So what are some specific ways a call answering service can enhance your accounting business?

1. Getting the Balance RIGHT

There is a delicate balance for any accounting firm that exists between hiring sufficient staff to ‘get the job done’ so to speak, and over hiring staff which in turn can put the business under financial pressure. For modern accountants, an in house receptionist can end up being something of an unnecessary luxury especially when an accounting firm is in its initial set up stage.Virtual PAs / receptionists can perform all the tasks an in house receptionist can including  taking calls in your company name and transferring those calls to staff within your office. The added bonus of having a call answering service is that you only pay when a client calls you as opposed to paying someone to wait for the phone to ring.

2. Customer Specific Scripts

There is always a concern that the relationship between your clients and your business can become disjointed if a call answering service manages your calls. By developing a script that is specific to your accounting firm, any customer confusion that may be caused by you outsourcing your call answering is avoided and essentially your virtual PA team becomes integrated into your organisation.

3. Help With Your Diary

When it comes to meeting clients in person, most accounting firms prefer scheduled appointments. But making these appointments can be a time consuming job. Instead of adding to an already heavy workload, you can engage a call answering service to manage your diary. An experienced, high quality appointment setting team can help populate your calendar and keep you updated as they are doing so.

In essence, a business call answering service is a cost effective way of keeping your books balanced whilst investing in your clientele. When it comes to outsourcing your services, a call answering service is one that has the potential to pay for itself from the first call.

T0 find out more about how Call Pal can enhance the day to day running of your accounting firm, call us on 1890 511 400. If you are outside Ireland, you can contact us on +353 91 511 414.

And be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and Google+ to stay up to date with all our latest news and offers.

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Business owners and entrepreneurs often try to run their businesses with little or no support. But it’s virtually impossible to ‘do it all’ let alone do it all well. This rings with more truth when a business experiences rapid growth. Often, there’s no budget to hire new staff which begs the question, what is the solution? In this instance, engaging a call answering service is an ideal solution especially if you are seeing the following trends:

Your callers are not leaving voicemails…

Voicemails remain a significant stumbling block for several companies. There’s a 60% chance that if your inbound callers don’t get through to a person, they won’t leave a message and you’re unlikely to hear from them again. A live answering service eliminates this problem as there is always a friendly, professional voice answering your calls.

You can’t focus

Chances are, you are in  business for a reason that does not include being on the phone all the time. If your phone is constantly ringing, it’s probably because your prominence as a business is growing. However this is also the most inconvenient time to be taking calls as being tied to your phone leaves you unable to focus on accomplishing any of the tasks you are reputed for. Having a call answering service frees up your time meaning you don’t have to deal with common customer questions or complaints and can prioritise existing projects and tasks.

The Diary

We all make mistakes – we’re only human after all. But when the mistakes start to affect your diary management or appointment scheduling, it can have a detrimental effect on your business’ reputation. A call answering service that includes diary management will greatly minimise human error and give you the added support you need as your business is growing.

Thank you for reading our latest blog post. Why not experience the benefits of Call Pal’s Call Answering Service with our 7 day free trial? No risk, no obligation – just the benefits of having a professional PA team support your business by managing your calls. Call 1890 511 400 or +353 91 511 414 if you are outside Ireland for more information.

Keep up to date with Call Pal on our social media channels including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and Google+

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Inside information

If you’ve ended up in a customer service position where you have to communicate with internal departments using technical jargon or terminology that feels extraordinarily foreign to you, don’t despair. Unfamiliarity in a customer service position can be hugely advantageous. Not only does it potentially create an empathy in you for the customer, it also turns you into an expert ‘translator’ so to speak as you can explain and demonstrate the key benefits and features of your products in a way that makes sense to  clients. It can even open the door for you to become a valuable asset in a variety of departments within your organisation.

Untapped talent…

Your fresh, energetic talent as a customer service employee is a an absolute gift. Really. Having a firsthand view of the issues clients encounter often means you have the most original ideas on how to improve products, sales processes and even the customer care process. Once you have a firm grasp on what the organisation you are working for does and how the various departments in the same work together, the sky is the limit as for as your career trajectory goes.

You Learn…Quickly!

