Call Center & Answering Service News

Answering Service Case Study: Insurance Agency Helps Hundreds After Storm

Robin peered through the water cascading down her windows. Tree branches, roofing materials, and garbage streamed past her house in a swarm of debris, dirt, and rain. With a loud crack, she watched her 60-foot Sugar Maple tree split and crash to the ground, blocking the driveway. Then the lights went out.

Topics: Insider Call Center Business Answering Service HIPAA reports offs call offs report offs employee lawsuit Business solutions after-hours support full-time hire alternative telephone support need help after-hours for business virtual receptionist award winning telephone agents can't afford receptionist can't afford on call members quality assurance team training help training employee training

Celebrating 25 Years Of Service

Advantage TeleMessaging, Inc. celebrated its 25th Anniversary on September 28th, 2019! Since 1994, they have been dedicated to the success of every one of their clients by striving to offer nothing less than excellence in customer service.

Advantage TeleMessaging, Inc. has grown from a one-agent, local answering service in West Reading, PA to a multi-award-winning, call management center with over 500 clients throughout the United States and Canada.

Advantage TeleMessaging, Inc. would like to express their gratitude to all of their clients throughout the years for helping them achieve this milestone. Here’s to another successful 25 years!

Please click on the following link to view our 25th Anniversary article courtesy of the Reading Eagle Newspaper: https://www.readingeagle.com/business-weekly/article/advantage-telemessaging-inc-celebrates-25th-anniversary.

 

 

Topics: Call Center Business Answering Service HIPAA reports offs call offs report offs employee lawsuit Business solutions after-hours support full-time hire alternative telephone support need help after-hours for business virtual receptionist award winning telephone agents can't afford receptionist can't afford on call members quality assurance team training help training employee training

Providing Quality Answering Service Requires Ongoing, Intentional Effort

Businesses that care about their customers and callers want to provide a professional experience over the phone. That’s why most every organization cares about customer service quality, which is why they want an answering service that also stresses customer service quality.

Topics: Call Center Business Answering Service HIPAA reports offs call offs report offs Business solutions after-hours support full-time hire alternative telephone support need help after-hours for business virtual receptionist award winning telephone agents can't afford receptionist can't afford on call members quality assurance team training help training employee training

ATSI Award Of Excellence Earned Five Years In A Row

We are excited to announce that Advantage TeleMessaging, Inc. has once again earned the Award of Excellence for Outstanding Service by the Association of TeleServices, International (ATSI)!
Topics: Call Center Business Answering Service HIPAA reports offs call offs report offs employee lawsuit Business solutions after-hours support full-time hire alternative telephone support need help after-hours for business virtual receptionist award winning telephone agents can't afford receptionist can't afford on call members

Advantage TeleMessaging, Inc. Acquires A-Plus Answering Service

West Reading, PA – May 1, 2019 – Advantage TeleMessaging, Inc., a provider of contact center and telephone answering services, today    announced its acquisition of A-Plus Answering Service, a telephone    answering service based in Laureldale, PA. 

Topics: Insider Call Center Business Answering Service HIPAA reports offs call offs report offs employee lawsuit Business solutions after-hours support full-time hire alternative telephone support need help after-hours for business virtual receptionist award winning telephone agents can't afford receptionist can't afford on call members

Why You Should Go with a Certified Answering Service

If you’ve shopped around for answering services, you’ve surely seen a pattern. What’s the one thing they all claim? Every answering service insists that they provide quality service. But as they say, talk is cheap. Can they backup their claim by actually doing what they say?

Topics: Call Center Business Answering Service HIPAA Business solutions after-hours support telephone support need help after-hours for business virtual receptionist award winning telephone agents can't afford receptionist can't afford on call members

Answering Service Case Study: Properly Handling Employee Call Offs

The phone was ringing before Lauren could even sit down. She answered it. It was her boss, Michael Reite, the executive vice-president of human resources. She listened while he rushed through his news.

Topics: Call Center Business Answering Service HIPAA reports offs call offs employee lawsuit

Are you HIPAA-Compliant?

HIPAA-compliance is a vital practice all businesses must adhere to when handling Protected  Health Information (PHI) and Electronic Patient Health Information (ePHI). Ever since the final  HIPAA omnibus ruling came into effect in March 2013, the Health and Human Services Office  for Civil Rights began cracking down on non-compliant Covered Entities and Business Associates.
 
Even with these new changes in effect, many Covered Entities and Business Associates continue  to  conduct their daily communications in an insecure manner and, whether aware or not, in a  method that is in clear violation of HIPAA’s standards.
 
Many are well aware of the consequences and have taken the necessary steps to become  compliant. For those who have not, or are not sure if they are compliant, we have outlined the  steps you can take to rectify this, as well as list the ramifications you may be subject to if found  in non-compliance.
 
The intention of this post is not to scold or make an example of anyone, but to educate  those who may still be in danger of being found in direct violation of HIPAA’s standards. 
 
An important first step to take to becoming HIPAA-compliant is to have a Business  Associate  Agreement (BAA) in place. You must share the BAA with all vendors such as answering services , shredding companies and anyone else who might come into contact with PHI. Once  these agreements are signed and all parties enter into the contract, it ensures that the Business  Associates meet HIPAA standards by protecting PHI. If they do not, they are liable and subject  to civil and criminal penalties for actions not authorized in your BAA.
 
In regards to having a BAA in place to further protect your PHI, it would also be beneficial to  your business or practice to consult with an attorney who has had experience with medical and  HIPAA regulations. When it comes to being compliant, it’s not necessarily a bad thing to be over  prepared.
 
One of the fastest growing concerns with the protection of PHI/ePHI is the use of SMS, also  known as “text messaging”. While convenient, it is commonly mistaken as a safe and secure  method of sharing PHI/ePHI.
Topics: Call Center Business Answering Service HIPAA