As computer business owners, we are so involved in the day to day of our operations that we forget to really think of our business as a whole. This can prove to be a huge blind spot.

Sometimes we have partners that we rely on for some of our core products and/or services. However, there are times they may change their pricing, eliminate a product series, or worse, close their doors overnight. It can happen to anyone.

It happened to me just a little over two months ago.   The answering service I used ended up shutting down overnight, leaving me high and dry without any fall-back plan.

Through this ordeal, I learned a few things.  Here are my tips on how to handle what could be a crucial time for your business.
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In the process of automating the workflow of my computer repair business, I am often reminded I cannot do it all. Answering client calls is one of my biggest pain-points. It’s hard to complete many of my daily tasks and still provide the great customer service I would like to provide to those who call over the phone.

This problem set me on my journey over the last several years to find an answering service that best fit my business and my budget. During the process of choosing a company to answer my businesses phone calls, I tried a lot of different services.

What I found through this process is that there are certain things you should be thinking about as you evaluate the type of service you choose.  What are the right things to ask? How do I know this service is right for me and my business?

This is why I created the following checklist of 10 questions you should ask any potential answering services or call center partner: [Read more…]