Providing answers to caller questions is perhaps the most important function of having a call answering service. To accomplish this, call answering services will use a custom-created FAQ sheet that business owners and operators like you develop and provide.
Many business owners or operators tend to overlook just how important and powerful an FAQ sheet can be. Whether the information is already published on their website or is only provided by calling the business, potential new clients need to be able to get answers to their questions.
Clients often cite responsive, polite and most importantly, knowledgeable staff on the other end of the phone as a significant reason they choose one business over a competitor. This makes the information provided on the FAQ sheet a make-or-break factor in business development and growth.
Developing an FAQ sheet for your calls
It may seem like a simple and straightforward task, but developing an effective set of FAQs can be challenging for some.
Here are some important points to help guide you in developing yours:
- Focus On Why
It can be easy to over-develop an unnecessarily long and complicated set of questions and answers. Just remember, the ‘F’ in FAQ stands for ‘Frequent,’ not ‘all questions ever asked since the beginning of time.’ And the answers only need to be long enough to satisfy the caller’s question. In other words, keep them simple, don’t create a dissertation. Ask yourself, what would you want to know if you were calling in with a question.
- Investigate Your Competitors
Your competitors may have already done your homework for you. Or at least give you some inspiration to get started with your own, original FAQs.
What questions have prepared answers?
In some cases, depending on your business, you can look at your competitor’s Google Maps listing, which may even have questions and answers published. This can at least be a good starting point or give you an idea of a direction to take.
- Give Answers Without Questions
Sometimes callers don’t know enough about your business offerings to ask the right questions. Or they have misconceptions about the services your organization provides. Those issues should be given consideration when creating your FAQ sheet so your answering service can guide callers in the direction that’s best for them.
You can also form your answers to provide information customers frequently need but often forget. Do they need to bring a specific item or information with them when visiting your business that’s frequently left behind?
These are good opportunities to provide these kinds of instructions.
- Focus On The Benefit To The Caller
Yes, callers want to know about who you are and what you do, but remember the call should really be about them, the caller, their needs and their wants. Answers provided to questions asked should be benefit-driven, from the customer perspective. Make your answers all about the benefits that callers will receive when they choose to do business with you.
- Stay Positive
Every business has restrictions and limitations. But these shouldn’t lead the direction of the call or be the primary answer to common questions. Instead of focusing on what you can’t do for callers, focus on what you can and will do for them.
- Address Difficulties
Some businesses may receive more complex questions than others. Avoiding or dancing around hard questions isn’t the answer. Provide a simple, straightforward answer. Often just having a real, live person on the other end of the phone, politely addressing a difficulty can turn any situation around into a positive experience.
Advantages of Using an Answering Service to Address FAQs
As an active business organization, you’ve probably got many things to manage each and every day, all of which are important. But every business call received, whether you’re available or not, represents potential earnings and deserves your full attention. Using a call answering service to answer your potential leads, prospects or current clients’ frequently asked questions, saves you time, gains efficiency, and increases your profitability.
Midwest Answer provides telephone answering and virtual receptionist services. For nearly 50 years we’ve handled calls for a variety of business sectors, 24/7/365. From call volumes of just a few per week to thousands per day. And entirely within US-based call centers. With simple, flat-rate monthly pricing that doesn’t include contracts or hidden fees.
