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Answering Service for Group Tour Business: How to run your business from the beach

1/7/2019

 
Reno Tour Guide
Imagine running a business that takes you around the globe. Sounds fun, right? Now imagine needing to take and make phone calls with spotty cell service, international roaming charges, and differing timezones from your customers.

Kind of takes the fun out of enjoying the beach, doesn't it?

That was the experience that Patty and Kathy from Patty's Tours of Reno, Nevada were facing as they traveled with large group tours to places like the Bahamas, Ireland and Africa. In the middle of the night or the middle of a congratulatory toast, they would receive a phone call from a customer wanting to book their next tour. Torn between providing an amazing experience for their customers on tour with them, and giving excellent service to customers from their next upcoming tour--something had to change.

Patty's Tours had heard about Tel-Com Answering Service from another growing business trying to juggle working for clients with answering the phone.

Patty laughs, "I have such a control issue that I have a really hard time not answering the phone."
Kathy chimes in, "She's nosy! She likes to hear from our guests and know exactly how their experience was!"

Many business owners can relate to this fear of handing over the voice of the business. Business owners want consistency and control in the connection between sales and customers. 

Giving up this control has been one of the best business decisions for Patty's Tours. Now, calls don't get missed when they're out on the road. 

How do you have your Answering Service set up?
Patty's Tours sets the phone to forward when they're on the road, or if they need some R & R for the evening. 
The answering service sends a text message to both Patty and Kathy, which allows both business partners to stay up to date on any emergencies. This is helpful when a customer is running late to meet them at the bus! They can each assist in passing on messages to the driver and the rest of the group.

At the end of the day, Patty and Kathy sit down and review the calls that came in during the day, and divvy up return calls.

All messages also come through to their email, which is extremely helpful when traveling out of town with inconsistent cell service. Email acts as a back-up and a place to retrieve customer information.

What do you love most about using an Answering Service?
"The bill is so cheap! This is such an affordable way to expand a business' presence and ability to serve more customers," Patty comments.

Kathy adds, "I have worked for answering services before, and what I love about Tel-Com, specifically, is that I can talk to an operator and give them changes to the script. So--if we're going to be out of town for a long cruise, I can ask the operator to pass that information onto our customers. This helps with our customers' expectations."


Patty, with that wise glow in her eyes, offers in thanks, "There's a beautiful piece to making a business virtual. We're on a beach in beautiful 90 degree weather and have the ability to jump on the phone for an hour. Tel-Com helps make this lifestyle a reality."


Interested in testing out an Answering Service? Give us a call and mention our Featured Client: Patty's Tours!

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Answering Service For Your Business

1/11/2018

 

Recreation Vehicle Sales and Body Shop Answering Services

11/18/2015

 
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 “I don’t know what I ever did without Tel-Com,”
says Lori Ann Stone, sales manager at A1 RV Sales and Body Shop. A1 provides sales, service, and parts for recreational vehicles.

With a very busy staff, there was no way to meet the demands of answering every phone call or even listening to the answering machine.  “Many walk-in clients require our complete attention,” Stone says. “We did not want to ever miss a call.”

Like being open 24/7.
When people take their RVs out on the weekends, A1 needs to be available in case there is an accident. With Tel-Com, the body shop was not only open during business hours but available 24/7.  “With Tel-Com answering our phones, we are now able to get with anyone who is in need when they are in need,” says Stone.
 
How the answering service works.
When a customer calls, and A1 staff are unable to pick up by the fifth ring ( with clients, after hours or holidays) the call is automatically forwarded to the answering service. Tel-Com picks up, takes the message and immediately sends it to the designated A1 team member. “Whether we are meeting with customers, it’s after hours, or on weekends, Tel-Com captures all the business that we might otherwise have missed out on.” 

·        phones are forwarded 24/7
·        Rings 1 – 5 to A1 shop
·        6th ring forwards to Tel-Com
·        message taken and immediate dispatch
 
An answering service you can count on.
Stone says she would not do anything different in regard to using Tel-Com answering services. Not only does she appreciate what Tel-Com does for A1 business, she has a great relationship with their staff. “They are really terrific!”

Tel-Com appreciates the opportunity to work with time-critical businesses like A1 RV Sales and Body Shop. We are honored to be your support team! Please contact us for more information about taking advantage of Tel-Com's services.

