Who's Calling?

When was the last time you called your own business? Hopefully you are pleasantly surprised. To be sure you are putting your best foot forward with clients; try calling at different hours of the day and requesting different information or posing as different types of callers. Obviously you may need to get some help from a friend.

Keep in mind that someone trying to sell something will be sure to provide all of their contact information in hopes of the return call. A customer on the other hand may be completely different about providing information.

Be sure to also evaluate an automated answering system that directs callers to various extensions. Is the system pleasant and up to date? Do you have someone screening your calls? Are they good at it? All these items should also apply if you are paying an answering service.

Lastly, is there a tracking system for the source of inbound calls? This information can be a huge help to evaluate your marketing efforts.