Why Our 24 Hour Telephone Answering Service Prohibits Cell Phone Use

At the start of every shift, all of our virtual receptionistsare required to turn their cell phones off or place the ringer on silent and put that mobile device away with their personal belongings in a secure locker. A Courteous Communications has a zero tolerance policy for cell phone use while our agents are on the clock taking valuable and important calls for our clients. We want to share why we believe this company policy helps our team provide the best possible 24 hour telephone answering service support.

The Best Answering Service Policies and Procedures 

To give you a broad idea of how our answering service has lasted for 30 years, we wanted to give you a quick overview of items that are not allowed while on the clock. Yes, the cell phone is one of the main company no-no’s that our virtual receptionists are trained to stay clear of while at their desks working.  Our agents are also not allowed to eat food or chew gum while talking on our customers’ business lines.

We are a bit strict with these rules and we think you will understand why after you take a moment to recall a telephone call we know you have experienced before. Remember the last time you called someone and had the privilege of listening to them chew food or smack gum throughout your entire conversation. Not too pretty and for some, those sounds are like nails on a chalkboard. There are professions that allow you to work through lunch and eat at your desk, or tackle a specific problem while chewing on gum to focus on a solution. Our 24 hour telephone answering service agents, unfortunately, do not have those luxuries.

In addition to their computer and telephone equipment, our team here at Courteous is allowed to have three items on their desk while working:

• A Dictionary
• A Pen and/or Pencil
• Scrap Paper for Notes

Our professional virtual receptionists are so wonderful in their respect and understanding of these very direct rules.

No Cell Phones Allow Complete Focus and Attention

A doctor wouldn’t pull out their cell phone during a surgical procedure to answer a call, nor would a police officer stop pursuing a criminal to reply to a text message. We take our jobs very seriously here and we realize that although it’s not as intense as say, brain surgery, what we do is very important and demands our full attention.

Our clients trust and believe that we are the best answering service for their business. If we begin to lose focus and cause that client embarrassment by not giving great customer service and clear attention to detail, we are no longer relevant.  

One of the industries that greatly appreciate our ban of mobile phone use in our office is the medical industry. We answer millions of calls each year, 24 hours a day for doctors, hospitals and other urgent care facilities. In our line of work, calls can be life or death situations and if we aren’t 100% alert and ready when that incoming call comes in, things can go terribly wrong.

Another detail that people may not know is that being in the telecommunications industry, one telephone agent may answer for dozens of businesses a day. There is little to no down time in-between calls and our team is sharp, focused and ready to pick up each call on the first ring. We wouldn’t be winning customer service awards each year if we didn’t require the very best from our highly skilled virtual receptionists.

No Cell Phones Allow Additional Security and Data Protection

All of our employees are required to sign a non-disclosure and confidentiality agreement to answer our clients’ business calls. We also have a medical answering service team that is required to have HIPAA training to fully understand specific personal data requirements and regulations. Lastly, all of our virtual receptionists are randomly selected throughout the day by a supervisor to listen in on their call for quality assurance.

Although we trust our team of virtual receptionists completely, we have to be certain that our customers are always protected and that all of those protections have safety nets as well. When discussing with our team leaders the reasons for not allowing cell phone use during working hours, this benefit came up from one of our lead agents.

Some of the businesses we answer for need us to process credit card information or have access to other personal information of the caller. Our safety net for the modern security and firewalls we have in place, is taking away a disgruntled employee’s ability to send confidential information outside of our secure office.

We are proud that our team is always looking out for the well-being of our customers’ customers. Courteous Communications is also very proud to share that some of our employees have been with us for 15+ years.

If you are shopping around for a 24 hour telephone answering service, be sure to ask them this very straightforward and direct question, “Are your virtual receptionists allowed to keep their cell phones at their desk while working?” If they say, “Yes,” hang up the phone immediately and dial 1-800-785-6161 to speak with one of our account experts. Click here to see why we are the best answering service to provide telephone support for your business.