Best Call Answering Services For Small Business

What will happen if a potential client calls you and they only get through to your voicemail? They’ll probably call the next person on the list, and you’ve just missed out on a new client. 

However, by using a call answering service, if you’re busy or just don’t want to take the call, the call will go through to a third party, who will take the call for you as your PA, receptionist, or team member. 

But how does call answering enable that? What exactly is it? 🤔 

In this article, we’ll talk about what a call answering service is, how it can help you, and the best call answering service for your business. 

Let’s begin. 

What is call answering service for small business?

A Call Answering Service for Small Businesses is a professional service that provides real people to answer calls on behalf of small businesses, ensuring high levels of customer service and accessibility. It is like having a virtual receptionist working behind the scenes.

The call answering service can transfer calls straight to you or screen calls and take messages for you first. 

In the past, companies usually had their own employees answer phones. But with new phone technologies today, it’s often cheaper and works better to use a call answering company instead. 

These centralized call centers handle all the staff work for you. They take care of things like training new answerers, hiring people, and ensuring they give good customer service. Using a call center service makes phone answering simpler and more cost-effective for businesses than in-house.

How can a call answering service help your small business?

Using a phone answering service can help customers, which means saving money and making more profits for your business. Let’s look at some of the key benefits of a call-answering service for your business:

Capitalize Every Opportunity

You won’t miss any customer calls if you work with a phone answering service. Missing even one call can cause you to lose a big sale or deal. Customers also might not like your business if nobody answers the phone when they call.

But if a professional receptionist with experience answers, it makes your company look good. The receptionist knows your industry well and can talk to callers properly. You don’t need to worry about upsetting customers or missing important messages. The phone service takes all your calls for you, which helps bring more business.

24/7 Customer Service

Any company must provide great customer service 24/7 if it wants customers and its business to grow. Customers appreciate good service, and it can even give you an advantage over competitors. 

A phone answering service lets you have a team of receptionists who know your business well. They can personally help callers, which customers really like. New people calling will feel welcome, and current customers will feel valued.

Boost Productivity

Every phone call is a chance to give customers good service and make more money. But answering calls can distract you from your work sometimes. Interruptions make it difficult to get things done, especially during meetings or big projects.

A call answering service screens calls and decides their priority based on your business needs. They take messages when you’re busy instead of bothering you. They also block unwanted sales calls. This lets you focus on important tasks while still helping customers who call. 

Reduce Business Expenses

Having your own employees handle phone calls can be expensive and time-consuming. You need extra office space, hire new staff, purchase a phone system, and deal with paperwork like payroll.

Outsourcing to professionals saves money compared to the high cost and hassle of hiring and managing your own phone team. The call service only charges when you really need the extra support. 

Leave a Good Impression

Whether you just opened or have been around for a while, using a call answering service helps maintain good customer ties and makes your business seem professional.

The impression someone gets from talking to you on the phone is important. Their relationship with your company starts from that first call. So having an experienced receptionist available to pick up looks very polished. This leaves a strong first impression that is valuable for building trust and client loyalty. 

👓 Check out : 10 Actionable Call Center Training Tips for Employees & Management

8 Best call answering service for small business

With countless options for call answering services available in the market, choosing one suitable for your business can be challenging. Therefore, we have picked out the 8 best call-answering services for you:

Provider	Best For	Features	Starting Price
VoiceNation	Businesses needing occasional answering support	Mobile app, bilingual operators, HIPAA compliant	20 minutes included: $65 a month
Ruby Receptionist	Businesses needing full-time live answering	24/7/365 flexible coverage, client intake, call handling	50 free minutes monthly: $235 each month + per minute over
MAP Communications	Businesses wanting to tailor customized solutions	Client portal, HIPAA compliant, Spanish answering	Pay-As-You-Go: $49 per month + $1.37 per additional minute
Go Answer	Businesses looking to experiment risk-free	Free 2-week trial, bilingual operators, 24/7 support	100 Free Minute Plan: $175 monthly fee + $1.75 per minute over
Abby Connection	Businesses prioritizing affordability	Online chatting, free trial, outgoing call inclusion	100 free minutes each month: Costs $299 per month + $2.99 per minute over
Davinci Virtual	Businesses on a budget	Mobile app, bilingual operators, per-second billing	Business 50 (50 live minutes) – $129/month + $1.75 per minute.
Posh	Businesses needing premium multilingual support	Bilingual receptionists, mobile app, various plans	0 free minutes each month: The monthly cost is $64 + $2.20 per minute.
AnswerConnect	Businesses requiring full-service support	24/7 answering, online chatting, software integrations	100 minutes included: The monthly fee is $325 + $2.95 per minute over 100.

