Even if you’ve only recently started running or growing a small business, you’re probably already more than aware of the sheer volume of incoming calls you’re receiving each and every day.
From customer inquiries and essential business contact to unnecessary and irritating spam and robocalls calls, it may seem like there’s no end to the tidal wave of calls constantly coming your way.
Fortunately, the reality is, that there is a solution, one that can be very handy to have at your side if you’re looking to filter out the important calls from the unnecessary and time-consuming ones – and that’s by using calling screening for your business.
But if you’re not familiar with call screening, you might not be sure how it works, which is why we’ve pulled together everything this guide on everything you need to know about this nifty piece of tech.
What is call screening?
The idea behind call screening is a very simple one, it’s all about identifying incoming calls and using that information to help you decide whether or not such a call needs to be picked up. The caller ID system you have on your phone is a very simple version of this.
However, as a business, you can make use of far more advanced call screening techniques, which can help you learn more about a caller’s intent before you answer. This in turn lets you implement specific rules that determine whether or not a call is answered, goes to voicemail, or is hung up on.
Essentially, with the right call screening technology, you can eliminate unwanted calls outright while forwarding other calls to the right areas of your business to be answered properly.
What are the benefits of call screening?
You’ve probably guessed already that there are many benefits that come with using a call screening service for business purposes. We’ve outlined the key ones to be aware of below:
1. Choose which calls you answer
As we’ve already flagged, one major benefit that call screening has is that you get to pick and choose which calls you answer and which calls get left to ring out, making it very easy for you to ignore spam calls and forward customers to the right department in your business.
Not only that, but call screening lets you block certain numbers directly, so that when they ring you, they won’t be able to get through to your business, and your phone lines will remain free for customers.
2. Better customer care
Another major advantage call screening has is that you can determine what level of priority a customer has and set rules for who might answer such calls when they do come through.
For example, if you work with a supplier, you want to make sure that their calls always get through to the relevant contact in your business, while less essential (but still important) customer inquiries are handled by other members of your team.
3. Save time
Small and big business owners alike know better than anyone that running a business takes a lot of time and effort, so the last thing you want is to lose any of this time to spam and cold calls.
So, by using call screening technology, you can prevent these unwanted calls from even coming through, meaning you never have to answer them and you get back all of the time you would have lost by picking up the phone.
How to choose a call screening service
If the idea of using a call screening service has caught your eye, then you probably want to know how to go about choosing one so that you get the best value for your money. And the good news is there are plenty of things to keep an eye out for when browsing your options.
As a general rule of thumb, we recommend choosing a call screening service with some, if not all of the following features:
- Call blocking – a call screening service should let you create your own blocklist.
- Call routing – call routing is a must so you can direct customers to the right service in your business.
- Always allow – if certain callers ring who need to be answered, then your screening setup should let them through.
- Caller name announcement – having your service audibly announce who is calling can be useful to immediately identify who is ringing.
- Reports and analytics – easy access to call reports and analytics is always useful to have when using any external service.
Of course, you’ll also want to think about pricing as well. It’s always worth looking to see what sorts of services are available to you and how flexible they are. That way, you can get the best deal for your budget.
Use VoiceNation to screen your calls
With all that covered, you should now have a much better idea of just what call screening is, and how it can benefit your business. And if it’s something you like the idea of, then get in touch with VoiceNation today to see how our live answering service can help you.
Experts in all things call-related, here at VoiceNation, our virtual receptionists can act as a call screening service for you, all while offering plenty of other great additional services to your business, such as 24/7 answering and bilingual operators.
Get in touch today to learn more about our services directly and to ask about our pricing packages.