Anyone here using an answering service?

[Chowdahead]

Is anyone here using an answering service or has used one within the last couple of years? I'm looking for some recommendations and some info about how much they typically cost, etc, and also how effective they are?

I did a quick Google search and found mostly advertising links etc with no real world information from actual businesses who use them.

 

[Slippery Pencil]

Voicemail, if it isn't already included in your monthly phone service, tends to cost $5/month.  A quick google search indicates some answering services charge by the minute at $1-$2/minute.  Others charge a flat monthly fee, starting around $30/month

Every time I made a call answered by an answering service, the service was completely useless.  Many of these were for doctor offices.  The service didn't set appointments and only said to call back during business hours.  Once when I called to cancel an appointment, the message was never delivered to the doctor's office.  From what I can tell, an answering service will cost you 10 times the cost of voicemail and unlike voicemail, be completely worthless.

 

[Catherine]

Some years ago, I used Ruby Receptionists and was very pleased.  With them (at least at the time) you could get service just for the busy months. You can also give them instructions on when to forward a call.  But it's been some years (stopped after I merged with a friend's practice) so can't tell you how they're doing these days.

[GLJEANNE]

Yeah, sorry, I let every call go to voicemail unless it's a known number.

[HV Ken]

We use Daybreak Virtual to answer our phones - https://daybreakvirtual.com/

They cover our phones M-F 9a-5p, so everyone who calls talks to a human and does not go to voicemail.

They schedule all appointments, confirm all appointments, make followup calls, etc. Their team communicates us via slack so we can authorize which calls to put through.

Couldn't do this without them.

Their billing is based on usage: "Combined productivity equivalent to one or more 6-9 hour per week clerical employees"