1. VoiceNation

VoiceNation is a telephone answering company. Its members are American workers who help businesses by answering calls and chatting online 24/7, including nights, weekends, and holidays.

Real people are available year-round to take live phone calls or live chat messages for companies needing phone support nonstop. Whether it’s early mornings, late evenings, or any day of the year, VoiceNation receptionists assist customers.

Features

• Mobile app
• Bilingual operators
• Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) compliant

Pricing

Plan	Monthly Fee	Included Minutes	Cost per Additional Minute
20 Minutes	$65	20 minutes	$2.19
50 Minutes	$135	50 minutes	$2.19
150 Minutes	$319	150 minutes	$2.19
250 Minutes	$525	250 minutes	$2.19
500 Minutes	$925	500 minutes	$1.99

Pros

• Calls outside normal hours or on holidays don’t cost extra fees like some services charge.

• Receptionists can answer in multiple languages to serve diverse customers.

• Meets security rules for compliance with medical records (HIPAA).

Cons

• Using the mobile app to return calls from your phone costs added money on top of the plan.

• Live chat support billing is one lump sum yearly instead of being spread out monthly.

• Only the priciest Enterprise plan gets a named account manager – other plans don’t have a dedicated rep.

2. Ruby Receptionist

Ruby provides a service where its employees answer calls and messages online. The employees are all located in the United States. They are trained to help with customer service issues, answer questions, and attract new customers.

Ruby can take responsibilities like making outbound calls on a company’s behalf, qualifying potential new leads, and capturing information from people who are interested. The Ruby agents also know how to direct calls to the right person at the business.

Features

• 24/7/365 flexible coverage
• Client intake and lead qualification
• Professional, customizable call handling

Pricing

Plan	Monthly Fee	Included Minutes	Cost for Additional Minutes
50 minutes	$235	50 minutes	Pay extra per minute over 50
100 minutes	$375	100 minutes	Extra cost for over 100 minutes
200 minutes	$680	200 minutes	Extra cost for over 200 minutes
500 minutes	$1,640	500 minutes	Extra cost for over 500 minutes

Pros

• Live phone answering is always available, including nights, weekends, and holidays.

• You can chat with their assistants online.

• They follow medical privacy laws (HIPAA) for healthcare businesses.

Cons

• It costs more than some other similar services.

• Even though they have live phone answering, receptionists who speak two languages aren’t always available, not 24/7.

3. MAP Communications

MAP Communications offers phone call centers and answering services to businesses of all sizes across the United States. They help small companies, medium-sized ones, and huge national companies.

Whether you have a tiny business or a huge corporation, MAP can assist with taking calls all over the country. The wide variety of sizes in the companies they work with shows they have what it takes to deliver top-quality phone support nationally.

Features

• Client portal
• HIPAA compliant
• Spanish answering services

Pricing

Plan	Monthly Fee	Included Minutes	Cost per Additional Minute
Standard	$47	0 minutes	$1.37
Business	$177	125 minutes	$1.30
Enterprise	$296	225 minutes	$1.28

Pros

• Unlike some services that treat everyone the same, this company works to provide solutions tailored to each customer’s unique situation.

• They aim to save you time and money while making business more accessible in all parts of their offerings and customer experience.

• Each client gets one main person they can always go to for help. This rep stays up-to-date on your specific wants and details, making your experience feel personalized.

• MAP has its own software that can assist almost any type of company with almost any imaginable needs through customizing programs.

Cons

• If you’re bargain hunting, MAP is not the cheapest choice. Many services cost less and also bill in smaller time blocks than MAP.

• For some, MAP offers too many extras. They may have too many bells and whistles if you want simple and straightforward with no hassle.

• MAP is virtual and uses cloud technology to route calls, but that style won’t work for everyone’s needs and setup. Their system isn’t compatible with how some companies operate.

