A Q&A with Consumer Affairs and Parker Davis, CEO of Answer 1
What problem is Answer 1 trying to solve?Our mission is to help our clients increase revenue, decrease costs, and improve brand experience and interaction with their customers.What sets Answer 1 apart from the competition?We believe we offer the best service in the industry. First, we admit when we make mistakes, but we are proud that we don’t do it too often. Answer 1’s complaint rate is less 0.01% of number of calls answered. Second, we never outsource our virtual receptionists, all calls are answered by Answer 1 employees. Third, we provide our clients service 24/7/365. Fourth, we have fast answer times and 90% of our calls are answered in less than 3 rings. Fifth, the technology at Answer 1 can integrate into many of our client’s software applications, including Salesforce, Infusionsoft and Service Titan, among others. Six, we speak Spanish! Last, we take care of our employees so they can take care of your customers. We offer competitive wages, contribute 80% of employee healthcare premiums, offer $50k life insurance policies, free snacks, as well as a fantastic culture that has made Answer 1 a member of Arizona’s Top Companies to Work For.What needs does your product or service fulfill, and how do you fulfill those needs better than your competition?Our clients need help creating positive customer touch points with their brand, managing the highs and lows in call volume, call triage, scheduling and data entry, among other things. But our clients don’t have unlimited resources. They need a high value, quality solution at a cost that makes sense. Answer 1 is here to help.How does Answer 1 measure success?The average Answer 1 client stays with us for over 6 years, with many of our clients having relationships with us dating back for over a decade. With long relationships we know we are creating value for our clients. We also keep track of the number of complaints we get from our clients. Our percentage of complaints to number of calls is 0.01%.What’s the most common misconception consumers have about your industry and your company?The largest misconceptions are that we don’t understand technology or that we don’t know how to integrate with technology. As small to medium sized businesses more fully incorporate software applications into their day-to-day, it is imperative that Answer 1 and others in the industry be able to work within those new realties. We feel we have made, and will continue to make, those necessary investments to provide great cutting edge service.How has your industry changed in the last 5 to 10 years?Similar to the comment above, the change in the industry has had much to do with the advancement of technology and the ability for virtual receptionists to work within that new technology.What is something you wish every consumer knew about Answer 1?We are committed everyday to providing great service to our clients and honored to help them grow their businesses.Has Answer 1 received any awards or recognition for its products or services?We have been an Arizona Top Companies to Work For Award Winner for 2013-2015 and an ATSI Award of Excellence/Distinction 2004-2015.How has Answer 1 grown or evolved?The roots of our company date back to 1982, so we have been working within the broader industry for over 3 decades. However, over the past few years is when the company has accelerated its growth. With the adoption and development of service enhancing technologies and the training of our virtual receptionists to handle such technology advancements, we are providing a differentiated service offering in the marketplace.
