Midwest Employee Spotlight: Stephanie

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Stephanie Oh has been a treasured employee at Answer Midwest for over six years. She works the very difficult overnight shift to ensure your business continues to run while you sleep. Very upbeat and well spoken, it’s no surprise that she’s wonderful at her job. Stephanie says she’s been committed to working at Answer Midwest for the long run because she adores the management and loves the people she works with. 

 

In her free time, she takes classes at Lewis and Clark Community College to earn her business management degree. She is also working an internship at a non-profit resale shop in Edwardsville. Stephanie has worked with the owner to develop programs for the needy and also for struggling college students. The store offers discounted or free business clothing to college students who couldn’t otherwise afford a new wardrobe for interviewing or starting their first job. She is also spearheading a program to gather clothing donations for needy children in an orphanage in Ghana.  

 

Stephanie was born and raised in Chicago. She moved to this area originally to study Photo Journalism at SIUE. She enjoys art, music, painting and photography in her free time. She has adopted stray cats and now is the proud owner of four cats and a dog. She is looking forward to visiting her family back in Chicago. We have been so blessed to have Stephanie as a part of our Answer Midwest team!

Scary Times Approaching for Retailers!

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Forget the candy corn, Answer Midwest has the perfect Halloween treat for your favorite retail worker. With the busy season approaching, consider “Retail Rollover” for those frantic folks who are spending Halloween thinking about cloning themselves for the holidays.

The Answer Midwest “Rollover” plan lets you set company phones to roll over to a friendly operator if no one answers by the third or fourth ring (which ever you select). No more interrupting a customer or stopping a sale in order to answer the phone. We answer the easy questions, dodge the telemarketers, and put everything into an e-mail that’s available the minute you are done with the current customer. It is a delightful treat!

Call Answer Midwest today at 618-463-2430 for more information.

AM Fans – Volume 2

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The bottom line for business is keeping expenses down and customer satisfaction up. AM Fans know that having dedicated staff always available and completely focused on customer calls is a very affordable service that pays off in big ways. Here’s what Answer Midwest customers say about getting the help you need to grow your business:

“Record keeping is huge in my industry. Answer Midwest is great at this.” Rob Honke with Honke Properties, fan of Answer Midwest for 20 years

At Answer Midwest we document, record and store your phone calls on archival media for 7 years. Our staff is meticulous and detail-oriented when speaking with your customers, ensuring that we deliver accurate information to the correct person every time. Our management staff continually monitors operator calls to guarantee our standards are continually met. 

“It’s not as scary or expensive as you think. I made money off of it from the first month.” Jon Stobbs, principal attorney with Stobbs Law Office, fan of Answer Midwest for 5 years

We are more than happy to put together a program for you that fits your company’s budget. Most people are surprised at how affordable our services are and the return they get on the investment. Having a 24 hour phone service can significantly boost both sales and customer retention. Having a live person available at all times shows potential customers that you will always be there when they need you.

Call Answer Midwest today at 618-463-2430 for more information.

Look out for our next installment of AM Fans coming soon!

 

Answer Midwest Employee Spotlight: Lauren

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We at Answer Midwest know how important our employees are to the ongoing success of our business. We would like to focus on a very special young lady, Lauren Pruitt, who has been with Answer Midwest since November of 2013.

Lauren is a senior at Alton High School with dual credits through Lewis & Clark. She looks forward to going to college and majoring in International business. She is a part of the National Honors Society and the Spanish Club.

Lauren has been involved in Panama missions for the last 3 years and is planning to go back this February for her 4th missions trip. She was so inspired after her first trip, she founded her very own non-profit foundation, Project Panama. She has already raised enough money to provide a wood burning stove and a water purification system for a village in Panama. We are proud to have Lauren as a part of our team!

 

AM Fans – Volume 1

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The bottom line for business is keeping expenses down and customer satisfaction up. AM Fans know that having dedicated staff always available and completely focused on customer calls is a very affordable service that pays off in big ways. Here’s what Answer Midwest customers say about getting the help you need to grow your business:

“Answer Midwest has helped our business grow by being thorough and quick, getting the message to the correct person. They maintain our high level of quality even when we aren’t available.” -Diane, Hillcrest Apartments, Answer Midwest Fan for 30 years 

Taking work related phone calls in undesirable situations can seem very unprofessional to clients. Don’t miss your kids soccer games, dinner with the family or vacation time because you want to avoid losing a current client or miss out on a potential client.

