Whose call is it?
A serviced office operator offers virtual office clients a business phone number answered in the client's company name. The receptionist answers a call. The phone shows a number, not a company. They glance at the shared sheet, guess, and answer with the right company name most of the time.
The caller wants to speak to the director. The sheet says to take a message, unless it is about an urgent order, in which case transfer to a mobile. The receptionist writes the message on a pad, gets interrupted by a member, and emails it an hour later. The client's customer calls back, annoyed.
Why call answering is unreliable
- Incoming numbers are not linked to client names on the reception phone.
- Each client's instructions are in a shared spreadsheet or a binder.
- Messages are written on paper and passed on later.
- Transfers go to numbers that may be out of date.
- Calls are not counted, so plans with call limits are not billed properly.
- Reception is also greeting members and guests, so calls compete with people.
Call answering is a service clients pay for, and they judge it on the one call that went wrong.
What unreliable answering costs
Clients lose customers' goodwill when calls are answered with the wrong name or messages arrive late, and they cancel the service. Reception is stressed by juggling calls and people. Calls beyond plan limits are not billed. And there is no record to show what happened when a client complains.
The service can also become a bottleneck. As virtual office clients grow in number, a single receptionist answering calls from memory and a spreadsheet reaches a limit well before the phone lines do.
The call handling we build
- Each client's number is set up in your cloud phone system, such as a Twilio-based setup or your existing provider, so the called number identifies the client.
- As a call rings, reception's screen shows the client's company name, greeting and instructions: who to transfer to, when, what to say, and what to record.
- Messages are taken in a short form on screen and delivered to the client immediately by email, text or their preferred channel.
- Transfers use numbers kept up to date by the client through a simple page.
- Every call is logged with its outcome, and calls are counted against the client's plan, with charges above the allowance added to the monthly invoice.
- Out of hours, or when reception is busy, calls follow the rules you set, such as voicemail transcribed and sent to the client.
- Clients can see their call log and update their instructions themselves.
| Part of the call | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Knowing the client | Guess from a sheet | Shown on screen as it rings |
| Instructions | Shared spreadsheet | On screen per client |
| Messages | Paper, emailed later | Delivered immediately |
| Transfers | Possibly out-of-date numbers | Numbers maintained by the client |
| Billing | Not counted | Counted against the plan |
What clients and reception notice
Every call is answered in the right name with the right instructions. Messages reach clients within moments. Reception has what it needs on screen. Calls are billed under each plan. And if a client asks what happened to a call, the log shows it.
Clients also have more control. Changing who takes calls during a holiday, or adding a new team member's mobile, is something they do themselves rather than an email to reception that may not be actioned in time.
Is your call answering like this?
- Reception is unsure which client a call is for.
- Client instructions are in a shared spreadsheet.
- Messages are written on paper and passed on later.
- Calls beyond plan limits are not billed.
- Clients have complained about missed or late messages.