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Telephone Answering Service

The New TAS Trader Coming in 2014

By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD As TAS Trader wraps up its fifth year, many changes have occurred since our launch in early 2009. As an industry, we’ve seen a great deal of consolidation. Although it’s just a guess, I suspect the number of telephone answering services in the United States now stands at about 50 […]

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Telephone Answering Service

TAS Opportunities from the Affordable Care Act

By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD Though some people have a wait-and-see attitude toward the Affordable Care Act (ACA), most hold polarized views, either loving it or hating it. Many business owners and managers, including telephone answering services, are wary. They see the ACA as one more item pressuring their business’s viability and threatening their future. […]

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Telephone Answering Service

Pay Attention to Internet Security in Your TAS

By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD When using the Internet, it’s critical to be aware of the risks. You don’t want to take a naive approach toward security on your telephone answering service’s computers. Computer security is a complex issue, deserving serious attention. At the risk of oversimplification, here are some simple guidelines to follow: There […]

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Telephone Answering Service

Enter Your TAS in Our Facebook Photo Contest

By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD Take part in our Facebook photo contest to promote your TAS – and possibly see your photo featured in a future issue of TAS Trader. Here’s how: If you don’t have a photo to submit, you can play still along by voting (like and/or comment) for your favorites. Vote early […]

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Telephone Answering Service

Managing Remote Operators

By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD For years, some answering service owners have pursued remote operator stations, while others have avoided them with staunch opposition. For the TAS, the benefits of remote operators are many, including running multiple offices from one system, tapping into new labor markets, and hiring qualified but homebound staff. For employees, the […]

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Telephone Answering Service

Retaining Customers and Pursuing Prospects

By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD Although the number varies with who’s doing the telling, it’s many times more costly to obtain a new customer than to keep an existing one. The sad reality is, though, no one at the giant mega corporations gets this – or at least their actions belie that they do. For […]

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Telephone Answering Service

The Internet and Your TAS

By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD Today, harnessing the power of the Internet should be a goal of every telephone answering service. When used properly, the Internet can save time, generate revenue, increase communication, obtain and retain clients, and bolster the bottom line. Here are some items to consider. You are likely already doing most of […]

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Telephone Answering Service

Call Distribution Priority: Should You Be Fair or Pragmatic?

By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD Call me an idealist. I think life should be fair. This applies to answering calls. According to my perspective, call distribution needs to be fair, too. Everyone should have an equal chance of being answered quickly – or at least subjected to the same length of hold time if they […]

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Telephone Answering Service

The Amtelco-Telescan Merger

By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD As with any merger, the Amtelco-Telescan merger raises natural and expected questions among stakeholders. I had an opportunity to discuss some of these with Bernie Torvik, vice chairman of Amtelco, and Roger Young, president of the Telescan Division of Amtelco. Here is what they had to share: Peter: Congratulations on […]

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Telephone Answering Service

Hopper and Campbell Contribute to Tom Hopkins’ Book

By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD Jamey Hopper and Darlene Campbell both contributed to the recently released book, In It to Win It: The World’s Leading Experts Reveal Their Top Strategies for Winning in Business & Life. In addition to Campbell and Hopper, the book features Tom Hopkins and other experts sharing their insights. Hopkins opens […]