Choose the best bilingual answering service by comparing as many competitors as possible. While comparing, be sure to consider virtual answering service options that employ operators in the country of origin for one of the languages you desire. Ultimately, select the business answering service that offers the best customer service, the one that is the most competitively priced and that can also supply enough bilingual operators for the call volumes you expect to have.
A bilingual answering service may offer a variety of different options, including live answering, 24-hour answering and call screening. If you have very specific bilingual answering service needs, such as order taking or appointment scheduling, ask each business you interview if these services are included in a bundled package. If they are not offered as a packaged service, ask about a la cart services and any additional upfront costs on the bundle of services that you need now, as well as any services that you anticipate needing in the future as your business grows.
If you have need of a bilingual answering service during specific holidays, be sure to ask if there is an extra charge to have operators available for your business on these days. Other additional charges you should ask about include charges for patching calls through to you and whether or not operators can use a script if you require them to do so. Also, find out if the bilingual answering service providers you are considering charge a setup fee for any specific technology you will need. Finally, ask if any of the business answering service providers you are considering offers a free trial.
If you have recently done business with a company using a bilingual answering service that provided a professional and courteous greeting, ask the owner or manager of that business for a referral. Call the service a few times during the business’ off hours to get a feel for the consistency of its customer service. Often, this is the best way to gauge an answering service’s efficiency, as you have the feedback of an existing business to help guide you. Also, operators are unaware that they are being rated by a potential customer and you can get a real feel for their language fluency and customer service. Ultimately, select the bilingual answering service offering you the exact services you need for the best price and who appears to be the most courteous when answering calls.