More often than not, customer service roles throw you ‘in the deep end’and have you facing a myriad of situations as you endeavour to help customers solve their problems. Inbound callers will often be frustrated or under pressure from people higher up in their company. The advantage of being plunged into these situations is that you get better and faster at knowing how to guide your customers to the most helpful solution.

Thanks for reading our latest blog post. If you require a reception management solution for your business, call us on 1890 511 400 to find out how Call Pal’s PA team can provide a premium reception service for your business.

Follow us on all out social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and Google+ to stay up to date with all our latest news and updates.

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1. We manage all of your inbound reception calls

In essence this can be done in 2 ways.
i. If you do not have an existing landline, Call Pal can issue you a number that corresponds with the Irish Geographic region you wish your business to be based in using our Call Pal Smart Numbers system. Once your number is set up and live, your calls will come through to our Call Pal Reception Management team who will answer the call in your company name. This solution works particularly well for smaller businesses who want to present a more professional image without breaking the bank and hiring a full time receptionist.
ii. If you have an existing landline, you can divert this number to our Call Pal office. Calls will come through to our Call Pal Reception Team and again, the calls with be answered in your company name.
In both of the above cases, we work closely with the client to develop a script that is specific to their business thus ensuring there is no customer confusion when calls come through to your Call Pal PA. We also make sure that messages left by the client’s inbound callers are sent in a timely manner and in an email format that is easy to read.

2. Switchboard Overflow
Often times in larger companies, there can be periods when the resident receptionist / reception team is over stretched due to higher than normal call volumes. In this instance, Call Pal acts as another member of your team making sure that your business continues to deliver excellent customer service during busier periods.
So how does it work?
i. Calls will come through your business line as per usual.
ii. If the call remains unanswered for between 3 and 5 rings, a Call Pal PA will be on hand to manage the call using your company and a script specific to your business so there is no customer confusion.
iii. Inbound calls can then be transferred to a preferred / designated extension or a message can be taken and emailed to you.

There are distinct advantages to having a Reception Management Service at your disposal including:
1. You don’t miss ANY calls. Having access to our Call Pal Reception Management Team means you never miss a call from potential or existing client again.
2. You have freedom of movement. You can leave the office knowing that there is no risk of your calls not being answered.
3. Keep your customer service at the highest levels. Because Call Pal answers your calls in your company name, any customer confusion is avoided and your business’ customer service levels are kept at a premium.
4. Endless voicemails? Not a problem! Because the Call Pal Reception Team doesn’t miss calls, you don’t have to spend time checking your voicemail.
5. Cost effective. Call Pal’s Reception Management Service means you add the value of having a personal assistant to your business without the hefty cost of recruiting and hiring additional employees.
6. Keep your focus. Regardless of whether you are on the road with a job or attending an important meeting, you can be free from the concern that you are missing opportunities as Call Pal will manage all your inbound calls.

Thank you for reading our latest blog post! Please be sure to follow us on all our social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and Google+.
Not sure that you need a Reception Management Service? Then why not sign up for our 7 day Free Trial? Get set up in 3 easy steps – No Risk, No Obligation, No Set Up Costs and No Hidden Charges. Just the rewards of a professional PA Team managing your calls for you!

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The digital age we live in has given us such a vast range of ways to communicate that it can be easy to forget just how important phone calls are. All you have to do nowadays is pick up your smartphone and open an app such as Whatsapp, Skype, Messenger etc to communicate with someone. So picking up the phone and speaking to someone may not be as obvious as it seems. And whilst customers and consumers love contacting the brands they  are working with over social media, talking to another human being over the phone cannot be beaten. Here are 5 reasons that support why we think it’s a good idea to get talking…

1. Believe it or not, not everyone is on the internet

Although we’ve already pointed out that the world at large seems to centre around social media and ecommerce sites, a valid point worth remembering is that not everyone is online – and not everyone is online all the time. Ignoring offline clients means you run the risk of alienating a significant number of potential clients and pushing them into the open arms of your competition.

2. Speaking of your competition…

There is a very real chance that your competition is 100% online in which case you stand to gain a real competitive edge over them by having a human voice at the end of your phone line. A ‘real live person’ answering a client query over the phone gives way to a positive image of your company being developed in the caller’s mind. By speaking to them, you connect on a personal level that no other form of communication (other than face to face) can reach. This means that when the client thinks of your company, they’ll remember your voice as opposed to an impersonal email.

