AnswerFone

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of TheCallIndeX. We provide cell support and virtual assistance to businesses.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with AnswerFone?

We were looking for a North American answering service.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They answer the calls, using our script, and take messages for us. My phone is redirected to their number for receiving calls. 

What is the team composition?

I mainly interact with the managers, but there are receptionists, too. I have also spoken to their CEO during the engagement.

How did you come to work with AnswerFone?

I found their number while searching for a vendor. They were a new company at the time with a great deal, so I hired them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent over $1,200.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together around July 2020 and our relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

They’ve done well in answering phone calls. I’m satisfied with their services at this point.

How did AnswerFone perform from a project management standpoint?

Their phone system gives a detailed weekly report of calls received, length of calls, and the charge. Communication is going well between our teams; we use phone and email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’ve provided all of the resources they promised. In the past, I've experienced other companies switching out to use resources from other places instead of North America. They also have the best pricing that I’ve found.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t have anything specific they could improve on.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Just do your research and make sure you’re getting the best deal.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president and owner of a tax return firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with AnswerFone?

I wanted to have a way to answer the phones when we’re not in the office without the headache of managing a receptionist.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

AnswerFone answers my calls, filter it marketing calls, and pre-qualify the clients so I can better serve them.

What is the team composition?

I’ve worked with three people from their team, with one account manager.

How did you come to work with AnswerFone?

I have the same landline provider as AnswerFone and the owner of that company referred them to me.

How much have you invested with them?

I’ve spent $300–$400 so far. It’s a flexible rate per month, which means if I use more minutes than planned, they go into the next month with no overages.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in June 2020, and our work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

Their quality of work is good. I’ve had clients come into the office and ask where my receptionist is. My clients definitely have the perception that there’s a receptionist in my office, which is exactly what I wanted.

How did AnswerFone perform from a project management standpoint?

They send me a detailed email with a summary of each call they take.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They operate 9–5 pm, just like I do. Their service gives me a receptionist without having to pay a full-time employee’s salary.

Are there any areas they could improve?

My name is French, so it’s a bit difficult for them to pronounce. I’ll have to coach one of them on how to pronounce it properly.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

It’s a worthwhile service that provides a ton of value compared to having a receptionist in-office.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m president and CEO of a custom furniture store. We’ve been in business for over 10 years now.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with AnswerFone?

I’m a small business, but I don’t have the funds to have another full-time employee. I needed to outsource administrative tasks.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They answer calls and relay messages to me, which is a huge time saver. All I had to do was tell them about my business and tell them what types of calls to expect.

What is the team composition?

I have one main point of contact.

How did you come to work with AnswerFone?

They were referred to me by other business owners. They were perfect for my needs.

How much have you invested with them?

I’ve spent around $6,500 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started in January 2020, and our work is still ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

There haven’t been any complaints from my customers. It really takes a lot off of my plate and gives me more free time to run my business.

How did AnswerFone perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re great at meeting deadlines and communication.

What did you find most impressive about them?

It’s a huge time-saver for me. Now, I can focus on higher-level things instead of answering the phone.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, not at this moment.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

My advice is to start as soon as possible. You might not think you need it or can afford it, but it frees up so much of your time.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are an data integration and full stack development company. We have also added SEO and other Lead generation services for our customers who need them. I am in charge of professional services delivery.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire AnswerFone?

We had an outbound dialing campaign for our customer.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to test the market for a product and service. We wanted to see what percentage would be interested and why.

SOLUTION

How did you select AnswerFone?

We did business with Answerfone before when we built a Call Center related app for them. Our client had shortlisted one other provider and he interviewed both and picked Answerfone.

Describe the project in detail.

We wanted to test market a product and service around forecasting and scheduling.

What was the team composition?

