Test them. If you are thinking of using a company ask if you can have a free trial. If they are confident in the quality of their telephone aswering service, there should be no problem.

Check the company. Ask for testimonials and references. Get some contact details and give the reference a call.

Interview the prospective company. They have to be approachable, friendly and professional make sure they fit all of these criteria.

Look at the telephone answering service they are offer. If they are a full virtual office and provide a mail forwarding service this may be of benefit in the future. In contrast you may want a specialist so give it some thought.

Ask the company how they train their staff and what quality control measures they have in place. How do they record messages, forward them and retain information. What do they do if something goes wrong?

Don’t just look at price. You get what you pay for in this world. If you pay peanuts you get monkeys. Look at their track record, service and contract terms and make your decision based on what is best for your business.

Ideally you want to employ the services of a telephone answering service company for the long term instead of chopping and changing. So make sure you take your time when making your final decision.