Call Center and Answering Service

Some Kind Words For ACA

2009-08-28T14:51:00.004-05:00

Below is a letter we received from an applicant through our Facebook. The applicant has allowed us to share this amazing letter with all of you. Enjoy!!!

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Hello Michael,

I was at Answer Center America for a VERY LARGE group interview on Tuesday and then was called back for a smaller VERY LARGE group interview yesterday (Thursday). Wow! What an experience. Each person was as good as the next and we all have our reasons for why we want and need to work at ACA!

It was a great opportunity and the fact that an actual 'people-answering' service is so much on the rise just goes to show where things are going. That people really do need people - corny, I know. There's such a diversity of ways that we all communicate these days, texting, twittering, web-organizing and more, but there are still some who love actually knowing there is a listening ear paying attention to us on the other side of the phone connection.

I haven't been called back for a position yet, and don't know if I will (even though I'm still hoping!), but it was a really pleasurable experience that left me with a positive feeling ever since.

All the best,

Kate Hickey

Jack Daly!

2009-08-20T10:34:00.003-05:00

Jack Daly, Indy, Oct. 27th, 2009.
Click here to register!

ACA Opens New Lines of Communication with Web Chat

2009-08-06T10:37:00.003-05:00

Web chat drives sales, improves communication and puts customers at ease.

Today’s technology is compelling us toward instantaneous response. We’re a technology driven world and consumers are demanding tools to support the changing times. It’s time to acknowledge these needs. Web chat is the driving force behind the age of virtual help.

Advantages of Web Chat for your business:

• Instantaneous response –Web chat prevents hang ups and makes holding impossible. As soon as a question, concern or order transpires, there’s a qualified agent available to respond. You’re able to interact with customers at the exact moment a problem occurs.

• Increased web traffic – So where do customers go to find a virtual help desk? Straight to your web site. This increases Web traffic and positions your company as a technologically driven organization in the eyes of your viewers. If the answers they need are unavailable on your Web site, there’s an easy transition from being unassisted to assisted, with little wait time.

• Language – Eliminates the miscommunication barrier between languages and pronunciation. Conversations are easily translated, with little discrepancy.

• Online ordering - Web chat is an easy tool to reduce uncertainly and assist with online order taking. Customers who are purchasing items online find web chat to be easily within reach and are more likely to make contact. Live chat puts a personal touch on the online ordering process. Rest assured you are not going to lose an online sale due to purchasing apprehension or questions.

Today’s media has given multi-tasking a new definition. Consumers are influenced by more than one form of media, at any given moment. Television and Internet go hand-in-hand, so make sure your customers have every medium available when it comes time to make their purchase.

Still not sure that Web chat is for you? Contact ACA at 800-270-7030 to see how Web Chat can increase your bottom line. Or visit http://www.goacanow.com/

Welcome to ACA

2009-07-01T16:05:00.006-05:00

Call Center Metrics Can Boost Quality and Save Money

2009-02-26T13:52:00.000-06:00

Summary: There are productivity, quality, and customer satisfaction metrics which can be measured to enhance quality and increase a company bottom line. GoACAnow.com offers call center solutions that can manage inbound or outbound business calls professionally.
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Call center metrics are key performance indicators, and they should focus on business goals and call center solutions. If metrics are analyzed and lined up with strategies, they can boost quality and save an organization money. Metrics monitor a call center’s performance by gathering and analyzing information; there are productivity metrics, quality metrics, and customer satisfaction metrics.

Inbound productivity metrics include the number of calls handled, and their timing. Also included are the number of emails handled, and the average time to respond to emails. Inbound productivity metrics comprise the percentage of calls and transactions resolved in the first contact. Outbound productivity metrics include the number of outbound calls and their timing. Productivity metrics for orders and quotes include the number of quotes and proposals, prices of quotes, and dollar amount of items sold. They also identify the number of leads and cross-sell/up-sell opportunities.

Quality metrics involve the accuracy of orders and quotes. They quantify product knowledge, technical knowledge, and communication and problem solving skills. Satisfaction metrics are figured from real time surveys of customers, field sales staff, and partners/distributors.

Analyzing these metrics can show if goals are being met, and if call center solutions are needed. The results will show specific areas that need improvement, and the quality of the call center will improve if new plans are put into practice. Cost analysis including measuring cost per call can save money and increase revenues by implementing improvements where needed.

Answer Center America, Inc. offers high quality call center solutions with their state of the art technology, and professional staffing. GoACAnow.com operates efficiently by analyzing metrics, and can increase a business’ bottom line.