Apart from Eric we had one supervisor and 2 call center staff. Since our project was a short duration we did not have any team changes.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

We got the percentage of leads we were looking for based on our list of contacts.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We were in touch almost on a daily basis and if required on demand if we had a hot lead.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

We felt that they had a better process and qualified staff.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Daily analysis of data would have helped us tweak the message.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

My name is Tiffany Johnston, I'm the Chief of Staff for BlockCerts.com. We are a blockchain software company located in Vancouver, BC, Canada.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire AnswerFone?

We hired Answerfone to answer our toll free numbers to our two companies. BlockCerts.com & SeedCERTin.com. Answerfone answered all of our Sales and Support calls.

What were your goals for this project?

n/a

SOLUTION

How did you select AnswerFone?

We were recommended to use AnswerFone by one of our clients in Alberta.

Describe the project in detail.

We are a blockchain company for SME's as well as a platform company for the Cannabis Industry.

What was the team composition?

Global remote team in 5 continents. North & South America, Europe, Asia and Africa.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Jeremy Chen was our account manager. Jeremy was superb! He was always very knowledgeable, very professional and courteous. Often, he went beyond the call of duty to deliver what we needed or asked of him.

We signed up with AnswerFone because of Jeremy and very grateful to have him serviced our account this year. We decided to have an inhouse call center for our incoming calls, thus, we had to cancel our service.

All the best to Jeremy and AnswerFone. I would definitely recommend AnswerFone to any business who are looking for phone answering and receptionist services.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Our teams worked out really well.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Jeremy Chen. Enough said!

Are there any areas for improvement?

Monthly report for calls to customer.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Neil Murray is the President and owner of FASTCHECK is a Criminal Record & Fingerprint form for non criminal purposes.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire AnswerFone?

Being able to answer the phone for booking appointments.

What were your goals for this project?

Yes - Answerfone are doing a very credible job at managing this for us.

SOLUTION

How did you select AnswerFone?

It is a friend that started this company up!

Describe the project in detail.

They are an answering service for Fastcheck Criminal Record & Fingerprint Specialists.

What was the team composition?

They have staff that are trained in responding to phone calls on Fastcheck's behalf

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

First call attempts are being answered on time now that I have engaged Answerfone

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Easy

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Small company with a big time feel~

Are there any areas for improvement?

Not really - all issues are addressed but the owner in a very timely manner~

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

YourStyle Financial Inc. provides business owners, employees, and families with independent financial planning services. Since 1987 we are proud to work with 4 generations of clients. As President, I have the following designations CLU, CPCA, CFP & CEA.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire AnswerFone?

My office manager does not work on Fridays, so we wanted to have the opportunity to have a live person answer the calls and provide direction as needed.

What were your goals for this project?

Their goal was to provide the best customer service experience at a reasonable cost.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I have known the owner for a number of years and was interested in using the services for our company.

Describe the project in detail.

We needed our phones answered on Fridays.

What was the team composition?

The team made sure someone is available to speak with our clients when they call.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

We are very pleased with the service provided. Clients were confident that someone was dealing with their needs and everything is being addressed.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

I would receive an email confirmation of each call/transaction and have the availability of a recording if needed.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They have covered all the bases. Every client issue can be addressed on the call.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I highly recommend them. Stay focused on what you do best...

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Calvert Fitness. Owner-Operator. A fat loss coaching program.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire AnswerFone?

AnswerFone took inbound calls and also handled scheduled sales calls with prospects.

What were your goals for this project?

Off-load roughly 5-10 hours a week and convert prospects that may otherwise have slipped through the cracks.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Had connected with its owner locally.

Describe the project in detail.

Prospects call to inquire about coaching or take the additional step of booking in a consult. AnswerFone took the reins of this entirely.

What was the team composition?

One lady in particular (Elyse) did the majority of our calls and was able to get a good handle on operations right away. Knew us inside out quickly.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Sales conversions were consistent with where they were when I was handling it all myself. Freed up more time for me to work on the business, not in.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Constant lines of communication. Fast responses to all inquiries.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Professionalism.

Are there any areas for improvement?

None that couldn't easily be ironed out with a conversation.