Are you looking for a dependable phone answering service that would provide 24/7 live phone support and handle your inbound calls? Our shortlisted selection, based on verified client feedback and relevant case studies, is a reliable source for discovering top telephone answering service companies for your unique project. Dive into our directory to narrow your search by location, budget, team size, and more.
We have carefully assessed the expertise, team structure, industry diversity, portfolios, client testimonials, pricing plans, and relevant awards of over 200 phone answering services. Learn more about our ranking criteria and how we identify the top players in the phone answering services industry below.
Table of Contents
The Number 1 Phone Answering Service as Selected by DesignRush Is...
1. AnswerConnect
- Best for: Overall
- Average hourly rate: Inquire
- Minimum budget: Under $1,000
- Founded: 2002
- Size: 500-999
- Location: Portland, OR
- Notable clients: Agape Match, McGraw Realtors, Zen Windows, Bin There Dump That, Mosquito Squad
Voted the Best Answering Service for 2024 by Forbes, AnswerConnect is a phone answering service with over two decades of experience in the market. This company provides 24/7 answering services including live call answering, live chat support, appointment scheduling, and after-hours scheduling.
AnswerConnect has a 99.43% 7-day average of calls answered in one to four rings. It is the International Franchise Association (IFA) preferred answering service for franchise businesses. The company also offers a variety of integrations with tools like Setmore, Salesforce, Zoho, Zendesk, and Zapier.
AnswerConnect Success Story
- Challenge: Agape Match is a matchmaking company that provides date concierge services like reservations, date confirmations, and reminders to its members. Since 50% of signups take place over the weekend, it was important for the company to have live phone support available during that time.
- Solution: The client contracted AnswerConnect to provide 24/7 live phone support and ensure an exceptional user experience. The answers collected from users would help Agape Match calibrate the search for the next match or set up the following date.
- Results: Live phone coverage helped Agape Match grow its business so that the cost of using AnswerConnect for one year paid off within 5 days of using the service. The improved user support contributed to Agape Match being named the Matchmaking Agency of the Year.
Check Out AnswerConnect Agency Profile
2. VoiceNation
- Best for: On-call operations
- Average hourly rate: Inquire
- Minimum budget: Under $1,000
- Founded: 2001
- Size: 1000 & Up
- Location: Duluth, GA
- Notable clients: H.O. Penn, Critter Control, BMW, The Federal Savings Bank, Sterne Kessler
VoiceNation is a telephone answering service company offering 24-hour call transfer and message taking, scripted responses, unlimited caller information, unlimited employee contacts, toll-free or local numbers, and bilingual receptionists. For clients with additional needs, the company provides personalized plans with CRM integration, appointment scheduling, order processing, custom form population, call dispatching, and on-call management.
The company's 24/7 call answering teams are trained to work with customers from legal, home services, medical, finance, real estate, franchise, plumbing, and other businesses. VoiceNation provides its clients with a set of tools like proactive account management, a portal dashboard, and a mobile app that offers real-time changes, message checking, and blocks unwanted callers, among other features.
VoiceNation Success Story
- Challenge: H. O. Penn is a generator service and repair company that needs to provide immediate support in case of generator failure. The company needed a 24/7 answering service to dispatch technicians as soon as a breakdown would happen, but it wasn't satisfied with the company it initially hired for support. One of the biggest challenges was that every time the client needed to change the on-call schedule, it had to go through a long and complicated process.
- Solution: VoiceNation took over the phone answering services and introduced an online dashboard that simplified on-call schedule changes. The company provided H. O. Penn with a dedicated account manager to help with any issues.
- Results: After switching to VoiceNation's affordable plans and pricing, H. O. Penn was able to save money spent on 24/7 support. The client saw an increase in positive customer experience thanks to smoother on-call operations.
Check Out VoiceNation Agency Profile
3. Moneypenny
- Best for: Live chat support
- Average hourly rate: Inquire
- Minimum budget: Inquire
- Founded: 2000
- Size: 100-249
- Location: Duluth, GA
- Notable clients: AdvanceTrack Outsourcing, Finbra Ltd, Eagle Biosciences, Sterne Kessler Goldstein & Fox, QX Global Group
Moneypenny is a phone answering service that supports customers with virtual receptionist service, managed live chat, and contact center teams. The company's proprietary software helps block cold callers and recognizes VIP and repeat customers to provide a personalized experience.
In over 24 years of operation, Moneypenny has answered over 20 million calls and chats for sole traders and global enterprises. The company is HIPAA certified, and more than 1,000 team members offer around-the-clock telephone answering services.
Moneypenny Success Story
- Challenge: A finance company AdvanceTrack Outsourcing struggled to engage customers and prospects through its website and it experienced high form abandonment rates. The company noticed the lack of proper customer support that would capture missed online and offline opportunities.
- Solution: Moneypenny provided live chat and phone answering services, which ensured clients' customers were taken care of 24/7.
- Results: With 24-hour call and live chat support, AdvanceTrack Outsourcing was able to deliver constant customer service no matter where the inquiries came from. The client has reported an improvement in its sales cycle thanks to a faster and more efficient appointment booking process.