By allowing Answer Midwest to take your calls after hours, on weekends and holidays you have the luxury of getting the information to the right person and letting them decide on an appropriate time to get back to business. Your clients don’t need to hear the soccer noise but they do need to know you care and will get back to them. You CAN make your loved ones and clients happy at the same time!

“I like that Answer Midwest uses our calendar to book appointments. They integrate their technology into our specific business. Not every call center can do what they do.” -Paul with Rooterman, Answer Midwest Fan for about a year

Answer Midwest’s clients vary from lawyers to plumbers to doctors. No two fields or even businesses in a field require the same response. At Answer Midwest we research your company’s particular needs before we get started with your personal program.Your customers will feel as though our agents are your personal secretaries; knowledgable and informed about your business.

Call Answer Midwest today at 618-463-9093 for more information. Look out for our next installment of AM Fans coming soon!

 

Answer Midwest Receives International Recognition

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At Answer Midwest we often brag that our service team provides clients the best service available in the nation. While we knew it was true, it sure was great to have our faith in the staff confirmed by a panel of independent judges.

 

The Association of TeleServices International (ATSI) has awarded Answer Midwest the 2014 Diamond Plus Award for winning the Award of Excellence more than 12 years in a row. Of the 2,700 answering services in the United States, only 13 have won as many consecutive years as Answer Midwest.

 

A panel of independent judges is contracted by ATSI to evaluate. Providers are judged on courtesy, response time, accuracy and overall service to their clients. The award is presented annually to the best telecommunications and call center services in North America and the UK.

 

“The ATSI Award of Excellence is the most prestigious recognition of exemplary customer service in the industry. Award recipients demonstrated the highest level of service throughout every aspect of a caller’s experience, it’s quite an honor,” says ATSI President Sharon Campbell.

Take Back Your Holiday!

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It’s that wonderful time of year again, when friends and family gather together to celebrate the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. Most Americans look forward to the Fourth of July more than any other day off. It is a celebration of summer and a time to kick back and enjoy a much needed national holiday. Nothing feeds the soul quite like bar-b-ques, parades, fireworks and time with loved ones.

Not a single person wants to be a slave to their phone, afraid to miss a potential customer or sale, on this or any holiday. Give up the reigns and let Answer Midwest and our excellent staff handle your business with care, so you can get back to the business of enjoying your time off. Allow yourself to mentally “clock out” on holidays, weekends and after business hours so you can focus on the people that matter the most. Call Answer Midwest today to see how we can help at 618-463-9093 or visit our website at www.answermidwest.com. We look forward to serving you!

24 Hour Service for Legal Professionals

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For attorneys and other service providers whose salary depends on billable hours, nothing is more frustrating than having to stop in the middle of a great-paying project to speak to an emotional caller that just rambles on and on and on. If it is a potential client the call can be worth the wait but often it is hard not to get impatient.

At Answer Midwest our professional phone staff can listen patiently to the whole story, collect the facts and write down the details. The caller can talk as long as they need to and you get a quick e-mail documenting it all.  Whether it’s a potential client, a legitimate referral source or just someone going through the yellow pages fishing for information, you can call back right away or take the time to provide a more informed response to their questions at a time that works for both of you.

Your client’s needs are important and sensitive. We get it! Our operators are professionally trained to respectfully provide quality service and complete confidentiality to legal and service businesses. Whether you are in court or a meeting, preparing a case, or simply out of the office, Answer Midwest can take your calls and get the important details so you have the facts without all the drama.

Want to know more about Answer Midwest? See what we can do for you! Call us at (618) 463-9093

Limit Risk with Answer Midwest

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As if running a business isn’t scary enough, in a recent survey most tradesmen admitted to picking up the phone while in a dangerous position. This risk for reward attitude has a solution. Answer Midwest works with many trade professionals to pick up the phone. No matter where you are, you don’t have to STOP what you are doing to answer the phone. Our services limit the risk and liability by letting workers focus on quality and safety.

You may assume that you can not afford our services, but what we provide for your business is priceless. The risk of allowing a workplace accident to happen is NEVER worth the benefit. Endless lawsuits, injuries and even death are horrifying yet realistic situations that can easily be avoided by allowing Answer Midwest to take care of your customers so that you can continue to safely perform your job.