What They've Said About Us

This story took place on Thanksgiving Day. I was on-call… for the midnight shift. An intoxicated man called the hotline and Ginny took the call. This man was extremely intoxicated and very difficult to talk to, but Ginny got a lot of very specific information right off the bat. He requested to talk to the on-call counselor, making bizarre statements like “my family is trying to turn me into a psychopath”. So Ginny called me and passed on the information, that he was talking about “killing himself” and that he was slurring his speech and easily agitated.

Well, I called this man back.. he was definitely “Three Sheets to the Wind”… and was about as agitated as a person can get. ….I was having difficulty establishing rapport with him. He kept saying, “I need help”, yet could not follow my instructions to call 911. He then became so upset he would hang up on me…..

Well, the fourth time he hung up on me was the time he decided not to answer the phone when I called him back…..

Luckily, Ginny called me about that time and told me that he had called her and reported that he had just “slashed his wrist” and then hung up and Ginny told me directly and straightforward, “I believe him.” Well, obviously that was a “game changer”. Ginny and I began trying to figure out where he said he had called from and Ginny remembered he was calling from Franklin. Then we started to brainstorm and we finally decided to try the reverse look up number via Google……we were happy to see that the results indicated a Franklin address and we agreed that the best thing to do was to call for a “well-being” check.

Well, I finally got a call back about an hour later from the Deputy that responded and this is what he told me. He said, “It’s a good thing y’all called when you did…..I told him we were there to check on him and he told me oh, I’m just fine, yet it was then that I saw blood dripping from his wrist onto the porch, and when I asked him what happened he said, “I am trying to kill myself”. The Deputy then called EMS and they took him to the ER and he ended up getting 7 sutures and that he had slashed long ways, which is more lethal…..

There is no doubt in my mind that it was Ginny’s heartfelt concern for this man that prompted us to take further action. It was also her notes and memory of the phone call that actually led to us finding out where he lived….I shudder to think what would have happened, had Ginny not established rapport with this man and got him to admit that he was truly suicidal. Ginny is a kind person that is very caring. This comes through loud and clear on all our interactions….

Note: We at PAS give thanks to Ginny for taking the extra effort and helping someone get to see another Thanksgiving Day.

Thanks to all at PAS! And Thanks for taking such good care of us, the office staff and the Service Techs really enjoy speaking with your staff! Keep up the good work.....

Chris Ashe and all the staff!! :)

Survey Comments: Excellent service!

Survey Comments: GREAT HELP AND WAS VERY KIND. THANK YOU

Survey Comments: Got the info I needed immediately. Even friendly. Well done

Survey Comments: Renee was very helpful!

Survey Comments: I have to rate this person very high due to the fact that she was very respectful, very professional and very knowledgeable on your products. Oh, and do not let me forget the response time was faster than I have ever seen. I was very impressed. Great Job !!! I Can not say enough on how nice and easy that went. It is taking more time to type this than it took to ask my Question.

Survey Comments: Very helpful! Thanks

Survey Comments: Irma was Great Thanks

Dear Professional Answering Service Team Members:

This letter is to commend you for the exemplary service that continues to be provided to us by Professional Answering Service. I feel that the least I can do is give this company a standing ovation for the professionalism that is portrayed on each and every call that is handled.

Recently I have had yet another opportunity to hear the gracious comments by our clients of how friendly, warm, and welcoming the people are that answer our phones. I had a client make statement about a young man that answered the phone and how he was so professional and welcoming. This young man made her feel relaxed as she was upset about some termite damage she recently found and was having some family come into town soon. Professional Answering Service spoke so highly of RightWay Remodelers and made her feel so welcome. Our clients should feel like they matter and that they are not just another job. If we do not put others before ourselves then we are really missing the calling God has for us. The first step is to providing a memorable first impression and for that I trust Professional Answering Service.

Thank you for living up to your name!

Prosperous Blessings,
G. L. Bunker

Thank you VERY much for the response you sent. This is the nicest and most informative response I have ever received and I want you to know how much I appreciate it!

I called customer service today to praise your efforts to help me. I am going to take your suggestions and maybe before long, Walmart will be stocking this product again!