Check Out Moneypenny Agency Profile
4. Endicott
- Best for: Emergency calls
- Average hourly rate: Inquire
- Minimum budget: Inquire
- Founded: 2007
- Size: Under 49
- Location: Miami, FL
- Notable clients: Women’s Personal Physicians, Domestify, ProFresh International Corp., Dr. Gershwin
Endicott is a telephone answering service company that offers its clients dozens of inbound call centers. The company has U.S.-based call centers that match the client's business model and brand, providing a personalized experience for its customers.
Endicott has won the Association of TeleServices International (ATSI) Award of Excellence for two consecutive years. Its answering services include dispatch answering, 24/7 live answering, after-hours answering, medical answering, bilingual support, and virtual receptionist services.
Endicott Success Story
- Challenge: A property manager was overseeing 16 properties and needed a way to respond to emergencies quickly.
- Solution: Endicott developed a system to identify emergency calls, while its agents took notes and dispatched teams to address emergencies. The company helped reduce answering time, which improved the overall customer experience.
- Results: The client saw a 75% decrease in time to answer compared to the previous company they hired. Quick responses to water leaks and other emergencies improved residents' satisfaction.
Check Out Endicott Agency Profile
5. Face For Business
- Best for: Virtual receptionists
- Average hourly rate: Inquire
- Minimum budget: Inquire
- Founded: 2012
- Size: Under 49
- Location: Burscough, United Kingdom
- Notable clients: Jones & Co, Pure West Radio, iLove homes Walsall, Anji Hazell, Actuation Valve
Face For Business is a UK-based telephone answering service providing message-only, inclusive minutes, and outsourced switchboard answering plans. The company's phone agents have handled over 3 million calls, answering 98% of calls within the first three rings.
The company has a team of trained agents who provide services to clients of various callings, including solicitors, opticians, dentists, accountants, construction, and others. Face For Business offers in-house software that enables built-in scripts, call listening, and customer feedback.
Face For Business Success Story
- Challenge: Jones & Co is an optician business that had issues with missing customers' calls while employees were busy with customers in-store. Not answering calls hurt the company's reputation and caused a drop in revenue from missed appointments.
- Solution: Face For Business provided friendly, informal customer service in line with its client's values. A team of virtual receptionists helped answer calls, take messages, and schedule appointments. The company set up a customer portal so the client's staff could easily access caller information.
- Results: Hiring Face For Business was more affordable than hiring an in-house receptionist, so Jones & Co was able to save money. The customers were satisfied with improved service and the business had no more issues with missing new business opportunities.
Check Out Face For Business Agency Profile
6. Nexa
- Best for: Bilingual support
- Average hourly rate: Inquire
- Minimum budget: Inquire
- Founded: 2015
- Size: 100-249
- Location: Phoenix, AZ
- Notable clients: Fuze, SearchKings, Penguin Air, Paradigm, Whitehardt, Inc.
Nexa is a phone answering service that offers 24/7 calls, texts, chats, emails, sales and scheduling. It has an extensive portfolio of clients from home services, healthcare, legal, real estate, retail, IT, and other industries.
Besides standard call answering services that include virtual receptionists, outbound and inbound calls, lead form follow-up, and more, Nexa offers bilingual support, appointment scheduling, inbound and outbound sales, as well as voice and AI services. The company provides integrations with various software tools like Service Titan, Schedule Engine, Clio, Copper, and others.
Nexa Success Story
- Challenge: A plumbing company was struggling to provide good customer service due to limited staff and high call volume. Missed calls caused lost business opportunities and affected the company.
- Solution: Nexa provided overflow, nights, weekends, and holidays coverage, handling a large volume of calls within the first three rings. Its bilingual receptionists were able to provide support to Spanish-speaking customers.
- Results: With around 50% of calls being new leads, the plumbing company saw 5-10 times increase in return on investment (ROI). A 25% increase in conversions brought around $20-50 thousand revenue per dedicated agent.
7. Answering Service Care
- Best for: Answering service software
- Average hourly rate: Inquire
- Minimum budget: Inquire
- Founded: 1974
- Size: Under 49
- Location: Margate, FL
- Notable clients: Flowers & Foley, UOAA, HG Consulting, Optima Imaging, Jennifer Schrappe MA LPCC
With half a century of experience on the market, Answering Service Care is one of the oldest telephone answering service companies in the U.S. Its portfolio has over 4,000 clients, including finance, insurance, education, funeral homes, real estate, medical, and other businesses.
Answering Service Care offers over 6,000 integrations with client tools, such as Zapier, Zoho, SalesForce, Google, Asana, Clio, Stripe, HubSpot, and many others. The company has a proprietary call recording tool that enables instant call recording for accurate message retrieval.
Answering Service Care Success Story
- Challenge: The client is a growing fence business that had trouble handling calls in two office locations. The owner didn't want to lose business opportunities and provide a bad experience for the callers who had to wait a long time.
- Solution: Answering Service Care recommended Follow Me - its proprietary add-on answering service tool. Thanks to the tool’s implementation, the owner can take calls from both locations no matter where they are located.
- Results: The client made significant cost savings with lower telephony costs and no additional staff required. With no dropped or missed calls, the business could handle all potential new customers.