4. Go Answer

Go Answer is a good choice for basic incoming call services because it offers affordable prices, along with lots of helpful features and great customer support. It has different plan options at fair rates, so it works for small and bigger companies, as well as those who want room to handle more calls as their business grows.

Go Answer has different plan options at fair rates, so it works for both small companies and bigger ones, as well as those who want room to handle more calls as their business grows. The prices are competitive while still providing lots of tools and assistance.

Features

• Live answering
• Call patching
• Client portal

Pricing

Plan	Monthly Fee	Included Minutes	Cost per Additional Minute
100 Free Minute Plan	$175	100 minutes	$1.75
200 Free Minute Plan	$300	200 minutes	$1.50
500 Free Minute Plan	$550	500 minutes	$1.10
1,000 Free Minute Plan	$1100	1,000 minutes	$1.10

Pros

• They let you try their phone answering service for 2 weeks without paying. This is a free trial.

• The basic cost is $50 per month plus $0.95 for each minute the receptionist talks.

• With over 500 employees, they can help both big and small businesses with pretty much any type of call needs.

• Receptionists can speak two languages and handle messages 24/7.

Cons

• Their live online chat doesn’t work well when all the helpers are busy. You can’t just wait in line for the next person.

• The activation and sign-up process can be tiring and complex.

5. Abby Connection

Abby Connect provides phone answering, online chatting, and virtual receptionist services. With Abby Connect, calls and messages are always responded to, but only on regular business days, not on holidays.

However, you can chat with an Abby Connect assistant online anytime, even holidays and weekends. While the receptionists don’t take calls on special days, live chatting assistance is there 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year including holidays.

Features

• Activity rating and instant feedback
• Proactive activity screening
• Global search functionality

Pricing

Plan	Monthly Fee	Included Minutes	Cost per Additional Minute
100 Minutes	$299	100 minutes	$2.99
200 Minutes	$549	200 minutes	$2.75
500 Minutes	$1,199	500 minutes	$2.40

Pros

• You can chat with their assistants online.

• Outgoing calls the receptionist places don’t cost extra.

• They let you try it for free before committing.

Cons

• Receptionists can’t do some things like book appointments.

• You can’t edit the script for what the receptionist says.

• Live phone answering isn’t available all the time, including nights, weekends, and holidays.

6. Davinci Virtual

Davinci Virtual provides different kinds of solutions to help companies. Some of their options include a virtual office service, a live human receptionist, an automated computerized receptionist, and even meeting places.

Davinci doesn’t just do one thing – they have a variety of services like virtual workspace, live phone help, machine answering, and meeting rooms available. This gives businesses more ways to get the phone and workplace assistance they require.

Features

• Mobile app
• Bilingual receptionists
• Per second increments

Pricing

Plan	Monthly Fee	Included Live Minutes	Cost per Additional Minute
Business 50	$129	50 minutes	$1.75
Business 100	$239	100 minutes	$1.75
Premium 50	$249	50 minutes	$2.50
Premium 100	$319	100 minutes	$2.50

Pros

• It’s cheaper than some other similar companies. Using Davinci may save you money compared to other options.

• You only have to pay fees one time to get set up. You don’t have ongoing setup costs every month.

• They have responsive staff who answer questions and address needs quickly.

Cons

• The live phone answering isn’t available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. You can’t always reach a real person.

• If you get voicemails or messages, they won’t notify you right away. You might not find out about them for a while.

• There is no free test period to try them out before committing to 6 months. You have to pay for 6 months without knowing if you like them.

7. Posh

Posh provides a telephone answering service with real people. Its representatives can also make outgoing calls for companies. The agents at Posh are experienced in helping businesses with customer service, especially those in health, wellness, real estate, and consulting.

What makes Posh special is that its representatives can place calls on behalf of companies. This allows Posh to collect information from potential new customers and decide which leads are worth pursuing. It helps convert more initial queries from people into actual customers.

Features

• Bilingual receptionists
• Mobile app
• Unlimited access

Pricing

Plan	Monthly Fee	Included Minutes	Cost per Additional Minute
0 minutes	$64	0 minutes	$2.20
50 minutes	$119	50 minutes	$2.10
100 minutes	$204	100 minutes	$2.04
200 minutes	$394	200 minutes	$1.97
350 minutes	$664	350 minutes	$1.90
500 minutes	$924	500 minutes	$1.85
1,000 minutes	$1,794	1,000 minutes	$1.79

Pros

• They have people answering calls all the time – including nights, weekends, and holidays. You always reach a real person.