3. A phone is great for your brand

Potential customers looking for a company to work with or buy from, more often than not look for a phone number. A phone number gives the same legitimacy to your company as having an office in a reputable location or a website compiled by a  professional designer. And it reinforces your offline presence by confirming that you are  a  real business.

4. People who call generally have a problem that needs solving

People calling a business over the phone generally have a question or a problem that needs to be resolved quickly. Talking to customers directly over the phone is a great way of helping to solve their problems quickly as well as identifying issues that may affect other customers as well. An example is a customer calling in relation to a broken link on your website. Your answering their call not only saves you a sale, it also means you can quickly solve a problem that could have cost you thousands of sales had you remained unaware of it.

5. It’s personal

Complex problems or problems of a personal or sensitive nature are often best solved over the phone. Also, when it comes to scheduling appointments or deliveries, speaking to a person who has their schedule to hand can greatly reduce the frustration caused by seemingly endless hours of email tennis.

The bottom line is that, in spite of the world being obsessed with digital communication, your phone is still relevant and very important to the successful running of your business.

Can’t get to the phone fast enough or are you unable to manage the volume of incoming calls you are receiving? Why not let our professional call answering team help you? Call us on

1890 511 400 to find out more about our call answering packages and how you can get a month’s worth of call answering ABSOLUTELY FREE!

Get to know us better by following us on all our social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and Google+

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It is a universal truth that networking the right way can earn you money. More often than not, though, it can feel like you are attending an endless string of networking events and seeing no monetary return for your efforts. That really shouldn’t be the case and won’t be provided you follow some basic rules…

The Dont’s

Let’s have a look at the DON’TS of networking first.

Don’t:

1. Overextend yourself by attending a plethora of meetings on a weekly or monthly basis.
2. Don’t necessarily give your business card to everyone you meet.
3. Don’t necessarily take a business card from everyone you meet.
4. This is an obvious one but if there are drinks being served at your networking event, don’t have too many. Chances are, if it’s an evening event, you haven’t eaten since lunch so having one too many mightn’t be the best idea.
5. Lastly, don’t spend loads of time talking to someone who doesn’t ask about your business and what it does.

The Dos

1. Believe it or not, it is OK to excuse yourself and either talk to someone else or take a quick restroom break if you are finding a conversation is extremely one sided.
2. Shake hands like you mean it – no wishy washy handshakes!
3. Try to keep your business cards in one pocket and the business cards you receive in another. For the ladies out there, try to keep the cards you receive in one section of your purse and the cards you are giving out in a separate section of your purse or handbag. You want to be able to efficiently hand out your own cards as opposed to accidentally handing out someone else’s business card.
4. Go with the aim of making 2 to 3 great connections.
5. Choose 2-3 networking events that you can go consistently and get to know the people who attend.
6. Make sure you approach people and begin your conversation with open ended questions like ‘What do you do etc…’ And then LISTEN to what they say in response as you could refer them to someone based on the information they render.
7. Having someone with you means you can run a ‘tag team networking’ system as it’s generally easier to talk about someone else than it is to talk about yourself.
8. Finally ask people if you can follow up with them and what their preferred method of contact would be – social media, text, email or even better, a good old face to face meeting over coffee.

Networking really is a great way of creating brand awareness for your company as well as increasing your credibility. A lot of times, networking allows for the creation of relationships with people who have the potential to send business your way, become your clients and even long lasting friends. So put on your best smile and have some fun mastering the art of networking!

We want to help you better network with your clients by making sure you never miss another sales call from a potential or existing client. To find out more about our professional, nationwide call answering service, call us on 1890 511 400 or send an email to lucia@www.callpal.ie.

And don’t forget to network with us on our social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google+ and LinkedIn!

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Let’s face it – no one goes into business to lose money and the dream of becoming financially wealthy is one so many of us share. For most people though, the dream remains just that – a dream. Why is that, you ask? Simply put, it boils down to the mind and where the focus lies. A lot of people, whilst they are happy in their current situations, are comfortable. Comfort, however is the eternal burial ground for growth and progress. So how does one make the cross over from unhappy comfort to millionaire? It’s all in the mind….