Check Out Answering Service Care Agency Profile
8. AnswerFirst
- Best for: Call patching
- Average hourly rate: Inquire
- Minimum budget: Inquire
- Founded: 1998
- Size: Under 49
- Location: Tampa, FL
- Notable clients: Yanger Law, Broad Services, Turbotek, Law Office of Robert Boeshaar, K. I. Computing LLC
AnswerFirst is a 24/7 phone answering service and inbound call center that is 100% U.S.-based. The company's phone agents handle more than 3.5 million communications a year, including phone calls, emails, web chats, text messages, and social media inquiries.
AnswerFirst offers dispatching services, call patching, message taking, scheduling and reservations, systems and security monitoring, virtual receptionist, and voice mail services. This phone answering company provides APIs that enable clients to integrate with their CRM, ticketing software, scheduling programs, and other tools.
AnswerFirst Success Story
- Challenge: Yanger Law is a legal business owned by Bill Yanger. The owner had trouble answering phone calls and following up with leads promptly.
- Solution: AnswerFirst provided 24/7 live answering services with messaging and call patching, enabling Mr. Yanger to answer calls and record messages from inbound callers.
- Results: The new service provided a much better caller experience, reducing missed calls to 0, which led to an increase in revenue. The client could schedule initial case reviews more effectively and focus on billable tasks instead of answering the phone.
Check Out AnswerFirst Agency Profile
9. Smith.ai
- Best for: Patient intake calls
- Average hourly rate: $15
- Minimum budget: Inquire
- Founded: 2015
- Size: 100-249
- Location: Los Altos, CA
- Notable clients: Colorado Snoring and Sleep Apnea Center, CMIT Solutions, Littleton Legal PLLC, Indie Law, LifePlan Legal
Smith.ai is a telephone answering service company that uses AI to enhance the quality of its services. The company offers AI-powered chat that uses large language models (LLMs) and is trained on customers' data to provide a more natural and faster customer experience.
This phone answering company offers a range of services, including CRM integration, 24/7 live chat, payment collection, appointment booking, outbound callbacks, overflow answering, and more. Smith.ai supports software, SaaS, marketing, finance, medical, and other clients.
Smith.ai Success Story
- Challenge: Colorado Snoring and Sleep Apnea Center (CSS) had to switch to a hybrid work model during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since its administrative staff worked remotely, the company faced challenges with handling inbound and outbound calls.
- Solution: Smith.ai engaged virtual receptionists to handle all CSS calls and improve workflow efficiency.
- Results: Before working with Smith.ai, the average patient intake call took one CSS patient coordinator between 30 and 45 minutes. With the new virtual receptionist service, the client was able to save at least 30 hours per month, allowing the staff to work on other tasks.
Check Out Smith.ai Agency Profile
10. Westpark Communications
- Best for: Healthcare call management
- Average hourly rate: Inquire
- Minimum budget: Inquire
- Founded: 1968
- Size: Under 49
- Location: Spring, TX
Westpark Communications is a phone answering service that operates in multiple states across the United States. The company has been in business for 55+ years and has served over 670 clients from industries such as manufacturing, law firms, eCommerce, property management, and public utilities providers.
This telephone answering company provides legal intake, appointment scheduling, taking messages, and call relaying, as well as outsourced customer service, disaster recovery, help desk services, reservations, employee check-ins, virtual assistance, and more. Westpark Communications enables integrations with clients' software, including Shopify, Magento, Epic, Salesforce, and many other tools.
Westpark Communications Success Story
- Challenge: A leading healthcare staffing company faced several challenges, including providing 24/7 coverage for its call-out line due to staff shortage, ensuring timely communication, and meeting stringent contractual obligations.
- Solution: Westpark Communications developed a custom web portal for nurse schedule management that helped organize staff coverage more efficiently. Its 24/7 call center coverage eliminated the need for internal staff to stay for after-hours support. The company set up an automated notification system to quickly notify on-site teams and management about nurse callouts.
- Results: By hiring Westpark Communications, the client achieved substantial cost savings compared to maintaining internal staffing for 24/7 coverage. The company established rapid response mechanisms that helped the client prepare for unforeseen events and sudden staffing shortages.
Check Out Westpark Communications Agency Profile
How We Picked the Best Telephone Answering Service Companies
To select the top telephone answering service companies, we reviewed their industry reputation, team training and expertise, portfolios and case studies, and operations management. Our team of agency experts developed a scoring system to measure their overall performance based on several important factors:
- Reviews: Timely delivery, quality of work, client satisfaction, and level of trustworthiness
- Portfolio: Clients' testimonials showcasing successful projects and results
- Awards and press: Industry reputation and relevant awards
- Team bios: Phone agent certifications and experience, team structure, and seniority levels
- Expertise: Core capabilities and areas of expertise in handling inbound and outbound calls
- Supporting phone services: Additional competencies like bilingual support
Visit the DesignRush Agency Ranking Methodology for more information on how we research agencies.
