Cell-phone Messaging - Save Money And Increase Productivity

Schools, businesses, churches, non-profit organisations and others have realised that sending SMS messages is a far more cost-effective way of managing correspondence. It certainly make sense to use an SMS message to send a short message to someone rather than pay for a potentially lengthy conversation.

WinSMS offers a package which I have now used for some time. It allows the user to send messages to bulk recipients and will allow for long messages to be sent. The user can set up recipients as one would email addresses and using the downloadable software is a cinch.

This is a really useful tool and I have found the service reliable and effective.

Take a look at the site by clicking on this link - sign up now for 10 free credits to test-drive the service!

Answering Service For Small Business

Picture this - a small business owner runs a sales-based business and needs to be out in the market place visiting new and existing clients. He carries a cell-phone but cannot answer it in the middle of his sales pitch. It is an economic impossibility for him to have a secretary in an office taking his calls and yet he knows that he may lose business if calls are not answered. What is he to do?

The answer could lie with a company such as Work With Me Call Centre.

Taken from their website, this is what they offer :

This is how the Call Center works:

* You will receive a dedicated land line phone number. TIP: To receive all your calls, even from your existing number, just forward calls from your existing line to the new number.

* You will also receive a fax number and email address.

* Our professional staff will answer incoming calls, record messages and pass them onto you. For example: If a client calls and wishes to speak with a consultant, we will take his/her details and SMS them to you immediately. You can return the call at your convenience!

* If a client requires info, and we have it on file (e.g. a standard price list) given by yourself, we will fax or email it to them immediately, again reducing your workload.

* We will also receive emails and faxes on your behalf and forward them when you are ready to receive it.

* An answering service is set up to record any calls received after hours. You will never miss out on those all important calls again!

* At month end you will receive a full report on your Call Center activity.

This certainly seems an attractive offer. Their rates range from R400 to R2100. This is still cheaper than having your own secretary! Another benefit is that your messages and communications can still be taken while you are away on holiday allowing you to pick up the business on your return to the office.

A potential pitfall though is that the person answering the phone has no stake in your business and therefore has no incentive to represent your company as you would like.

It is worth taking a look at the services offered though and I would be willing to give this a try if the need was there. This is not something I would sign up for just because it seems like a nice idea.

If you sign up please let me know how it works out for you.

Telephone Manner

Telephone manner is vital in business as it is often the first impression of your business a potential client will receive. Here is a great training article by Jeff Mowatt on this vital aspect of your business.


1. How long does it take you and/or your switchboard operator to answer the phone?

a) 5 rings or less
b) 3 rings or less
c) under 3 rings

After two rings, callers are wondering what’s going on. Your phone should be answered in-person by the second ring or by your voice-mail system by the fourth ring.

2. Do you answer your phone with any of the following?

a) “Hello.”
b) “(Company name only)”
c) “(last name only)”
d) “Good afternoon, this is (your full name), how can I help you?”


All of these greetings have flaws. A, B, and C are too abrupt and don’t provide enough information. D is too wordy and dissuades callers from identifying themselves because it encourages them to get to the point rather than saying their name. Plus it forces you to check the clock to see if it’s before or after noon. A better greeting is, “Thank you for calling ABC Company. This is John.” If you are taking a call that’s transferred to you, then always identify yourself as you wished to be addressed. Whether you choose to identify the department is optional.

3. Have you ever said, “Please hold” to a caller?

a) yes
b) no

Never put a caller on-hold without asking for their permission, and then waiting for their response. Putting customers on hold without their consent is a sure-fire formula to lose customers.

4. How long does it take a person on hold to become annoyed?

a) 2 minutes
b) 30 seconds
c) 1 minute
d) 17 seconds

Studies show that after only 17 seconds, callers on hold become annoyed. The exception is when the greeter explains why the caller is being asked to hold and provides the estimated time required. Knowing beforehand how long they can expect to wait reduces the chance of annoyance, particularly among long distance and cellular phone callers. Another option to prevent frustration is to offer the caller the option of either holding or hanging up and having their call returned within a brief, specific time period.

5. When you’re talking on the phone while a visitor walks in, who gets priority?

a) the visitor
b) the caller

The person who made the effort to show up in-person gets priority. That means you need to interrupt the caller. The quickest way to get that caller’s attention is to call their name. “George, I have someone who just walked in, can I ask you to hold for a moment?” Wait for their agreement. Then acknowledged the visitor, tell them you’ll be a moment, and wrap-up your telephone conversation.

If you’re talking to customer in person when the phone rings, then get someone else to answer the phone, or use voice mail. Abandoning customers to answer the phone is downright rude and is a guaranteed way to lose customers. As obvious as this seems, it’s one of the most common blunders in customer service.

6. When receiving a call for a co-worker, how are you most likely to respond?

a) “Susan’s not in right now, so I’ll have to take a message.”
b) “Susan’s still at lunch. Can I take a message?”
c) “Susan’s should be back soon. Could you call back in about 15 minutes”

All of these statements have flaws that make the greeter sound unhelpful and unprofessional. Consider each response.

a) The statement, “I’ll have to take a message,” makes it sound like an inconvenient chore. Instead, change two words: “I’ll be happy to take a message.” The bonus is that you don’t work any harder but you convey the impression of someone with a terrific customer service attitude.

b) It’s completely irrelevant that the co-worker is at lunch. The caller might be thinking, “That’s a long time to be at lunch!” It’s also irrelevant whether your coworker is “in a meeting” or “with a customer” or “busy”. The only relevant information is they’re not coming to the phone. Therefore, “Susan is not available right now” is the most appropriate response, followed by, “I’d be happy to take a message.”

c) asking a caller to phone back later gives the impression that you’re too lazy or disorganized to take a message. This gives a potential customer a terrific excuse to call your competitor. ‘Nuff said.

The training solution
If you’re like most managers and business owners, you’ll probably find that when you assess the phone practices within your organization, there’s room for improvement. The good news is that with just a little training, it’s easy to develop the skills that ensure that your customers keep coming back.

The article in its original form may be found at BusinessKnowHow.com