Bio: Grace Enderlein is a freelance writer and editor. “Call Center Metrics Can Boost Quality and Save Money” outlines what metrics measure, and how they can increase quality and save money for call center solutions.

ACA's New Web Commercial

2009-02-03T11:33:00.000-06:00

Top 10 Call Center "SELF" Questions

2009-01-22T20:19:00.000-06:00

Below are my top 10 questions I like to supply businesses with to ask them self before we get to far in the outsourcing process. Take a look and let me know.

Mike’s Top 10 “SELF” Outsourcing Questions
1. What is my primary goal in working with a commercial call center?
2. What is my preliminary time line for rolling out the services I am immediately interested in?
3. How am I currently performing the task I am now looking to outsource?
4. What is the real DOLLAR amount each call is worth to me and my team?
5. What is my preliminary monthly, quarterly, and annual budget for these services?
6. How much percent am I willing to exceed my budget and be comfortable?
7. What services do I want but do not necessarily need at launch?
8. How soon after l launch do I want to add the additional services?
9. What type of reporting will I require to monitor the call centers performance and monitor my success?
10. How interactive do I want my experience to be with my call center provider?

Bi-lingual Order Taking- Outsource Your Order Taking Business Processes

2009-01-08T12:18:00.000-06:00

In today’s complex commerce environment, bi-lingual order taking business processes are more important than ever. You need to provide your customer with piece of mind when ordering from your business by reassuring them that no matter what time of day or night there is a live person that speaks their language there to help them place their order. The United States Census shows that the U.S. Hispanic population continues to grow nationwide and that studies reveal a continuous increase of Spanish speaking Americans. It has become more important to be able to provide bi-lingual order taking. Spanish speaking customers would rather conduct business in their own language.

When looking to outsource your order taking business processes, be sure to provide bi-lingual order taking services as a priority. Some top of the line features to consider are:

· 24/7/365 Bi-lingual (Spanish/English) Order Taking Support

· Custom built order taking systems for seamless integration with fulfillment houses

· Fully customized online static and demographic reporting

· Digital Recordings of each and every call taken by the agent

· Screen snaps of calls being taken so you can see what we see when a call is taken

· Custom agent incentive program offerings

Outsourcing your bi-lingual order taking for standard 1 product sales and services to catalogs with over 1000 SKU’s requires teamwork and homework. Working closely with your outsourcing team is essential to the success of your business. Every process is customized to your company’s needs. Starting your bi-lingual order taking outsourcing process will take time so that data collection and research can be done. Extensive research on all of your products, services and customer base is done carefully to find the best possible solutions for your bi-lingual order taking process needs. Your customers will rely on factual information about your products or services and appreciate your reputation for quality customer service.

Bi-lingual order taking will be the link to success that you may not have had in the past. Find out more about your customer base and how outsourcing your bi-lingual order taking will help your business grow.

Bio: Linda Dunkelberger is a freelance writer and editor working on a project for goACANow.com or Answer Center America, Inc. “Bi-lingual Order Taking- Outsource Your Order Taking Business Processes” is about what to look for when outsourcing your bi-lingual order taking business process. Order Connect is ACA’s premier 24 hour bi-lingual order taking call center service.

2008 Answer Center America, Inc. Posts Aggressive 29 Percent Growth and Seeks Hiring 25 New Employees in January 2009

2008-12-31T10:03:00.000-06:00

Chicago, IL – December 29, 2008 – Companies have discovered cost effective call center outsourcing services driving growth of Answer Center America, Inc, one of the nation’s leading call centers, up 29% this year.

Answer Center America, Inc. (ACA) today announced unprecedented growth this year, which has lead to a steady hiring stream of 5-10 employees per month, with current open positions for January 2009 at 25.

With more than 120 specialists on staff, ACA handles nearly six million calls per year. Given the high call volumes, optimal agent performance is critical in providing quality service experiences to ACA’s corporate clients. ACA hires experienced call service agents and trains them internally. ACA services include general call services, inbound call services, and outbound call services, with a broad range of technologies utilized; making it important that both new and current staff is continually trained. The fact that many ACA agents are bilingual – in English, Spanish and French – adds another layer of complexity to hiring and managing the unique skills and proficiency levels of each specialist.

