Clean It Up

UK Floor Cleaning Forum => Carpet Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Shaun_Ashmore on February 11, 2014, 07:14:52 am

Title: Telephone answer service
Post by: Shaun_Ashmore on February 11, 2014, 07:14:52 am
Can anyone recommend a professional answer service, I need cover for a week?

Shaun
Title: Re: Telephone answer service
Post by: JandS on February 11, 2014, 10:08:34 am
Phone divert no good then Shaun..that's what I do on holidays.
Title: Re: Telephone answer service
Post by: Shaun_Ashmore on February 11, 2014, 06:11:21 pm
Not to Egypt I want to enjoy the sun.

Shaun
Title: Re: Telephone answer service
Post by: jasonl on February 11, 2014, 06:28:57 pm
Ill cover them  ;D
Title: Re: Telephone answer service
Post by: Robert Watson on February 11, 2014, 07:11:49 pm
Hi Shaun, I`m needing cover for a week also, I`ll phone someone Iv got in mind tomorrow and if it works out I`ll let you know.
Title: Re: Telephone answer service
Post by: Kev Loomes on February 11, 2014, 08:21:41 pm
http://www.ukfactotum.com/carpet-cleaners
Title: Re: Telephone answer service
Post by: Shaun_Ashmore on February 11, 2014, 08:32:07 pm
Thanks chaps, ha ha Jason  ;D

Shaun
Title: Re: Telephone answer service
Post by: davep on February 11, 2014, 08:35:28 pm
Why not let Jason take the calls if local then you take his whilst he's away?
Title: Re: Telephone answer service
Post by: Buckland on February 19, 2014, 09:12:57 pm
Shaun - did you try Penelope?

Title: Re: Telephone answer service
Post by: Hilton on February 19, 2014, 11:05:44 pm
Off to Egypt ?
Have you seen the latest advice from the F O
Title: Re: Telephone answer service
Post by: ian harper on February 20, 2014, 07:43:58 am
factotum, as kev says have used they more than once very good service.
Title: Re: Telephone answer service
Post by: Ian Gourlay on February 22, 2014, 02:36:43 pm
What is the experience of using this Company

Are Customers still interested when you get back to them or have they gone on and called another Company
Title: Re: Telephone answer service
Post by: david@zap-clean on March 01, 2014, 07:52:18 am
What is the experience of using this Company

Are Customers still interested when you get back to them or have they gone on and called another Company

I've just run a 2 week trial with them while I've been away in Spain.  It worked very well for me.
 
I know I've been loosing customers (previously) by diverting calls to an answering machine. A call handling service reduces this problem, at a price worth paying I feel.

It was a bit of a pain having to call up customers each evening though, it cut into vino tinto time!
Title: Re: Telephone answer service
Post by: Warren Aldridge on March 02, 2014, 08:31:40 pm
I've been using these people for 3 years. They kind of under stand the carpet cleaning business through the experience of taking my calls.

I use their virtual PA service, they have my price list and quote customers and take bookings for me. We collaborate on a google calendar. They see my schedule and book in jobs around that.

There are only 2 of them so they both know my business well. Including vetting customers for parking for the truckmount and what jobs require a portable etc

Anne is the MD and Shaun is her employee.

http://www.freelanceofficeservices.co.uk

Very good service, highly recommended
Title: Re: Telephone answer service
Post by: Craigp on March 02, 2014, 08:44:39 pm
Really interesting Warren

I would LOVE not to have to take calls.

Some calls might need a some selling/converting though, how do they handle that?
Title: Re: Telephone answer service
Post by: Warren Aldridge on March 02, 2014, 09:00:41 pm
I give them an excel spreadsheet with my prices and a discount range incase they need to haggle.

In general they are so professional sounding sometimes I'll pick up the phone and customers will only want to speak to Anne to do the booking.

If they can't win the job they log the call and how it went and you can call that person back and try yourself.

I suppose any of you could just input your prices into my spreadsheet and they can work in the same way for you. I'll let Anne know that she can do this with my spreadsheets.


Title: Re: Telephone answer service
Post by: Warren Aldridge on March 02, 2014, 09:10:31 pm
They also use Voipfone. I use Voipfone too so all calls that go from me to them are free

It's a good setup.
Title: Re: Telephone answer service
Post by: Craigp on March 02, 2014, 09:21:12 pm
So it's not all calls they take? only if you miss it or click reject on your phone?

That would be good for when I'm halfway down cleaning a flight of stairs, I often don't answer then, which can mean losing the job.
Title: Re: Telephone answer service
Post by: Warren Aldridge on March 02, 2014, 09:25:53 pm
Diverts go from my Voipfone land line not from my mobile.
In your case you can divert all land line calls to them, and the can act as receptionist and call you. If you can't talk then they will quote and take the booking.
Title: Re: Telephone answer service
Post by: Warren Aldridge on March 02, 2014, 09:32:09 pm
Or yes, as you say

If you can setup auto divert systems on your mobile that would be good.

It's really cool when you check your emails after a job and the bookings are there all sorted.

I hate talking on the phone at the best of times, while working you can forget it
Title: Re: Telephone answer service
Post by: davep on March 04, 2014, 06:30:03 pm
What does this cost?
Title: Re: Telephone answer service
Post by: Carpet Dawg on March 04, 2014, 07:12:32 pm
£1,200 a year for 100 calls a month.  :o

http://www.freelanceofficeservices.co.uk/call_answering.shtml

Title: Re: Telephone answer service
Post by: Steve Chapman on March 04, 2014, 07:49:02 pm
Thats pretty cheap really, £100 a month, thats a bargain !

Steve
Title: Re: Telephone answer service
Post by: Carpet Dawg on March 04, 2014, 07:57:30 pm
Yeah cheaper than paying for a member of staff I suppose.

I'd rather answer the calls and put £1200 towards something better.
Title: Re: Telephone answer service
Post by: davep on March 04, 2014, 10:11:59 pm
Plus only 3 calls a day
Title: Re: Telephone answer service
Post by: Carpet Dawg on March 04, 2014, 10:33:47 pm
I get 3 sales calls a day on average  :-\