I am going to print your response to take with me to show the Manager at Walmart that I can find it in a competing store and maybe if he thinks he could possibly lose a customer, he might reconsider selling this product. I know it sold well for them because I bought it all the time. I like to keep at least a dozen boxes of it on hand.

I appreciate very much your efforts to assist me and I wish everyone was as helpful and kind as you.

Have a very nice day and again, THANK YOU!!!

Clay P.
Customer

Our company started with Professional Answering Service about three months ago (maybe a little longer) and we are beyond pleased with the services provided.

Last year, we contracted with another answering service and not only were we dissatisfied with the level of service, but received several complaints from our clients. We were skeptical about investing time and money into another service but are so thankful we chose Professional Answering Service.

Our customers have provided us with some excellent feedback. I will definitely recommend your company to anyone in need of a professional and thorough answering service. Thank you!

Sincerely,

E. Sandusky
Office Manager

To PAS Staff:

Our sincere appreciation for the work you are doing at this time of an abundance of calls. We could not do it without you. We hope each and every one of you and your family fared well through the Hurricane.

Thanks again!

Scotty
General Manager

To all of you at the Answering Service:

Thanks so much for taking care of us while we get back on our feet from the hurricane.

Betty
Office Manager

Hey Melody,

I just wanted to give you a quick note back. Please let your folks know what a great job they have been doing! We appreciate them and how they helped through our hurricane time off and other days we end up closing early. Things have been going really well!

Sandee
Practice manager

This letter is to acknowledge what a wonderful job your office is doing for our medical practice. We are very impressed with the quality of your services and your staff is very personable and always happy to help us at any time. Your office is professional and they do an excellent job.

Thank you so much,

T.K. Hines - Practice Administrator
J.M. P. III M.D. and staff

During the week of April 14th to April 18th, we made a major change in our office of Ascon Apartments. In the process of implementing a change of management, we utilized your answering service completely. That in itself is not the purpose of this letter. The purpose of this letter is to commend all of your employees for the manner in which they handled the calls for Ascon Apartments during that week. As the first contact and, thereby, the first impression for a business when the phones are turned to your service, Professional Answering Service employees were not only helpful during that week, they were a significant contributor to our success in implementing a change of management that week. They calmed residents who called repeatedly and they soothed people who were calling for the first time and were frustrated by not being able to reach “someone in the office”. In short, your employees epitomized the name of your business.

We have always been impressed with the attitude of your company; and more importantly the attitude of your employees who are actually answering the phones; they seem to instinctively know the significance of their role in the success of a business and that they are actually representing that business while they have the phones…but during the week of April 14th to April 18th, we were not only impressed, we were grateful. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to give me a call.

Thanks again for a job very well done!

Sincerely,
B. Perdue

On behalf of Ambulatory Foot & Ankle Center, P.C., I would like to thank you and your staff for the excellent service provided to our company over the past several months.

From the moment I reached your service while attempting to contact Betty’s Heating and Plumbing after hours, I was hooked on the professionalism of your staff. I knew immediately that I wanted to incorporate the services you could offer to our business. What a wonderful opportunity it has been to augment our business with another business that sets the highest standards in regards to customer service and growth. From the ease of starting up to the accessibility of staff at any time, I can say without hesitation that it has been so nice not to worry about this particular aspect when it comes to managing our podiatric office.

I am thrilled that our office can be represented by an outstanding crew of professionals. Professional Answering Service would truly be an asset to any large or small company who understands that the telephone is often the first impression of the business. Please feel free to have potential clients contact me. I would love to brag about your service!

Thank you,
L. Cook

First off, I have received two compliments this week regarding how calls are handled. Thank you for being so reliable.

Secondly, I wanted to let you k now that I reviewed the latest release of our marketing material and a paragraph was added in the “whitepaper” part that reflected your contribution to our competitive advantage. I did not realize that my words had been written down in this meeting for marketing purposes, and I think the way it was presented here truly shows how we use your services to build confidence in our client base.

Please share this information in your meeting this afternoon.

Thanks,
Angela

…you can forget about voicemail at Tradepire. One day our President finally got fed up and announced that our voicemail system had been taken off line.

