The Paperclip Call Answering Article Library

Introduction to the Paperclip Article Library

In recent years, Paperclip has built up an extensive library of call answering articles on topics of interest to business owners. This article introduces some of the highlights from the Paperclip archive and provides links to each blog so you can read more on the subjects that interest you the most.

Unsurprisingly, this article covers a broad range of topics related to call answering and call management services, including the psychology behind call answering, the benefits and potential drawbacks of outsourcing, the cost of UK call charges, and the pros and cons of using voicemail. It also explores specific areas such as call answering for small businesses and law firms, live chat services, and patient acquisition and retention for medical practices. Additionally, the article provides practical tips and advice.

Simply click on the titles below to go straight to the article. Enjoy.

 

The Psychology of Call Answering

This article looks at how psychological factors such as cognitive load, anxiety and stress can impact on perceptions of customer service and the role call answering can play in alleviating them.

Customer service starts with ‘being heard’. Empathy, reliability, resolution and other valid psychological factors only come into play if you answer the customer’s call, reply to their email, or respond to their DM.

 

Is the Hype Around Chat GPT Justified?

ChatGPT stands for Chat Generative Pre-Trained Transformer. ChatGPT is a chatbot launched by OpenAI in November 2022: AI stand for Artificial Intelligence.

ChatGPT uses natural language processing (NLP)* to generate conversations. It is able to create ‘human-like’ responses to questions set by users because part of its ‘learning’ has come from ‘supervised learning’ and ‘reinforcement learning with human feedback (RLHF).

This article asks ChatGPT both general – ‘What are the benefits of outsourcing?’ – and specific questions to gauge its effectiveness, particularly in relation to Live Chat (a service provided by Paperclip). There is no doubt that, in most cases, it would be difficult to discern whether a body of text has been generated by ChatGPT or a human.

However, good LiveChat is a conversation. It requires empathy, clarification of context and intention, and answers that may provide several alternatives depending on variables such as time, price, and availability.

 

Outsourcing: Maximise the Benefits, Avoid the Potential Pitfalls

Paperclip’s business model is founded on outsourcing. Not only do we outsource all non-core activities, but our growth depends on other businesses outsourcing their call-answering services to us.

This article outlines the key benefits of outsourcing including space to focus on core activities, turning fixed costs into variable costs, and the ability to scale at short notice. It also outlines some of the potential pitfalls to be avoided in order to get the most from outsourcing.

Call Answering and Small Businesses

This article argues that call answering can benefit companies of all sizes. The one thing that all businesses using call handling services share, regardless of size, is a genuine commitment to customer service and a recognition of the value of never missing a call. After all, if your business has a phone isn’t it just common decency to answer it?!

Call answering isn’t simply about answering a call or taking a message. There are so many other call-related services that can make a small business owner’s life easier: scheduling appointments with medical therapists, taking payments over the phone, and much more besides.

 

Responding to Economic Uncertainty

This article looks at the steps Paperclip has taken to deal with both the current economic slowdown and earlier periods of economic distress. We should know, Paperclip was founded in 2008 just before The Great Recession of 2008-09…and survived.

The lessons learned are applicable to all business owners looking to thrive in difficult times.

 

A Guide to the Cost of UK Call Charges

This article explains the different types of call charges in the UK. It takes the reader through the different phone numbers available in the UK and explains the costs associated with each number type; beware of the 084 or 087 sales and enquiry lines, and 118 directory enquiry calls.

Whether you’re a consumer or a business owner, understanding the nuances of call charges can help you make informed decisions about your telecommunications needs.

 

How Much Does Call Answering Cost?

This article outlines the typical pricing models used by call answering companies, such as price per call, price per minute, and call bundling.

By understanding these pricing models, businesses can make informed decisions about which call-answering service is right for them and how to budget accordingly.

To obtain an estimate of how much Paperclip call answering services could cost your organisation visit our Quotation Generator page.

 

The Benefits of an ‘Outsourced Switchboard’ for Law Firms

The benefits of using an outsourced switchboard vary from law firm to law firm. For some, having an outsourced switchboard frees up internal resources, provides a quieter and less disruptive work environment, and allows internal reception staff to focus on welcoming visitors and administrative tasks. By switching from a fixed-cost, in-house reception team, to a variable-cost, outsourced switchboard, there is a very real chance that law firms could achieve a reduction in their operating costs.

In some areas of law such as Family Law or Criminal Law, miss the call and you miss the instruction. An outsourced switchboard ensures you capture every call.

 

Business Management: The Cliniko Approach

Paperclip, provides telephone appointment and reception services for, amongst others, medical practitioners such as physiotherapists, osteopaths, and podiatrists. Many of the practices we work with use a practice management software package called Cliniko. The Paperclip team loves booking appointments with Cliniko because it’s intuitive, easy to learn and, above all, well-designed.

Founded in 2011 by Joel Friedlaender, Cliniko, has an approach to management that is different from any other organisation Paperclip has dealt with: no job titles, no meetings, a 30-hour work week, no timesheets and unlimited annual leave. Read this article to find out more!

 

Voicemail – The Pros and Cons of ‘…Leaving a Message After the Tone’

When was the last time your children listened to one of your voice messages?!

This article tracks the decline in the popularity of voicemail over the past twenty years. Whilst the article argues that voicemail still has its place – e.g. capturing messages overnight – it believes its days are numbered.

 

Patient Acquisition and Retention for Medical Practices

This article is based on an interview with Eoin Moynihan, a consultant who works with healthcare practices to improve their patients’ digital journey. Eoin emphasizes the cost to practices of DNA and how this can be drastically reduced. He also explains the concept of patient ‘touchpoints’ and how digital marketing can use touchpoints to generate patient referrals.

 

Let’s Talk Customer Service

Are you serious about customer service or is it really lip service? This article takes a series of frequently heard statements and digs below the surface to investigate the impact they can have on customer service. If you believe your customers won’t mind a voicemail or if you are happy having auto-response on everything, then this article is for you!

 

14 Things You May Not Know About Call Answering

Did you know that if you use Paperclip’s call answering services you don’t need to change your number? Do you understand how screen popping works? Did you know you only pay for the minutes you use?

This article clarifies many of the misconceptions surrounding call answering.

 

Why Call Answering and Call Management for Law Firms Is a Specialist Service

Law firms covering multiple specialisms present specific challenges from a call-answering perspective: the planning ahead of implementation; the language used; peak call volumes at specific times; emotional or stressed callers; different call handling instructions for each solicitor or paralegal; confidentiality, and more. These challenges, when combined, illustrate why to call answering and call management for law firms should be considered as a specialist service.

 

Why Organisations Choose Call Answering Services

Paperclip tracks the source of new business generated and the reasons why new clients have decided to consider using a call answering service. In simple terms, the reasons organisations choose to use a call-answering service like Paperclip fall into two broad categories: commercial and emotional. This article looks at nine different reasons organisations give; maybe they’re the reasons you would give.

 

Live Chat – What Is It? How Do I Get It? How Can I Make the Most of It?

All you need to know to make an informed decision about implementing Live Chat.

 

If you have a question relating to any of the call answering articles listed here, please call the Paperclip team on 01246 418181. As you’d expect, we will be ready for your call.

 

You may also like

• The pros and cons of Chatbots
• The psychology of call answering
• Outsourcing: maximise the benefits