March 15, 2005
Introduction
The need to replace your telephone answering system within a relatively
short time frame has become a real business challenge. After spending
many thousands of dollars for your present equipment, and after having
made substantial monthly payments over the past five-years, the prospect
of NO payments seems too good to be true. One’s natural gut reaction
is to just stick with what you have and enjoy the “profit” increase
when the lease payments end.
But, that might be a wrong
decision. If you’re interested in continuing
the growth of your business for some time, then
keeping a five-or-more-year old system might
be the worst business decision you can make.
Take a moment and ask yourself:
Am I missing new business opportunities by not up-dating to a new system?
Will a new system offer improved efficiency that can reduce my operating
costs?
Will a new system offer new features that can result in added revenue
generation?
These are just a few real-life business questions that you must be asking
yourself each and every year – and most certainly every five years.
Technology
Without doubt, computer technology improves every year and therefore
substantially over a five-year period. And even if your present telephone
answering system is large enough to handle your present requirements,
a big-enough system is not necessarily the same one with desired new
features. Perhaps the greatest challenge in today’s world of computing
is that the power of yesterday is the weakness of tomorrow. The obsolescence
trap is always wide open.
If the telephone answering system you’re using is over five-years
old it is, by definition, technologically obsolete. Even though you may
have been purchasing software upgrades for your system over the years,
the reality is that any system eventually reaches an optimum upgrade
point. Eventually you discover that certain new features are not possible
to add, or that additional external equipment must be patched-on to incorporate
a desired feature.
Moving to a new and technologically current telephone answering system,
in the long run, represents the most cost effective way to acquire new
features and capabilities. A new system platform will incorporate the
advanced capabilities you need in the most efficient manner, which means
operational efficiencies that will affect your bottom line in a positive
way.
New
Features and Services
New and emerging technology usually equates into new – or soon
to come – features or services for telephone answering systems.
While some new features or services might not be of interest to you personally,
they might be of utmost importance to your clients and to the future
of your business.
Emerging new features have a way of “suddenly” becoming necessities
due to demand from clients, or competitive pressure. This may perhaps
apply more to the new ‘hot’ services you may be reading about
in current telecommunications and telephone answering industry publications.
Perhaps you have already received inquiries from some of your clients
about new communications products, wondering if you offer such a service,
or if you can deliver messages to their recently acquired whiz-bang,
miniaturized device.
Will your present telephone answering system be able to accommodate these
new services, or offer these new features? If the feature is even offered
by your vendor, then perhaps it will be able to. However, it will undoubtedly
require a substantial investment. And even if you spend the dollars to
properly equip your present system, it’s likely that the add-on
feature or service is not as operationally transparent as you might like.
Which means it’s not as efficient as it should be.
Added
Revenues
Taking advantage of new and emerging technology can enable you to attract
new clients, and each new client means added revenue. Sticking with your
present five-plus-year old system might be seriously affecting your ability
to grow your business. As new technology ushers in new communications
services, and as your clients start to make use of these services, your
inability to furnish them puts you at a disadvantage.
Clients that can’t get
the services they feel they need from you will
look elsewhere. The biggest advantage you may
have is that most of your competition is practicing
a “stick with the old system” business
philosophy. Which means that you can leap ahead
of your competition by embracing a philosophy
of planned telephone answering system replacement,
where your new system incorporates new technology
that makes you the most cost effective and competitive
player in your market area.
Efficiencies
and Growth
Current technology; new features; new services; more potential revenue;
more– sure sounds like good stuff! But there’s even more!
There is the whole area of efficiency.
Generally, a modern telephone answering system will be able to offer
you operational efficiencies that will increase employee productivity.
The end result is (a) lower labor cost for handling your present clients
or, better yet, (b) more revenue generated from your present client base
because your agents are able to provide them with more service in a given
time, or even better than that, (c) the ability to handle more clients
with the same number of agents.
Question:
Is your present telephone answering system delivering the operational
efficiency you need to meet your business growth goals?
Answer:
If it is over five-years old, then it is probably not.
Solution:
Don’t make the mistake of becoming satisfied with an aging telephone
answering system. Initial equipment cost, ongoing system upgrade cost,
and system replacement planning should be a part of your long term budgeting
and planning for your business.
System Replacement
Considerations
Realizing the need to keeping your telephone answering system (your most
important business tool) technologically current is an important insight
into the operation of your business.
While the concept of spending
money to make even more money is not new, it
is a concept that is often difficult to implement.
But once you understand that you are making a
continuing investment to improve your business – and
not just simply “spending money” – you
are over the hurdle. Your next task, then, is
to make the best possible system replacement
choice. You want to make sure your continuing
investment will result in the optimum return
for your business.
Here are some questions you
should ask when making your new telephone answering
system selection:
PRODUCT
CONISDERATIONS:
Does the system offer the latest in technology and features?
How well is the system constructed?
What features are of value to you?
Can the system accommodate growth in both features and capacity?
Is it an “open system” that permits connection to other technologies?
Are major capabilities built-in, or are separate components required?
We believe that our SPECTRUM SYSTEM embodies
the best in technology, features and quality, and provides a perfect
answer to your business expansion plans. Introduced in 2003, Spectrum
is a full-featured, state-of-the-art messaging solution with perhaps
the fastest call response in the industry.
Spectrum’s Call Agent Workstations utilize Windows XP Pro and run
a suite of applications that enable call agents to efficiently process
calls for a wide range of clients. And, the Spectrum Database Server
manages the primary system database. Spectrum includes a state-of-the-art
Database Server application with automated backup feature and shadowed
system hard drives, and a Communication Server that manages the automatic
transmission of messages to a wide range of client devices including
alphanumeric pagers, fax, e-mail addresses, and wireless devices.
Spectrum is integrated with PRISM,
an unmatched digital switching platform. Prism
DSP is a Windows NT telephony server that connects
to a wide range of telephone services like DID,
ISDN, and T1. The Prism DSP is designed with
an open-ended architecture and fully digital
backbone.
MANUFACTURER CONSIDERATIONS:
How well do they support their product?
How often do they have major feature updates?
Can they translate technology into “value to your business”?
What is the focus of their technical and advisory support?
How often do they evaluate new technologies?
What is their training and after installation support?
Here again Telescan can offer you the best performance for your business
dollar. Our Customer Support Program is designed to help keep your business
growing year after year. It ensures that your Spectrum system continues
to offer the latest, state-of-the-art services to your clients, while
keeping your system running at peak performance. Service is Telescan's
highest priority. If you have an operational or system question, a technician
is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week for fast, efficient response.
In addition, Telescan provides both in-house and on-site training for
your Management, Supervisory, and lead staff members conducted by Telescan
training specialists, and supported by detailed operational manuals,
training guides, and online help.
Conclusion
When you undertake any complex task, having the proper tools available
for the job usually means the difference between success and failure.
Your telephone messaging business is a complex task. You have customers
to please and employees to manage. You need the best tools available
in order to be successful. And you need to make sure your tools stay
current as long as you are operating your business.
Compliments of:
Telescan, LLC
10679 Midwest Industrial Blvd.
St. Louis, MO 63132
www.telescan.net
(800) 770-7662
We invite you to call us to discuss any questions you may have about
our systems and services. Our staff is available to answer your questions
without any obligation. Call (800) 770-7662.
Telescan provides the most reliable systems for the Telephone Answering
Service industry. Telescan hardware and software solutions provide a
full range of services for inbound message call centers. Telescan’s
Spectrum System, powered by the Prism DSP digital switching platform,
applies the latest technology to optimize the live-answer messaging application.
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