• Posh offers many different price options to choose from depending on your needs.

• The front desk assistants can speak both English and another common language like Spanish.

• Posh follows health privacy laws (HIPAA) if you’re a medical business.

Cons

• You can’t do live online chats with their assistants; you can only make phone calls.

• They don’t record any of your incoming or outgoing calls for record keeping.

8. AnswerConnect

AnswerConnect is a business that provides phone answering and call center help for American companies of all types and requirements. Whether you need someone to take messages or more complex call center work, like processing sales orders, AnswerConnect can handle it.

They provide both basic answering services like note taking, as well as advanced functions such as dealing with purchase orders. No matter what size company you have or what kind of phone assistance is required, AnswerConnect has the ability to do it.

Features

• Third-party integrations
• HIPAA compliant
• Spanish answering services

Pricing

Plan	Monthly Fee	Included Minutes	Cost per Additional Minute
100 minutes	$325	100 minutes	$2.95
300 minutes	$425	300 minutes	$2.75
450 minutes	$825	450 minutes	$2.75

Pros

• They have people answering phones 24/7/365, even on holidays and weekends. You can always get a live person.

• You can talk to the receptionists through an online chat if you don’t want to call or speak.

• AnswerConnect works with many Customer Relationship Management software programs that businesses use.

Cons

• It costs more money than some similar phone answering companies.

• The reports they provide on calls aren’t very customizable. You can’t change how info is arranged or what’s included very easily.

Check out : Best Small Business Phone Systems

Things to consider while choosing a call answering service for small business 

While choosing a phone receptionist service for your business, it’s important to think about which features matter most. Features show how good the service is and if it can meet your needs and make customers happy.

Real People And Not Robots

According to research, 62% of customers like talking on the phone to a real person, 46% through email, and 37% through online chat when they have problems.

A great answering service uses real receptionists, not robots. Real people can offer more personalized and caring help than robots, and this human touch is very valuable for building trust and loyalty with customers. 

24/7 Availability

It is important to be available all the time. Look for a service with receptionists answering calls 24/7, including nights, weekends, and holidays.

Your business needs to be reachable anytime, not just during regular hours. Ask if they charge more for calls at other times, like evenings or weekends. You need to know the full costs.

Call Handling Customization And Flexibility

All businesses are different, so you need flexible call help. Look for a service that can change how they handle calls based on your needs. The receptionists’ handling of calls should fit your individual business. 

Being able to change minor details helps the receptionists work best for your company specifically. Flexible call handling lets the service fit your unique requirements instead of a one-size-fits-all approach.

Integration Capabilities With Existing Systems

It’s important that the phone service works well with your business’s other tools. A good receptionist service can smoothly link to your customer records, scheduling, and other systems.

When things connect easily without problems, it saves time and keeps everything organized. The receptionist should be able to use information from your systems, such as client history or calendar.

Multichannel Support

Nowadays, customers want options for connecting with businesses. A good receptionist service needs to cover different ways of talking, such as phone, messages, and online chat.

If a service only answers phone calls, it may miss opportunities to help clients who want other methods. Look for one that provides support through calls, texts/emails, and online chatting. This gives customers the flexibility to reach out however works best.

A Mobile App

Being able to manage your phone service from your phone is helpful. A good receptionist provider offers a free app. With a mobile app, you can change your call settings anywhere. 

You can also check lists of past calls and see how things are going. It gives you power and oversight when you’re on the go. Having remote control through an app provides flexibility. You don’t need to be at your computer to make adjustments if needed. 

🔍 Also Read:: 10 Effective Tips to Improve Your Outbound Call Answer Rate

Final Words

Call answering services ensure that your business calls are never missed and valuable customers are acknowledged in a timely manner. It is a valuable tool businesses use to capitalize on lead generation and never miss out on possible prospects. 

If you’re looking for the best call-answering phone system for your business, look no further. With features such as call forwarding, call monitoring, and call recording, KrispCall can meet all your wants and needs. 

Schedule a free demo and fulfill your business needs with the best call-answering service today.

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