10 Most Popular Phone Answering Services Compared
| Agency name | Location | Hourly rate | Size | Best for |
| AnswerConnect | Portland, OR | Inquire | 500-999 | Overall |
| VoiceNation | Duluth, GA | Inquire | 1000 & Up | On-call operations |
| Moneypenny | Duluth, GA | Inquire | 100-249 | Live chat support |
| Endicott | Miami, FL | Inquire | Under 49 | Emergency calls |
| Face For Business | Burscough, United Kingdom | Inquire | Under 49 | Virtual receptionists |
| Nexa | Phoenix, AZ | Inquire | 100-249 | Bilingual support |
| Answering Service Care | Margate, FL | Inquire | Under 49 | Answering service software |
| AnswerFirst | Tampa, FL | Inquire | Under 49 | Call patching |
| Smith.ai | Los Altos, CA | $15 | 100-249 | Patient intake calls |
| Westpark Communications | Spring, TX | Inquire | Under 49 | Healthcare call management |
Best Telephone Answering Service Companies
263 Companies
Rankings updated: January 25, 2025
Successfully helping world-class companies bring products & services to market."A well designed product brings users to your products. A well designed product user experience brings customers to your brand for life." — Lars Owens [... view the full profile of Lars Owens Design]Lincoln, Nebraska Under 49 $50/hr Under $1,000
Best Customer Support & Data Solutions in 2024Hugo is the largest specialty provider of customer care, data, and community support solutions. [... view the full profile of Hugo]Chicago, Illinois 1000 & Up $10/hr Under $1,000
Global Support Redefined!IdeasUnlimited is a global support services provider with thirteen (13) years of experience in providing Call Center and Remote Business support services! [... view the full profile of IdeasUnlimited]Sugar Land, Texas 100 - 249 $10/hr $1,000 - $10,000
America's best phone answering service taking care of your callersVoiceNation is an industry-leading live answering provider, serving thousands of businesses across key sectors, including real estate, legal, medical, finance, home services and franchise. What [... view the full profile of VoiceNation]Duluth, Georgia 1000 & Up Inquire Under $1,000
TechSpeed Inc: Women Owned Technology Company, Pioneering AI-Driven BPO SolutionsTechSpeed Inc is a Women Owned Technology company. Founded in 2002, it is the first AI-driven Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) provider. Pairing AI-driven technology automation and Human in the Loop [... view the full profile of TechSpeed]Portland, Oregon 100 - 249 $6/hr $1,000 - $10,000- Virtual HQ provides small, medium and large businesses with a total Virtual Office solution 24x7. We provide a premium Australian Telephone Answering Service (Virtual Receptionist Service) answering [... view the full profile of VirtualHQ]North Sydney, Australia 100 - 249 Inquire Inquire
Closing deals, opening doorsMunzai Solutions is a creative development and digital sales organization that aims to address a market vacuum. We give you a chance to see a significant improvement in your business growth with our [... view the full profile of Munzai Solutions]Manchester, United Kingdom Under 49 $20/hr $1,000 - $10,000
Executive Boutique provides businesses with Philippine business process outsourcing solutionsExecutive Boutique an outsourcing company with a main call center facility in Cebu, Philippines. [... view the full profile of Executive Boutique]Cebu, Philippines 250 - 499 $100/hr Inquire
Proffcom is one of Norway's leading and most experienced companies in the operation of customer centOur vision is that "ProffCom should be the best Call Center in Norway", this means that we work every single day to deliver the best possible results for our customers. [... view the full profile of ProffCom AS]Oslo, Norway 250 - 499 $100/hr Inquire- Medtech Global is a leading provider of health care Practice Management System technology. [... view the full profile of Medtech Australia]Southbank, Australia 100 - 249 Inquire Inquire
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24/7 phone answering services for businessesAmbs Call Center functions 24/7, delivering steadfast phone answering services and comprehensive call center solutions. [... view the full profile of Ambs]Jackson, Michigan 100 - 249 Inquire Inquire
Transforming Sales Growth Through ScienceLeadBuds is a specialized B2B lead generation company that leverages over a decadmpowerment. Built on trust and reliability, LeadBuds delivers consistent value through tailored LinkedIn and email [... view the full profile of LeadBuds]Kyiv, Ukraine Under 49 $25/hr $1,000 - $10,000
Answering Service Care provides trained customer service professionals.Answering Service Care (ASC) is a 24/7 live answering service for 3500+ businesses nationwide, serving all industries, including law firms, doctor's offices, insurance agencies, financial advising [... view the full profile of Answering Service Care ASC]Margate, Florida Under 49 Inquire Inquire- Orca was the brainchild of David Toner back in 2010. David, a Chartered Accountant by profession and former tax consultant with the worlds leading professional services organisation, PwC, wanted to [... view the full profile of Orca]Wrexham, United Kingdom Under 49 Inquire Inquire
- Face for Business is a UK telephone answering service, providing call handling and outsourced reception for businesses of all types and sizes. Our PAs are the Difference. [... view the full profile of Face For Business]Burscough, United Kingdom Under 49 Inquire Inquire
Agile, High Performance Voice Contact Services since 1990The Telemarketing Company is one of the UK's largest inbound and outbound telemarketing agencies. [... view the full profile of The Telemarketing Company]Brighton, United Kingdom 100 - 249 $50/hr $1,000 - $10,000
Protel BPO, nothing matters more than how your customers view your brand how they interact with itProtel BPO, located in Belize City, Belize, is a leading and locally owned outsourcing provider. Since 2013, it has been delivering exceptional INBOUND and OUTBOUND omnichannel contact center services [... view the full profile of ProtelBPO]Belize City, Belize 500 - 999 $14/hr $50,000 & Up