“Last year Answer Center America identified a need for turnkey outsourcing solutions which provide corporations the ability to scale as needed from general workforce management functions to advanced help desk and sales capabilities,” says Mike McMillan, Director of Sales and Marketing, for ACA. “ACA has been working to add services which will help our customers thrive in a tight economy. Take, for instance, the cost savings of outsourcing help desk support. Our Tech Connect service allows for network, server, and PC monitoring and support remotely, and our Instant Connect service enables web chat. These coupled with our Ticketing System for inbound call recording allow customers to cost effectively outsource their entire customer service operation using a customized methodology. Our specialty service, Your Connect enables ACA to customize and virtually mirror the operation of a corporate call center, creating a total savings of 75% - 95% depending on call traffic!”

ACA provides a customized call center solution with full scalability, allowing room for anticipated client growth. It also allows call center agents to integrate with client systems and personnel. ACA utilizes technology, which allows for seamless integration with various telephony switches. ACA systems capture and analyze customer/caller interactions, improve workforce performance and optimize service processes. The system allows clients to improve service by scheduling the right agents with the right skills at the right time. ACA helps companies discover business trends, employee and customer behavior patterns, and ensure excellent customer service. ACA plans to continue to improve service offerings to meet the changing economic and technology needs of its clients.

About Answer Center America, Inc.

Answer Center America, headquartered in Chicago Illinois, is a leading provider of 24/7 call center solutions for optimizing employee time and skill sets. Answer Center America delivers high quality and superior customer support necessary for a remote messaging and business solutions. ACA is best known for its multi-layered security support system using state of the art equipment, highly trained professionals and dedicated customer service agents which allows them to provide customized, affordable outsourcing services.

Today, more than 2,500 organizations on 4 continents rely on custom solutions provided by ACA solutions to perform more effectively and competitive in their market. ACA provides a seamless extension of your business custom made for you. Visit us at our website www.goacanow.com.

Media Contact:

Michael C. McMillan
Director of Sales and Marketing
Answer Center America, Inc.
Phone#: (800) 270-7030
Fax#: (800) 971-2110
Email: mikemcmillan@goacanow.com
URL: http://www.goacanow.com
Blog: http://blog.goacanow.com

Chicago Businesses Can Take Advantage of Call Centers

2008-12-19T12:45:00.003-06:00

The poor economy has Chicago businesses seeking cost cutting measures in order to survive. Using a Chicago call center allows for the continued operation of business while being cost effective. Utilizing personnel efficiently greatly increases corporate savings and frees employees to do what they were hired to do. Call centers are effective cost cutting measures during a down economy.

Succeeding in Chicago’s Poor Economy

The recession continues in the United States, and confidence is low making the future uncertain. Chicago is no exception to the economic downturn, and it is reflected in the downsizing of businesses at all levels. The occupancy rate of commercial real estate in Chicago is already low, and it is expected to keep declining, and foreclosures are looming in neighborhoods that were promising just a few short years ago. Chicago has seen the collapse of the major financial institution Washington Mutual, and is anticipating layoffs from Chicago-based United Airlines. Chicago is the headquarters for many companies, large and small, and CEOs have warned that layoffs will continue into 2009.

Some companies cannot afford to support an in-house staff anymore, and have already made layoffs. All businesses are seeking cost cutting measures to survive. Companies need continued coverage for incoming and outgoing calls despite any financial problems, and this is where outsourcing to a Chicago call center can really make a difference to the bottom line.

Chicago Call Centers Save Money

Chicago call centers increase efficiency in a company by offering low cost and high quality communication solutions. Using a call center maximizes the bottom line, and does not compromise the image a company wants to portray. A call center staff is trained to knowledgeably promote products, and professionally represent companies.

Using a call center increases customer satisfaction by giving a constant presence to a company and allowing more interaction with customers. Customers’ needs are met consistently and promptly, which results in customer retention and approval.Using a call center costs a fraction of what it would be to staff in-house. Studies show that when comparing variables such as call length, number of calls per hour, staffing costs, and administrative costs, outsourcing call center needs saves around 70 to 90 percent! Call centers can be used to replace internal staff, or they can be used to fill in during peak periods or after hours. The cost difference is significant also taking into account the need to hire, train, and supervise permanent employees.

Exactly How a Outsourcing Through a Call Center Saves Money

An average mid-cap company receives on average 40–50 calls per hour in their peak months, 20–30 calls per hour in their average months, and anywhere from 5–15 in their slow months. The national average of work production by a standard employee is roughly 45 minutes of each work hour (please note — 45 minutes is the high end of the scale). If you figure anywhere from $7 to $30 per hour for infrastructure costs & $25 to $75 per hour for administrative costs, you start to see what real costs savings outsourcing these calls can achieve.

