You’ve done your homework and researched the market and have decided on the right telephone answering company for you.  They’re great on price , they answer your calls in the UK, as you wanted, and they also offer some additional services, which are going to be useful to you.  But, they can’t start answering the phone for you until they find out a little bit more about your business, and you.  A good telephone answering service company will want to make sure your clients get the impression that someone within your business is answering the phone.  It’s up to you to supply them with all the necessary details, such as:

Your company name
Your name, as you would like to be known to your customers
How you normally answer your calls , e.g. Good Morning Phoenix 24-7, how may I help you
The key people in your organisation : their names and what their roles are, and what types of calls will be escalated to each person
Your industry
What services you offer
What your normal operating hours are
Where you operate from, and within what geographical areas
Your website address
Your email address

Some telephone answering service companies will provide you with a standard questionnaire to complete, whilst others will wish to meet with you to discuss.  The more involved you get in this part of the process , the more effectively your business will be represented.  If your requirements are for a more complex service involving call escalation and staff rota management it would be better to have a meeting so both side gain a full understanding of the requirements.

You could have a basic telephone answering service arranged in as little as 24 hours, but make sure you don’t rush this process: your customers, and your business, are worth the effort.