Modern solutions for powerful companiesWith over 15 years experience, Valoris Center is a company with 100% Romanian ownership that operates on the BPO services market. We work with customers from all over the world, offering them the [... view the full profile of Valoris Center]Bucharest, Romania 500 - 999 $100/hr Inquire
We are professionals in the field of customer care and outsourcing with more than 20 years of experiAbout Comdata Comdata is a leading global provider of customer communication and process management services. We help clients maximize their customer value. [... view the full profile of Comdata Czech]Prague, Czech Republic 1000 & Up $100/hr Inquire
Reputed phone answering servicesPATLive stands at the forefront, providing top-tier phone answering services characterized by their amiability and distinguished reputation. Our commitment is to furnish each customer with an [... view the full profile of PATLive]Tallahassee, Florida 100 - 249 Inquire Inquire
Lead Intake Done For Youis the #1 Real Estate Call Center with unmatched call answering service and outbound cold calling for real estate investors! [... view the full profile of Call Porter]Sheridan, Wyoming Under 49 Inquire Inquire- eReceptionist helps you communicate with your customers, your way. Use a phone system you can count on, so you never miss a call again. [... view the full profile of EReceptionist]Dublin, Ireland Under 49 Inquire Inquire
- Personalised 24 hour Australia wide answering service for all of your messaging needs. Calls are always taken in Australia 24 hours a day. [... view the full profile of Answering Adelaide]Ridgehaven, Australia Under 49 Inquire Inquire
- We are the ONLY phone answering service designed entirely for entrepreneurs, tradespeople and small businesses. [... view the full profile of Perfect Reception]Gravesend, United Kingdom Under 49 Inquire Inquire
Award-Winning Customer Support OutsourcingSimply Contact is a leading provider of customer support outsourcing, specializing in delivering multilingual and multichannel services on a global scale. We serve as a reliable partner to create [... view the full profile of Simply Сontact]Warsaw, Poland 500 - 999 $10/hr Inquire
A leading customer support services providerOnBrand24 stands as a leading provider of outsourced customer support services, offering established overflow and contingency strategies. [... view the full profile of OnBrand24]Beverly, Massachusetts Under 49 Inquire Inquire
Top Provider of Outsourcing and Customer SupportDalerio Consulting is an international Customer Support, Marketing and Business Process Outsourcing company with rapid growth and steady foundation [... view the full profile of Dalerio Consulting]Durres, Albania 50 - 99 $10/hr $1,000 - $10,000
A call center suited to your needsCustomized to suit your individual needs, Westpark Communications embodies the quintessence of a phone answering service provider that impeccably aligns with your requirements. [... view the full profile of Westpark Communications]Spring, Texas Under 49 Inquire Inquire
Lending a human touch to your businessAnswerConnect stands out with its mastery in offering 24/7 live phone answering services. This expertise empowers brands to seamlessly integrate a profoundly "human voice" into their business [... view the full profile of AnswerConnect]Portland, Oregon 500 - 999 Inquire Under $1,000
They Call. We Answer.As a multiple award-winning, 24 hour call center & live answering service, you should know that our call agent team is trained and certified in professional call taking, messaging, dispatch and [... view the full profile of Answering365]Los Angeles, California Under 49 Inquire Inquire
Highest Quality, Call Center Services with Superior Customer Support.Offering Call Center Services. In today’s fast-paced business environment, a missed call equals a missed customer. Enter TAS United. Our experienced, bilingual agents answer your calls when you [... view the full profile of TAS United]San Antonio, Texas Under 49 Inquire Inquire
We take care of your callsTeleDirect stands tall as an acclaimed industry frontrunner, focused on delivering outstanding on-demand call center and phone answering solutions. With a profound grasp of the contact center [... view the full profile of TeleDirect]Sacramento, California 250 - 499 $100/hr Inquire
Answering calls since '59!For over six decades, Call Management Resources has been a trusted provider of answering services and call center solutions. Get in touch with us today! [... view the full profile of Call Management Resources]Columbus, Ohio 50 - 99 Inquire Under $1,000- Built on 50 years of contact center experience, Ansafone Contact Centers is one of the leading call centers in the country. Not only do we provide world-class customer experience, we also promote our [... view the full profile of Ansafone]Santa Ana, California 500 - 999 Inquire Inquire
- Best Reception was established in 2006 and offers Virtual Reception services for businesses and organisations of all sizes. We are based in the UK and are currently answering thousands of calls per [... view the full profile of Best Reception]Ware, United Kingdom Under 49 Inquire Inquire
- A virtual office/call answering service that helps businesses grow through not missing vital sales calls and at a fraction of the cost of hiring new staff. [... view the full profile of PAS]Galway, Ireland Under 49 Inquire Inquire
FIRST CLASS CX DOMAIN EXPERTISERAYA Customer Experience is a world-class business process outsourcing (BPO) and contact center outsourcing (CCO) service provider offering customer experience management, seat rental solutions [... view the full profile of Raya Contact Center]Giza, Egypt 250 - 499 $100/hr Inquire
Comprehensive outsourced customer support servicesEmbracing the role of a collaborator, we hold a genuine concern for our clients' processes and the quality of our own outsourced customer support performance. Our organizational ethos centers on [... view the full profile of Uassist.ME]Miami, Florida 500 - 999 $15/hr $1,000 - $10,000
