Frequently Asked Questions
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General Questions
Call us at 800-248-3238. Your Account Executive will work with you to develop the best solution for your specific needs.
Absolutely! We are here to answer your calls 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, including all holidays. Normal business hours for the administrative staff are from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. CST Monday through Friday.
In most cases, your account is active within 48-72 hours after receipt of your account information. This timeframe is contingent on the level of complexity your account requires.
We have multiple options for message delivery. Our Telephone Service Representatives can deliver the message by calling you directly, by sending a text message to your cell phone, by email (including to wireless devices with internet access), fax, alpha-numeric paging, or you can retrieve the message from a private mail box. We can also digitally page you to notify you of a message. Different procedures can be established for each individual, department or situation.
During the set up phase for your account, we will find out what information you want us to capture from or give to your callers. Then we will look at your messaging needs, first during business hours, then for after business hours. In each time frame we will break down what you consider to be an emergency. Emergency calls are simply those that require our TSR’s to get the message out as soon as possible. Once we have defined your emergency situations, we will go into great detail for the notification process. We will break down who to notify first, and how to notify them, and who to contact next, and after what time frame. The breakdown of your notification process will be customized to fit your needs.
Yes. We can patch calls to any number you provide us with. All calls can be patched, or only calls from specific parties or regarding particular reasons. When a call is patched you can screen the call before accepting it.
It would be impossible to say that your callers would never be put on hold. However, Westpark takes pride in honestly stating that our hold times are short, and only when necessary. We run reports daily to analyze our call traffic, and schedule our operators according to the findings.
Our average ring time is two rings.
A Telephone Service Representatives (TSR) answers all Live Telephone Answering Service and Order Entry calls. An auto-attendant is available for those clients that prefer to have an automated system answer the calls before they go to a Telephone Service Representatives (TSR).
We can send a message to multiple persons simultaneously, or use an escalating method of message delivery, where we attempt to deliver the message to other contacts if the initial contacts cannot be reached.
Telephone Numbers and Call Forwarding
Westpark will assign you a unique phone number that you will use to forward your calls. If you do not already have Call Forwarding, contact your local phone service provider to have Call Forwarding added to your service.
- Call Forwarding – Automatically forwards all calls to the number of your choosing. This service must be activated from the forwarding phone line and remains active until you deactivate it. Best used when you are unable to answer your phone, such as after-hours, when you are in meetings, lunch hour or when you are unavailable to answer your calls.
- No Answer Call Forwarding – Forwards calls to a designated number only after your phone rings a specified number of ring cycles. Does not need to be turned on and off. Can be used when you want Westpark to take your overflow calls.
- Busy Call Forwarding – Forwards calls to a designated number only when your line is busy. Does not need to be turned on and off. Can be used when you want Westpark to take your overflow calls.
- Remote Access to Call Forwarding – Allows you to use any phone to turn your Call Forwarding service on or off. This feature comes in handy when you forget to forward your phone before you leave, or if your call forwarding becomes disconnected.
Yes! We offer both toll free numbers and local Houston numbers.
There are many ways to forward your phone lines depending on your local phone service provider and your phone system. For standard Call Forwarding dial 72#, wait for the dial tone, and dial the number you are forwarding to. Some phone companies use *72 for forwarding. Your local phone service provider will have the instructions for their system.
There are many ways to un-forward your phone lines depending on your local phone service provider and your phone system. For standard Call Forwarding dial 73#. Some phone companies use *73. Your local phone service provider will have the instructions for their system.
Rates, Usage, and Billing
Westpark Communications does not have a long-term contract. There is a written service agreement providing for a minimum of one month’s service, with 30 days written notice of cancellation.
Westpark tailors our services to meet your specific needs. We customize your rate plan options to your unique situation.
We accept checks, Visa, Master Card, American Express and Discover. We can set your account up to be automatically billed on your credit card.
Quality and Training
All of our TSR’s are thoroughly screened for spelling, grammar, typing speed, voice quality, and telephone etiquette. Once hired, the training is extensive and ongoing. First, they are trained on an interactive system to familiarize them with our procedures. Once they know our system, they are paired with a supervisor and trained on each account. Once training is complete they will begin taking live calls. We also provide continuing training on call handling procedures.
All calls are recorded for quality control purposes. Calls are routinely screened to make sure TSR’s are providing the highest quality of service. Weekly meetings are held to discuss new accounts and existing clients.
Procedures After Your Account is Active
You may E-mail, fax or call our Customer Service Department with your changes.
You may e-mail, fax or call our Customer Service Department.
Westpark has a dedicated Customer Service Department. You may e-mail, fax or call our Customer Service Department with any concern on how we handle your account. All calls are recorded for quality control.