Here’s a simple fact: at the end of the day, you’re not going to be able to field every call that comes into your business.
It’s going to be a Friday afternoon when you’ve left early to get a round of golf in. Or it might be an early morning call that’s ringing your business line while you’re at home making a cup of joe.
Whatever the situation may be, you’re going to need an answering service to take those calls outside of business hours. If you’re worried about an answering service cost, however, then you’re in the right place. In this article, we’ll tell you everything you need to know about how much it’s going to cost you to get a phone answering service set up at your company.
What Is an Answering Service?
There are a few different things that an answering service is going to be able to do for your business.
The most common use case wherein an answering service comes into play is when a call comes in during business hours. The system will receive the call, give an automated pitch about your business (you’ll be able to customize this), and then take a voicemail so that you can respond whenever you’re back in the office.
The automated answer that your customers will receive should generally contain information about location, office hours, and any other frequently asked questions that customers may call in for.
But another part of that answering service is wherein a call center will take a call on your business’s behalf outside of office hours. There are a number of services that offer this functionality, wherein a customer service rep will field any calls about your business.
This allows you to ensure that a real person talks to each and every prospect that calls into your business line.
Answering Service Cost: What to Expect
Now that you know what a call answering service is and how it can benefit your business, let’s talk price. Click here to get intricate pricing details, but as a general rule, you can estimate a cost of about a dollar a minute for every fielded call.
Generally, most services will not charge you fees beyond simply that fee wherein a call is fielded. There are different levers you can pull to negotiate the pricing down.
If you can promise a high call volume, then your rate per minute may go down. In addition, if your business is not a very technical one, and the reps that receive calls won’t require much training, you can expect to see a lower price as well.
Field All Calls!
There you have it. Now that you have a good idea of answering service cost and functionality, all that remains is for you to embark on the journey of identifying the right phone answering service for your business!
For more business advice, be sure to check out the rest of the articles available to read on the website!