Phone answering solutions that businesses are proud of!Nexa emerges as a trailblazing 24/7 virtual phone answering service renowned for its nationwide operations across the United States. Our forte lies in delivering unparalleled customer experiences [... view the full profile of Nexa]Phoenix, Arizona 100 - 249 Inquire Inquire
To elevate global customer satisfaction by enabling worldwide efficient business scaling.IntelligentBee is renowned for delivering cost-effective, high-quality services in Web and Mobile Development, Customer Support, and Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) to clients worldwide. With a [... view the full profile of IntelligentBee]Iași, Romania 250 - 499 $15/hr $10,000 - $25,000
Personalizing your businessOur collaborators have grown to rely on our commitment, responsibility, and adaptability through tailor-made resolutions. Our endeavor to cultivate Brand Passion involves cultivating profound insights [... view the full profile of Global Response]Margate, Florida 1000 & Up Inquire Inquire
The #1 Customer Service Outsourcing & BPO CompanyWith a legacy dating back to 2016, HiredSupport stands as a true trailblazer in the outsourced customer support realm. [... view the full profile of HiredSupport]Rancho Cucamonga, California Under 49 Inquire Under $1,000
American quality call center and outsoured services at Philippine ratesLoop provides a pinnacle of outsourced customer support as a service, encompassing top-tier customer service, potent retention strategies, and robust sales techniques. [... view the full profile of Loop Contact Solutions]Makati, Philippines 100 - 249 $8/hr Inquire
We Specialize in Business Development and Operations Management. Our Focus is on People, Systems & PSuperwoman Business Services is a Virtual Back Office Support System that specializes in Business Development and Operations Management. Our Focus is on People, Systems & Processes. [... view the full profile of Superwoman Business Services]St. Petersburg, Florida Under 49 $30/hr $1,000 - $10,000
Amazing Customer Experiences. Together.Helpware builds customized teams in Customer Service and Back Office for industry leading startups and modern companies. [... view the full profile of Helpware]Lexington, Kentucky 1000 & Up $25/hr $10,000 - $25,000- Were your one-stop-shop for all your business telecommunication needs. With Alltel, you can expect reliable service, dependable support, and leading technology. [... view the full profile of Alltel Australia]Wheelers Hill, Australia Under 49 Inquire Inquire
Build Your Business Momentum with End-to-End BPO ServicesInvensis is a leading business process outsourcing firm, providing an extensive range of services including IT, finance and accounting (F&A), revenue cycle management, transactional management [... view the full profile of Invensis]Lewisville, Texas 1000 & Up Inquire Inquire- Partnered Health are leaders in occupational health, general practice, allied health, and medical answering services. [... view the full profile of Partnered Health]Adelaide, Australia 1000 & Up Inquire Inquire
- Our solutions and insights enable Australias healthcare system processing for over 70 million patient consultations every year. [... view the full profile of MedicalDirector]Bundaberg, Australia 250 - 499 Inquire Inquire
Focused on customer satisfactionSureCall stands as a 24/7/365 outsourced customer support and multimedia contact center, uniquely distinguished by its cutting-edge technology, adaptable architecture, and streamlined programs. [... view the full profile of SureCall]Denver, Colorado 100 - 249 Inquire Under $1,000Need Help Selecting The Right Agency For Your Project?
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Phone Answering Services Hiring Guide
What is a phone answering service?
A phone answering service is a service offered by a phone answering services company which also includes managing incoming calls. These businesses help handle tasks, such as message taking, call forwarding, customer support, and transaction processing. Companies hire phone answering services to ensure consistent communication with clients even during peak hours to minimize wait times and missed opportunities and provide a better customer experience.
Phone answering services often get mistaken for call centers, even though the two differ in several segments. Namely, while both handle inbound calls, the difference between call centers and answering services is that call centers also provide outbound call services, customer service, and sales. Phone answering services focus only on inbound calls, message taking, and basic customer support.
Another common misconception occurs between an answering system and voicemail. While the two are very similar, the main difference between an answering system and voicemail is that the latter can only record incoming messages while an answering service allows the caller to have a human interaction and ask questions, schedule an appointment, or resolve an issue.
What is AI answering?
AI Answering is a phone answering service that leverages an AI voicebot to interact with callers. Unlike traditional auto attendants or interactive voice response (IVR) systems, this AI-driven bot continuously learns from each interaction, refining its responses over time to become more accurate and relevant.
AI answering service can:
- Answer calls
The AI can answer calls using natural language processing (NLP) to understand the caller's intent. It can then respond with pre-programmed messages based on FAQs or other data. - Route calls
The voicebot can route calls to the appropriate person or department within the organization. - Take messages
If the AI cannot respond to the call, it can take a message and send it to a specific user. - Schedule appointments
The latest AI answering services can also schedule appointments based on user availability.
AI answering services are often used for 24/7 support, as they can answer calls around the clock at less cost than a human receptionist. However, it cannot handle highly complex conversations and is not recommended for tasks that require responding to users with empathy or understanding.
What does a telephone answering service company do?