VOICEMAIL:
“Voicemail undermines everything we are trying to accomplish with our clients and it waters down everything we believe in.” argues Slaughter. “If we are supposed to be visible and transparent, then that means we are engaged with the client. If a client is making a phone call, it is because it is important. If it wasn’t important, they would have sent an e-mail.” After that day, there were no more voicemail messages left at Tradepire.

When you call our organization, you get a real person and that areal person can process your call through our dashboard for later followup or put you in touch with your trade developer. If someone isn’t available for a call from a client, then the client’s call is sent up the ladder…not down…and that is a direct order too.

I would like to commend Professional Answering Service for the excellent service extended to Ballentine Inc. Ballentine Inc. has been in business since 1970 and has used several different answering services throughout the years. I have found that the service offered by Professional Answering Service has greatly exceeded all of the other answering services we have used in the past. It is imperative in the Refrigeration, Heating and Cooling business that our customers are able to reach us even after normal business hours. I have been impressed with the reliability, professionalism, and courteousness of the staff. Please extend my gratitude to your staff.

Sincerely,
W. Sheppard

Recently, I had occasion to contact Chock Full O’Nuts. I did a search online and found Massimo Zanetti Beverages. I clicked on the “Contact Us” button and, a bit dejectedly, and sent my email message. I say dejectedly because I was hoping for a more direct contact and in my experience those emails into a blind portal are not given much attention.

I was amazed and delighted to receive a very warm, personalized response to my message. It came from Melody.

I was asking how I could submit a CD of a singer doing the famous Chock Full O’Nuts jingle and the reply I got thanked me for contacting you. Then Melody assured me, personally, that she would “Make sure it gets to the marketing department for review”. I have to tell you this is most uncommon. As a keynote and motivational speaker I listen carefully to how companies behave since I use these examples to illustrate points in my talks. Melody managed, in a couple of short emails, to make me feel welcomed, valued, and assured that I would have personal service.

As I deliver talks to various companies this year I will use this experience as an example of how a large company, with a little care and attention to detail, can offer service as personalized as the corner store even through as impersonal a medium as a blind email.

You, and your company, are to be commended and most of all I offer high praise for Melody. She is a gem.

Sincerely,
Frank S.

I would like to personally thank your organization for the excellent service you have been providing Advantage Heating and Cooling.

Your staff has been friendly and professional to us and our customers. I am pleased that we chose your service to support our business.

It’s exciting to know there are other small businesses like ours who understands how important first impressions, professionalism and follow-through are to continued growth and profitability. Please feel free to have potential clients contact me for a recommendation.

Sincerely,
Neal

I wanted to formally thank you and your coworkers at Professional Answering Service for being there when we really needed you. As you know, the November Nor’easter storm that we went through damaged our phone lines causing us to be without significant phone service for almost a week. It’s extremely difficult to run a business without phones. This period proved to be a very busy time for our company. We had so many customers who needed to contact us because their boilers and furnaces were flooded from the storm and in need of repair. Without Professional Answering Service, our customers’ calls would have gone unanswered and our company would have lost a significant amount of revenue. Our calls were handled promptly, professionally and our messages were forwarded to our office almost immediately via email.

Thank you for everything that you did. We are very happy customers.

Sincerely,
Tracy

I just wanted to let you know how pleased I was with the transition over to PAS! The process was painless and your staff has been very professional and efficient.

I am so happy with what our tenants and clients will be hearing when the service is on and I wanted you to be sure to let your team know!

Maybe in a couple weeks I can come over for a Friday like we discussed!

Have a Blessed Day!

Cathy L.
Property Manager

HAPPY NEW YEAR to all!

I just want to let you all know at Professional Answering Service that over the Christmas and New Year holidays, your staff was incredible! I appreciate all the patience that each of you had and that you made sure that the tenant was taken care of.

It is always a pleasure working with you all at PAS. I look forward to working with all of you in the New Year!

Alys

We have been customers of Professional Answering Service for the past year and a half. The transition was smooth. Melody and Carol in the office have been fabulous. I highly recommend Professional Answering Service. Angelo and Larry provide exceptional customer service.

