Below is our recent interview with Fraser Wilson, Global Head of Marketing at AnswerConnect:
Q: Could you provide our readers with a brief introduction to AnswerConnect?
A: AnswerConnect is a live answering service. We operate 24/7, 365 days a year across three continents. We provide support to businesses through the most powerful medium of all – human connection. And because all of our employees work from anywhere (albeit from their home offices during the pandemic), we’re not burdened by the cost or impracticalities of a typical office-based call center.
AnswerConnect was born from a desire to create a more sustainable way of doing business. The company was founded with a strong environmental focus. That’s why we plant a tree for every customer and every employee, every month!
Q: Who is your ideal client and why?
A: Our ideal client is any business owner, CEO, manager, or professional looking to support their callers and grow their business. We provide 24/7 live call answering support to businesses in all industries across the US.
We work with a lot of SMEs, particularly those looking to scale their business without incurring the added costs of hiring and training an entire support team. We also work with larger companies and provide support at peak times to supplement internal staff e.g. after hours and weekends. We have the same aim for all of our clients; to provide top-quality customer service to nurture business growth.
Q: Can you give us more insights into your services?
A: So, besides live call answering, we offer message taking, appointment booking, lead capture and qualification, spam filtering, live web chat, and much more. Our services are built on the idea that every business should be able to provide live customer support 24/7. That means no AI chatbots, no missed calls, and absolutely no voicemail.
We give every customer dedicated access to their own cloud-based platform via a mobile and desktop app. From the app, clients can see all the messages from our virtual receptionists and follow up directly with customers. The AnswerConnect app gives our clients the ability to work from anywhere, with peace of mind knowing that all prospects and customers are receiving top quality service.
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Q: What can we expect from AnswerConnect in the next 6 months? What are your plans?
A: We have some big things on the horizon, and we’re also continuously working on new features to improve the experience of our clients and their customers. Covid-19 is still placing an enormous strain on businesses of all sizes, and we are very much here to support for the long-term.
Q: What is the best thing about AnswerConnect that people might not know about?
A: We’re firm believers in the Henry Ford quote: “Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young.”
To that end, we encourage every employee to dedicate at least 150 minutes of their workweek to learning. Learning comes in many forms; whether it’s reading a book, listening to a podcast, or even taking online courses. Upskilling is essential to our individual and collective wellbeing. We honestly believe that employees who feel empowered and love their job are employees who innovate and treat customers well. As we say, the company that learns together grows together.
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Q: Why are your services important to businesses across the US, UK, and Canada?
A: We recently commissioned an independent research study into how businesses use the telephone in their organization. The research gathered responses from 200 US and 200 UK companies.
The results were fascinating and contained some real surprises. For instance, 7 out of 10 respondents said the telephone is their best customer service tool. Three out of four small businesses rely on the telephone to create a personal rapport and solve customer problems.
Despite this, 60% of respondents said the calls they personally handle are mostly unnecessary and take up time from their productive hours. No wonder 69% said their workday would be much more efficient if they had someone to answer calls for them.
Of course, to filter the good from the bad, you have to answer every call. Unfortunately, businesses miss, on average, 30% of inbound calls every day. Based on the average annual turnover of the companies in the study, that equals a whopping $1.6 million in annual revenue.
In a nutshell, the research further confirmed that human interaction is still an essential ingredient to business. But, in an increasingly fast-paced landscape, the temptation to settle for AI chatbots and IVR is strong. AnswerConnect is committed to helping businesses avoid that temptation and give their callers the human connection they deserve.