A telephone answering service company serves as an essential communication hub for businesses, managing incoming calls and providing supporting services.
Here is a breakdown of typical telephone answering services:
- Message taking: Accurately recording incoming messages, ensuring that businesses do not miss out on important information
- Appointment scheduling: Setting, modifying, or cancelling appointments while keeping track of the company's calendar
- Providing information: Real-time responding to common inquiries about products, services, or the business, enhancing customer service quality
- Emergency dispatch: Prompt communication and coordination in urgent situations like medical emergencies, connecting callers with emergency services or contacts
- Order processing: Handling order placements, modifications, and cancellations, providing a seamless shopping experience for customers
- Customer support: Effective problem resolution or routing inquiries to the relevant departments, ensuring customer issues are addressed
- Real-time reporting: Immediate reports on call details that allow businesses to efficiently track agent performance, billing, and customer feedback
How much do phone answering services cost?
The cost of phone answering services depends on your company's working hours, call volume, additional services you may require, average call duration, etc. On average, phone answering services charge $50 to $149 per month, with additional charges added per call or per minute. Companies with a per-minute pricing plan charge from $0.93 to $3.09 for a minute of conversation.
The top 50 phone answering services on DesignRush charge an average of $49/hour. Roughly 39.2% of the telephone answering services companies on DesignRush accept projects with a minimum budget of less than $1,000, while 1.3% require a $50,000+ minimum budget.
Why should I outsource phone answering services?
You should outsource phone answering services to ensure consistent communication with clients, even during peak hours, to minimize wait times, and offer exceptional customer experience. Outsourcing phone answering services brings advantages such as:
- Enhanced customer service: Professional phone answering services can provide customized support by catering to your clients' specific needs with personalized responses. Their agents are trained to offer prompt help with any questions or issues the caller is having.
- 24/7 availability: Phone answering services can keep a line of communication open even after operating hours or on weekends and holidays when in-house staff might not be available.
- Financial savings: Employing an in-house team involves salaries, benefits, space, and equipment costs. The average full-time receptionist can cost between $2,800 and $3,500 per month, not including overheads. Outsourced services, however, offer professional support at a fraction of these expenses.
- No additional overhead: Telephone answering services eliminate the need for extensive hiring, training, and onboarding of in-house staff, reducing your financial burden.
- Focus on core activities: Outsourcing routine tasks allows your team to concentrate on strategic areas of your business, driving growth and innovation.
- Efficient workload management: Phone answering services alleviate the burden on your staff, preventing burnout and enhancing overall efficiency and job satisfaction, especially if you have a high volume of calls.
In the following example, we can see how helpful phone answering services can be:
Sight Partners is a clinical resource provider that was facing several challenges:
- The need for phone answering staff trained in complex subjects like dermatology and optometry
- A noticeable difference in customer satisfaction in different clinics
- Having multiple service lines where each required specific knowledge
- A need for a phone answering service capable of adapting to company growth and scaling
ProtelBPO partnered with Sight Partners and provided staff already trained in insurance and authorization assistance for the healthcare industry, which eliminated the need for additional training. The company created several internal teams dedicated to different business lines and ensured all customers got the same level of support. Even though Sight Partners set a goal to achieve an average wait time of 120 seconds, ProtelBPO managed to bring it down to 90 seconds.
How do I choose the right phone answering service for my business?
To choose the right phone answering service for your business, consider the company’s experience in your industry, existing portfolio and case studies, pricing plans, and expertise in different services related to inbound call management.
Based on your company's needs, you should focus on these steps:
- Identify your goals: Define your specific needs regarding call volume, services required, and hours of operation.
- Find the right industry expertise: Browse online directories like DesignRush to look for agencies with a proven track record of successful collaboration with companies from your industry. For instance, certain phone answering companies specialize in real estate, eCommerce, IT, healthcare, etc., and employ call agents familiar with industry specifics and trained to resolve common customer issues.
- Set a budget: Determine the amount you can invest in phone answering services.
- Review agency experience: Ask for a portfolio of relevant work, client testimonials, success rate, and other proof that the agency delivers high-quality services.
- Ask about the pricing plan: Find out if the phone answering company uses a monthly, per-call, or per-minute pricing structure so you can estimate your overall costs.
- Inquire about phone call reporting: Ask the company which call metrics it tracks and how it measures call agent performance.
- Ask for proposals: Send a request for a proposal (RFP) to the shortlisted phone answering companies.
- Interview: Set up interviews with prospective phone answering companies to discuss the project in detail and determine if they fit your team well.
- Make a decision: After reviewing the RFPs, choose the best-suited agency and establish all project development processes.
If you need a custom-made list of phone answering services, contact us. Our team will provide the list of agencies that are the best match for you based on your list of requirements. Check out our Marketplace for more details.
How do I find the best telephone answering service company on DesignRush that fits my budget?
To find the best phone answering service company on DesignRush that fits your budget, use the filtering feature to sort agencies by minimal budgets in ascending order or by hourly rate from lowest to highest.
If your budget is limited, look for agencies that accept projects under $1,000. Companies like SureCall, VoiceNation, AnswerConnect, Call Management Resources, and Gabbyville all require a minimal budget below $1,000. The average cost varies from country to country, so you may consider hiring a phone answering service company outside the US that offers more affordable rates.