Property Management Answering Service

4/27/2015

Comments

 
Property Management Reno
As a business, Corazon Real Estate is always looking for the most cost-effective way to solve a business problem; for example, how to be ready and available, and sound good, no matter when a phone call is made.  "We can’t always be open and still expect to earn a profit (yes, it’s a dirty word, but personal fulfillment doesn’t put the kids through college).  As a property management company, we have to be ready to take care of people 24/7/365, because emergencies don’t care what time it is or what I’m doing when you call," remarks Tony Chinnici, Broker/President of Corazon Real Estate. 

Most after-hours calls to a property management company have to do with a problem: 
  • Something is broken.
  • My current property management company just infuriated me and I’m looking for a new one.

Having a professional, consistent answer for that phone call is imperative, helping to set the tone for the conversation with the caller, and it is HARD to find this in the answering service market today.

Tel-Com: What was the breaking point that made you choose Tel-Com?
Chinnici: We worked with another company for years before we worked with Tel-Com.  Working with that company began as a good experience, but then over time we started to get more and more negative feedback – like not actually answering the phone!  They were less expensive at first, but then their rates jumped and the quality of their work actually diminished.  Shopping for a new service began, and I found in my search that Tel-Com has considerable experience, and systems in place, for working with property management companies with a per-company, customized format.  The price may not be bargain-basement, but I don’t want bargain-basement service for our tenants and clients.  I want a professional presence, and that’s what I have with Tel-Com.

How is your answering service set up?
Corazon Real Estate manually forwards their phones to Tel-Com at 5pm each day, and then manually unforwards their phones at 9:30am each day. Tel-Com operators aim to answer calls by the third ring. As successful real estate agents and property managers Corazon has a high call volume, and the phones really do ring 24/7/365!

"I have never had a complaint about the answering service we use, and in our business, sometimes it almost seems as though people are searching for things to complain about.  I appreciate that I can focus on solving problems in our business without having to worry about how our calls are handled while the office is closed." Tony, Corazon Real Estate


Comments

Carpet Cleaning Answering Service

3/24/2015

 
Answering Service for Carpet Cleaning
Three years ago Mark, owner of Carpet Cops, returned a customer's call only to find that in just ten minutes the competition had already been contracted to handle the $20,000 water damage restoration project. Mark knew it was time for a change. The profit incentive of using an answering service was now painfully obvious.

In the carpet cleaning business it is important to answer the phone right away, but in the water damage business it is mandatory! Carpet Cops handles water damage restoration claims; when these customers call they're in the middle of an emergency and need an immediate solution. 

"Using an answering service has added significant sales to my business. In this industry people go through the phone book and just keep calling until they reach someone," comments Mark who was once confident in his ability to return calls right away. 

Every business is slightly unique in their reasons for using an answering service. Because carpet cleaning takes Mark and his staff on the road and to residential areas with poor reception, they don't always hear the phone ring or can't have a proper conversation with the customer over the static. 

How is your Answering Service set up?
Carpet Cops uses multiple phone numbers to advertise to all the different regions they service; all of these calls are directed to one line. The phone rings four times before the line is directed to Tel-Com, giving Mark the chance to field customer calls personally.

The phone rings four times before the line is directed to Tel-Com, giving Mark the chance to personally field calls from known customers and area codes he recognizes.

If a caller sounds distressed or mentions water damage Tel-Com immediately puts out an APB for Mark: they text him and call his home number until he is reached. This allows the Carpet Cops staff to connect and schedule with customers in crisis.

The addition of Tel-Com has helped Mark manage his time more efficiently. He can easily sort through non-critical messages (sales calls and blind phone solicitations) and return those calls as his schedule allows, while giving him more time to call his actual VIP customers (and his family!) who are calling for service. The other benefit Mark has realized is that most "robo-dial sales calls" never leave a message with Tel-Com! 

"I want to thank Tel-Com for helping me grow my business. I receive the critical calls that are so necessary to be responsive to my clients. I want to thank Corrie and the whole group for answering the phone and relaying an exact message which is so important for making my business grow." Mark, Carpet Cops

Tel-Com appreciates the opportunity to work with time-critical businesses like Carpet Cops. We are honored to be your support team! Please contact us for more information about taking advantage of Tel-Com's services.
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