1. Focus on it then grab it!

The truth is, a large number of people are afraid to say what they want and then pursue it. When you want to accomplish something, thinking, ’I could never do that will keep you stuck. Think, ‘I COULD do that and I WILL do that!’ Millionaires play to win, not to avoid defeat. Does that give you licence to become selfish and obnoxious. Not at all. IT simply means becoming more self-assured and honest with yourself. The idea of walking all over people to get to the top is antiquated and unnecessary. If you get the right mindset, there really is a big pot of gold that you have a right to grab hold of. You deserve it!

2. Spending v Investing

Millionaires tend to and need to be frugal people. After all, they understand the true value of the money they are investing. Being self-employed tends to go hand in hand with becoming a millionaire and at some point you may need to look at reducing your regular work hours or even quitting your regular job to make your money work for you. So instead of splurging on that new phone or wardrobe, you could use that money to invest in the stock market. By finding the right shares, that money could easily double itself in a year. And the stock market isn’t the only place to invest – there’s always property and of course, your own education.

3. Goooooooooooooaaaaaaaaaal!

Getting rich quickly sounds attractive but a more sustainable way of getting rich is by becoming goal orientated. The truth is, only lottery winners become millionaires overnight. BY setting yourself feasible goals, you will get there eventually. An example of this would be that you’re making enough to pay the bills and avail of a few luxuries. Your first goal may be to have €10,000 saved in a year which is not easy but doable. You then need to work out the steps you need to take to achieve that goal. Those steps should primarily favour growth over cutbacks. You may have skills outside your workplace that you can monetise to boost your bank balance. Liquidating unnecessary items can be another way of earning capital to reach your goal. If these don’t raise enough capital to help you reach your goal, then it’s time for those spending cutbacks. Think making your lunch instead of buying it and cutting down on the luxury spends.

4. Keep your head in the books

Invest in yourself – it is the best thing you can do. Leaving the educational system does not mean that your learning days have ceased. 100 books – that is how many books Warren Buffet estimates he read on investing before he turned 20 in comparison to zero…which is the number most people read after they leave school. The question is, who would you rather be? Learn as much as you can. Learn everything you can about how economics work, the stock markets and how they trend. If it’s a new skill, learn as much as you can about it. More often than not, you would be surprised at how often skills that seem useless can become extremely useful in the right situation.

5. Bigger is better

Small goals are always a great starting point and are advisable but there is no doubt that you should have a big goal in mind. If it’s a business, start it and make it a success. Alternatively, your big goal may be to invest your way to millions and do little outside of research. And remember, not achieving your big goal is not a shameful thing. If you have a business and your goal for the year was to make 1 million Euro profit and you ‘only’ made a profit of €500,000, then you are till streets ahead of most people. Reach for the stars (excuse the song quote!) and if you happen to miss them, you’ll still be over the moon.

6. Make friends with the attention

Self-promotion is a large part of becoming a success. And by self, we don’t necessarily mean you personally – it could be drawing attention to your brand. Wherever it is directed, it is true that attention attracts money. So never shy away from getting your name out there. Find your spotlight and be gutsy enough to step into it. Remember: you ultimately control your destiny. Fight hard enough for anything and you’ll get it.

We want to get you on the way to achieving your business goals. We are more than happy to take your company’s calls and free you up to focus on the bigger growth plan for your business.

For more information, call us on 1890 511 400 or send an email to

Finally, we would love to interact with you on our social media platforms so be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Google+.

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What’s your Identity?

It’s really important that you have a specific set of goals for your business and these should correspond with your social media plan. For example, if you have a newly opened takeaway, your initial plan would be to increase the number of walk in customers. Therefore, your social media goals would be to create more awareness of your takeaway and drive more people to your location.

Defining who you are as a business is imperative. How people perceive your business will be as a result of the vocabulary you use, images you post and the types of campaigns you run. A good starting point for creating your online persona would be to write down a list of adjectives and terms that you want people to associate with you. Keep those adjectives handy as you create a voice for your brand.

Lastly, define your target audience. Your campaigns and their success will rely heavily on how specifically you define your audience. Most social media platforms allow you to create campaigns that target potential customers from specific age ranges, occupational segments, key interests and geographic areas. Understanding these segments will help you design campaigns and create content that captivates the right audience, the right way.

We hope this post has been helpful. Be sure to follow us on all our social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Or give us a call directly on 1890 511 400 for more information on our nationwide service.

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