What are the key success metrics used by telephone answering service companies?
The key success metrics used by telephone answering service companies are related to the time needed to provide an over-the-phone service to a customer, the success rate of resolved issues, and customer satisfaction.
Typical key success metrics for phone answering services include the following:
- Call answer rate: The number of answered calls compared to the number of calls made to the company
- Agent performance and productivity: Total time waiting for a call to be answered divided by the total number of answered calls
- Average call handling time: The average length of a phone call indicating how long it typically takes to resolve a customer's issue
- First call resolution (FCR): The number of instances where the caller's needs were properly addressed during their first call, eliminating the need for a second call
- Customer satisfaction (CSAT): A grade of customer satisfaction typically measured on a scale of 1 to 5 based on customer reviews
- Track call abandonment rate: The number of abandoned calls in the timeframe divided by the total number of calls
- Call quality monitoring: Evaluating call samples to determine the level of customer satisfaction and overall performance
- Appointment scheduling efficiency: The efficiency of scheduling appointments without overlaps or similar errors
- Message accuracy and delivery time: The ability to deliver the message to the right department or stakeholder as quickly as possible without omitting any relevant information
What questions should I ask before hiring phone answering services?
You should ask phone answering services about the relevant experience in your industry, a portfolio of previous projects, the pricing plan and structure, team qualifications, availability, and additional services like multilingual support they may provide.
Ask them about the following:
Its Relevant Background
- How many years of experience do you have providing phone answering services?
- Do you have a portfolio of industries you have worked with?
- Do your team members have relevant training and certifications?
Its Services and Processes
- Can I customize the script or response guidelines used by your representatives?
- Do you offer 24/7 service, including holidays?
- Are there options for multilingual support?
- How do you manage urgent or emergency calls?
- What type of training do your representatives receive?
- How do you charge for your services — monthly, per call, per minute, or another way?
- Do you have onshore or offshore phone answering teams?
- Can you guarantee a certain average waiting time?
- Do you use any kind of software to manage calls?
- Do you offer appointment scheduling services?
Related to Your Project
- How do we define project deliverables and how do you ensure we get them? How many calls does your plan cover?
- How many agents can you provide for my company?
- What metrics will you use to define the quality of your services?
- How often will you provide us with phone answering reports?
- What is the planned budget? Are there any additional costs we can expect?
- What kind of support can you provide besides your regular activities?
Which companies provide the best phone answering services in the US?
The best 5 phone answering services in the US are:
- AnswerConnect
- 4.8 stars on DesignRush (5 reviews)
- 4.8 stars on Google (31 reviews)
- Top clients: Agape Match, McGraw Realtors, Zen Windows, Bin There Dump That
- VoiceNation
- 4.9 stars on DesignRush (9 reviews)
- 3.9 stars on Google (137 reviews)
- Top clients: Critter Control, BMW, The Federal Savings Bank, Sterne Kessler
- Moneypenny
- 4.3 stars on Google (16 reviews)
- Top clients: Finbra Ltd, Eagle Biosciences, Sterne Kessler Goldstein & Fox, QX Global Group
- Endicott
- 2.4 stars on DesignRush (1 reviews)
- 3.5 stars on Google (2 reviews)
- Top clients: Women’s Personal Physicians, Domestify, ProFresh International Corp., Dr. Gershwin
- Nexa
- 4.3 stars on DesignRush (1 reviews)
- 4.3 stars on Google (199 reviews)
- Top clients: Fuze, SearchKings, Penguin Air, Paradigm
Scroll up to discover more about these and other phone answering services. All the agencies were carefully selected based on successful projects, industry reputation, customer reviews, and team expertise. Personalize your search and sort companies by location, budget size, hourly rates, and reviews.
Why People Trust DesignRush
Rated 4.7 on Google and Trustpilot, DesignRush Agency Directory is a reliable resource for finding phone answering services. We owe this to our executive selection team, which follows a strict screening process when featuring agencies on the platform, assessing key performance indicators, like portfolio, client reviews, and industry reputation.
Sources
DesignRush sustains a directory of over 30,000 agencies categorized by service category, location, expertise, and reviews. We build our database in two ways:
- Our dedicated team of agency experts actively searches the web for top-performing companies. We then pull information from their websites, online presence, and client testimonials to verify their status and qualifications prior to listing.
- The agencies listed get notified of their profiles on the website and they can choose to claim it or not, which suggests their availability for more collaborations.
Agencies can also reach out to DesignRush and must go through the verification process prior to being listed.
About The Author and Expert Reviewer
Zarah Ariola specializes in research and business. Working at IBM and serving at the UN Migration Agency provided her with first-hand information on business processes, HR, and finance subjects. She now uses these insights to produce valuable and actionable B2B content for DesignRush.
Andrija Savić is an accomplished and highly competent sales professional with record-breaking achievements. His work at BSC Kragujevac, a leading European NGO affiliated with SPARK Netherlands, resulted in a 24% increase in course completion rates. While at Global Media Box, his team contributed 26.5% of the company's monthly sales in just seven months. Since becoming the Director of Client Relationships at DesignRush, the business has gained a 700% revenue increase, a testament to his proven competency and dedication to customer satisfaction.
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