What all this means to your bottom line is very simple. Once you have moved your current solution to a full outsourced solution we have found savings from 75% to 79% at peak months, 80%–89% at average months, and well over 90% savings in your low volume months. Then if you add in the “X” factor of if your higher “Worth and/or Skilled” employees are currently performing this function your savings can end up on low months over 105% and increase productivity.

What this means to your business in dollars and cents is as follows:

Enterprise Businesses 2 Million +
Mid-Cap Businesses 1 Million – 2 Million
Small Businesses 250k – 1 Million
Start Businesses 25k – 250k

The amazing thing is that even some call center companies can outsource and save money by using ACA’s model. This not only saves money, it improves call quality, and thus customer loyalty.

Many call centers offer inbound and outbound solutions as well as web chat, conference and Internet Bridge, email, faxing, and credit card processing.

Review: “Chicago Businesses Can Take Advantage of Call Centers” notes that companies’ use of Chicago call centers helps save money. Answer Center America, Inc. offers superior customer support and state of the art equipment to meet client needs. A cost comparison study is available to estimate the savings associated with outsourcing call center needs. http://www.goacanow.com

To What’s Next!

2008-12-15T11:37:00.004-06:00

A Look Back at 2008 and a Glance at 2009

From the beginning of 2008 everyone knew that this year was about to be something really special. From the addition of the morning huddles to the new processes between customer service and sales, we were all amped for success. At New Years Eve Janet, Jeff, Stephanie, & I all toasted our standard toast, “To what’s Next!” Little did we know in just one day something important was about to happen.

The morning of January 2nd started like everyday here at ACA. All of management and support staff of ACA met in our morning huddle, we reviewed all the new changes for 2008 and wished everyone a good day. Nick Farrell and Mike McMillan first thing in the morning both got faxes with client’s paperwork; little did any of us know or imagine this was simply the tip of the iceberg for new accounts in January. In the weeks to follow ACA saw 58 additional accounts come in for new service. This amount of sales just left everyone with one exclamation, WOW!!

After over 20 straight days of 14+ hour work days in all departments February could not have come any faster. But even in a 28 day month sales was able to pull out 27 sales in that month as well, continuing the long hours of work.

But, even after all the long work days, and hard work of turning up comparatively, a small answering service, inside of 2 months we were able to get through it as a team. Over the next few months we continued having great growth in sales, and began to focus on improving our business processes for new accounts.

The rest of the year stayed consistent with a monthly average of new revenue of $10.000 for 1st, 2nd, & 3rd quarter. This amazing growth has led ACA now into December, and the close of 4th quarter. Wrapping up the 4th quarter, all of us in senior management began focusing in on the end of year number and all the accomplishments we have made. Right now, as it stands ACA has broken the record set last year of 22% growth in one year and hit 24%, we have added over 20 new seats in our 5532 location, and best of all we now employee and support over 120 employees. These remarkable achievements are a direct reflection of the hard work of everyone her at ACA, especially the agents as they truly are the life blood that keeps us all moving forward.

With 2009 only now literally days away, the attention of management now looks to what is to come. We once again are getting new processes put in place, building forecast models, cleaning off desks, and getting ready for what many of us believe will be yet again another record breaking year. So this New Years Eve when that clock strikes mid-night, please join the rest of your ACA team in toasting, “TO WHAT’S NEXT!”

Bio: Michael McMillan is the director of Sales & Marketing for ACA. “To What's Next!” tells the story of the struggles & accomplishments of Answer Center America, Inc. in 2008. For more information on ACA's services please visit http://www.goacanow.com.

ACA's Holiday Outbound Promotion

2008-12-10T12:07:00.001-06:00

This week only ACA is doing something unheard of in the Call Center industry. We are offering client's the opportunity to run an outbound campaign with ACA for only $26.00 per hour and only asking for an amazing 10 hour minimum for projects. This is saving many businesses over $15 per hour!!

So if you ever thought about trying out an outbound campaign call ACA today at (800) 270-7030 for this amazingly low rate. This promotion end Friday, December 13th at 5pm CST.

All projects must be completed by January 1st, 2009 for this promotional rate. Restricts do apply, so please call today at (800) 270-7030!!

From Call Center and Answering Service

Preparing Call Center Reps for Selling Success

2008-12-08T16:07:00.000-06:00

If you depend on a call center to handle sales and support, then you depend on the selling success of its reps. When reps are successful and motivated the call center will make a direct impact on your business. They will provide not only quality customer service, but if they are given a good sales strategy and proper sales and product training, your call center rep can increase revenue by more than 30%. Treat your reps well and provide the tools and knowledge, and they will be successful. This article gives some incite into how call center reps can prepare for selling success.