Sincerely yours,
Y. Bason

Dear Melody,

I wanted you to know how very pleased our staff has been since we started using Professional Answering Service. Our physicians, mental health clinicians and the admin team have all expressed what a pleasure it has been to work with your staff.

We appreciate the professional manner in which your staff answers our calls and collects information. It truly has been a much improved system of communication.

Please extend our gratitude to your entire team.

Sincerely,
M. Purkiss

I had the pleasure of encountering Charlotte on the telephone when I called to inquire about the availability, actually the scarcity, of Hills Brothers Dark Roast Coffee. Charlotte was patient, considerate, knowledgeable and informative in answering my questions and offering to help me buy some coffee. Her manners are exemplary.

I asked to speak to her supervisor, to whom I voiced similar praise as I express here, and she graciously accepted my unsolicited opinion. I couldn't have predicted outcomes that exceeded my expectations when I placed my call.

Thanks to Charlotte and the other fine folks who facilitated my purchase of one case of (6) 34 oz. cans of the finest coffee ever roasted, and hereby toasted.

Sincerely,
D. Beilharz

Hi Melody,

We have been very happy with your service.

Everyone who answers the phone seems upbeat and sounds pleasant.

The other day, someone took a call from John B. and it was a call about canceling the appointment for that day.

Your operator called me to make sure we got the message as it was 20 minutes before the appointment time.

I was really impressed how tactful she handled the phone call according to the situation and very thoughtful of her to have gone the extra mile for us.

I forgot to ask her name, but please find out who it was and give her a pat for her good job.

Sincerely,
M. Workman

Dear Melody,

Just a quick note to thank you for all of your help and for taking the time to answer and send out the scoops I had inquired about. I find that these days customer support isn't as important as it used to be. It is therefore quite a treat and testament to you and your company to take customer support seriously. Thank you again, my mother was quite surprised and we had a great time over a cup of coffee as I told her about how I "found" the scoops again, with your help of course. Your company is fortunate to have you. Have a great day.

M. Sanchez

Mike,

I wanted to thank you for following through and sending me new coupons/Homefront Heroes entry codes. I did receive them and have entered them successfully! I also wanted to say how refreshing it is to have such quick response and communication from a large corporation. When I sent my original email notice I really expected to only receive a computer generated reply and no further follow-up contact. That has been the typical procedure for the prior two contact attempts I have made at other corporations! Rest assured this experience will strengthen my loyalty to the Hills Bros. brand.

Thank you again!

Susan W.

Hi Melody,
Thanks for getting back to me so quickly – I have always admired your company’s personal touch when responding to inquiries!

Yes I was in Kuwait for some time and had orders delivered there and I had the same great service there.

I know you have processes you must go thru so I will wait to hear from you. Thank you again!

I received a package from your company today and was so pleased! You and your company did not have to go this extra step to replace the original package sent to me but you did! You are all so awesome!

I really appreciate all of your efforts and those of the company on my behalf. All of you are to be commended for your outstanding customer service – a rare thing today! Thank you again for re-sending my original order!
Ida L.

Tom F., City of Norfolk, wants to tell everyone at the Call Center what a great job we are doing.

He really appreciates everything we do. We make his job easier by being a liaison between him and the customer. Also, he said to please never feel that we are bothering him when we call.

He wants to thank everyone here for doing such a great job.

Would you ever recommend a brand to a friend after drinking a cup of bitter tasting coffee?

Mrs. R. Lance will.

The story starts out where she complains about how we screwed up her coffee…then turns to praise for how our Consumer Relations team responded…then to a surprise in the package delivered to her door…to how we helped her favorite charity…to a great tasting cup of Chock…and finally, how she will recommend Chock to all of her friends.

Consumer Relations not only turned a negative into a positive…it also put some momentum behind it.
Mrs. Lance is the best advertising in her home town we’ll ever have.

Maybe there is a lesson here:

When I screw something up, I should do more than “just make it right.”

Then maybe that little extra will create positive momentum that will forever change disappointment into loyalty.

--- Thanks to you and your team for doing a great job!