Areas of Focus in Training of a Call Center Rep:
•Improve listening skills.

•Techniques for building trust with customers and clients.

•Developing capability in problem solving and decision making exercises -all in the context of a busy call center.

•Methods to control stress, multitask, handle difficult customers, and manage complex technologies and changing products.

Establishing a strong foundation of interpersonal and communication skills, emphasizing verbal and vocal quality is essential for good telephone techniques for a call center rep. The call center is a professional business environment that is responsive to your needs and the needs of your customers. You want your customers to hear the confidence and self-assurance from each call center rep.

Call Center Reps Need Specialized Sales Training and Incentives to Succeed:
•Specialized training about your product or service enables the call center rep to be responsive and knowledgeable about your business.

•The call center customizes your program to fit your exact needs and your customer’s needs. Reps are told to sell only to selected customers—those with good credit, who had not received an offer for more than six weeks, who could benefit from another product, and who did not have a very difficult problem. In many cases, web customers are redirected to call center rep who can up-sell them.

•The call center emphasizes professionalism and pride. Call centers that ensure first-call resolution (FCR) rates around 80 % have much better success at cross and up-selling.

•Call centers can offer salary and bonus incentives to reps for sales.

Many call center reps are asked to cross-sell or up-sell customers on service, and you can even have your call center reps add an upgrade suggestion at the end of every call, to introduce a solutions-based selling approach. In fact, recent studies also show that some call centers can increase revenue by 25% from cross- or up-selling. However, care must be taken, because if reps do not properly up-sell, they can reduce customer loyalty by 20 percent.

Nothing is more important than the contact that a call center rep has with your customers. It is essential to the call center and you that they are given the right training, attention and tools to make them successful. If they are successful, then your business is successful. Have confidence that the call center is an extension of your business and that every call is handled by a highly trained call center rep. We can all be winners.

Bio: Linda Dunkelberger is a freelance writer and editor working on a project for http://www.goacanow.com or Answer Center America, Inc. “Preparing Call Center Reps for Selling Success” is about training fundamentals provided to call center reps. Goacanow.com is a call center outsourcing service.

A Few Photos From STA 2008

2008-11-12T12:48:00.001-06:00

STA 2008

Answer Center America Web Chat Services

2008-10-29T17:44:00.000-05:00

ACA Sales Presentation

2008-10-27T10:37:00.000-05:00

Managing Inbound Calls With An Inbound Call Center Service

2008-10-27T10:27:00.000-05:00

How can an inbound call center service help you manage your growing administrative workload? Inbound call center services include order taking, customer service, class and seminar registration, messages from clients and web enabled customer support such as email and online chat. Inbound call centers combine professional answering service personnel with innovative technology to save you time and give you a polished, professional portal for your customers.

Inbound call center services are state of the art, and available full time or as an after hours or overflow call center service. Whatever marketing mix you use, from Infomercials to traditional TV, Radio or print, an inbound call center can help you make the most of your advertising budget by tailoring the precise advertising response, tracking and personnel.

Inbound call center services include:

* Complete catalog order taking via a dedicated client service representative
* Literature fulfillment
* Inventory control
* Credit card transaction processing services
* 24 hour help desk
* Emergency response
* Up-sell and cross-sell of products and services
* 24/7/365 Answering service (after hours, weekends, holidays)
* Toll-free number and call monitoring
* Bilingual answering services
* Live web chat and real-time email response

Inbound call centers offer a low cost, high quality resource for all your customer service, answering service, help desk and order processing needs. Some call center services can enable you to predict customer behavior and take action, while your customers are still on the line. In fact, statistics show that using an inbound call center can save companies between 20–25% by increasing efficiency.

In addition, companies that offer inbound call center services also provide consolidated reporting to help you analyze your leads, and excellent process to ensure your customers’ requests are handled efficiently, and suggestions on how to improve your conversion rate and revenue.

The cost of a business answering service is a fraction of the cost of staffing your office. Answer Center America, Inc., at www.goacanow.com, offers call center solutions and works with client’s service needs and budget to help a business expand. With staff trained to follow all necessary regulations and to answer your calls the way you want, they will customized live phone answering service and internet answering service specifically for your needs. They also offer a twenty-four hour virtual receptionist, bilingual call centers, live chat service, and medical telephone message answering.