{"id":6021,"date":"2015-12-16T10:50:54","date_gmt":"2015-12-16T10:50:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.answerconnect.com\/blog\/?p=6021"},"modified":"2025-08-28T11:04:00","modified_gmt":"2025-08-28T11:04:00","slug":"choose-answering-service-business-success","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.answerconnect.com\/blog\/answerconnect-services\/choose-answering-service-business-success\/","title":{"rendered":"How to choose an answering service for business success."},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>If you\u2019re skillful and lucky as an entrepreneur or small business owner, you may find yourself with an enviable problem: <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You have more inbound calls than you can handle yourself.<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><em>Each call is a potential sale<\/em>. You want to provide the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.answerconnect.com\/blog\/business-tips\/improve-customer-experience-6-steps\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>best customer service<\/strong><\/a>. But if you answer every call personally, you may end up neglecting product development, long-term strategy, or other things only you can do for your business.<\/span> <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With <strong>customer service expectations growing higher<\/strong> as time goes on, it&#8217;s imperative that modern-day businesses are able to keep up with the demand. In fact, a recent study from Exploding Topics highlighted that <strong>86%<\/strong> of consumers were <strong>willing to leave a business<\/strong> following only <strong>2<\/strong> poor customer service experiences. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s never been more important to understand how to choose the <em>right<\/em> answering service, but also make sure that the service you do choose can deliver a positive experience on a <em>consistent basis<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In this blog we&#8217;ll cover:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>How much<\/strong> does an answering service cost?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>In house<\/strong>, <strong>outsourced<\/strong> or <strong>specialized<\/strong>?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>How to choose<\/strong> an answering service?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"668\" src=\"https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/answerconnect-blog\/1\/2023\/12\/Man-taking-notes-during-video-meeting-on-laptop-1.png\" alt=\"a business man in an office trying to figure out how to find the best answering service for him\" class=\"wp-image-11249\" srcset=\"https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/answerconnect-blog\/1\/2023\/12\/Man-taking-notes-during-video-meeting-on-laptop-1.png 1000w, https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/answerconnect-blog\/1\/2023\/12\/Man-taking-notes-during-video-meeting-on-laptop-1-300x200.png 300w, https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/answerconnect-blog\/1\/2023\/12\/Man-taking-notes-during-video-meeting-on-laptop-1-768x513.png 768w, https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/answerconnect-blog\/1\/2023\/12\/Man-taking-notes-during-video-meeting-on-laptop-1-150x100.png 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How much does an answering service cost? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>First things first, you&#8217;re probably wondering how much an answering service costs. <em>The honest answer?<\/em> It varies and can depend both on the provider and the plan that you choose. Generally speaking, though, there are <strong>two main types of plans<\/strong> &#8211; <strong>per call <\/strong>or <strong>per minute<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For those that are looking for the <strong>best value option<\/strong>, <strong>per minute<\/strong> usually offers the best representation of both <strong>quality service<\/strong> and <strong>time spent on each customer<\/strong>.  If you opt for a &#8216;<strong>per call<\/strong>&#8216; plan, however, you could run the risk of inadvertently factoring &#8216;<strong>hang ups<\/strong>&#8216;, &#8216;<strong>prank calls<\/strong>&#8216; or even <strong>wrong numbers<\/strong> into the service that you pay for.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Always check the <strong>terms and conditions<\/strong> of the service that you choose: <strong>some providers don&#8217;t discriminate<\/strong> against the types of calls they receive and will charge you the same amount regardless. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At AnswerConnect we offer <strong>flexible minutes based pricing<\/strong>, designed to accommodate <strong>any business size.<\/strong> Our <strong>contracts aren&#8217;t fixed<\/strong> because we know that things change. <strong>Upgrade or downgrade <\/strong>your plan at <strong>any time<\/strong>. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.answerconnect.com\/services\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Find out more<\/strong><\/a> about the plans we have on offer?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Answering service pricing: per minute vs. per call<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><thead><tr><th><strong>Factor to Consider<\/strong><\/th><th><strong>Per-Minute Pricing<\/strong><\/th><th><strong>Per-Call Pricing<\/strong><\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Billing Accuracy<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Improve billing accuracy<\/strong> by charging according to the real-time duration of calls. This ensures you pay only for the precise time and effort invested in each interaction.<\/td><td>Charges a fixed rate for each call, regardless of duration. This can potentially result in <strong>less accurate billing <\/strong>for varied interactions. This may not reflect the time and effort invested in different call lengths and complexities.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Flexibility<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Offers flexibility<\/strong> as businesses pay for the exact time spent on calls.  This accommodates varying call durations and unpredictable call patterns.<\/td><td><strong>May lack flexibility.<\/strong> The fixed rate per call might not account for fluctuations in call durations or account for instances of low-value calls. It can account for a predictable pricing structure, however. <\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Value for High Call Volume<\/strong><\/td><td>Can be<strong> cost-effective<\/strong> for businesses with high call volumes. Per-minute rates may decrease with increased usage.<\/td><td>May become <strong>less cost-effective<\/strong> for businesses with high call volumes. The fixed per-call rate may not scale proportionally with increased usage.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Granularity<\/strong><\/td><td>Provides a <strong>more granular<\/strong> approach to pricing. Businesses pay for the actual time invested in handling calls.<\/td><td>Offers <strong>less granularity,<\/strong> as fixed per-call rate may not differentiate between length of calls &amp; more valuable interactions.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Suitability for Varied Call Types<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Suited for businesses with varied call types and durations<\/strong>. Offers a dynamic pricing model that adjusts to specific needs.<\/td><td><strong>May pose challenges for businesses with diverse call types<\/strong>. Fixed per-call rate might not account for variations in call complexity and value.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Transparency<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Offers transparency<\/strong>, as charges are directly tied to the time spent on calls. This allows businesses to understand and manage costs more clearly.<\/td><td><strong>May lack transparency<\/strong>. Fixed per-call rate may not provide a clear correlation between the cost incurred and the actual effort invested in handling different types of calls.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Risk for Low-Value Calls<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Carries less risk <\/strong>for low-value Businesses are billed based on the actual time spent, ensuring that the cost aligns with the value derived.<\/td><td><strong>Poses a risk for low-value calls<\/strong>. Businesses are charged a fixed rate, resulting in paying the same amount for calls that provide little or no value.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Adaptability to Call Patterns<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Adapts well to fluctuating call patterns<\/strong> and varying call durations, offering cost predictability while accommodating changing business needs.<\/td><td><strong>May be less adaptable to changing call patterns<\/strong> as the fixed per-call rate may not align with shifts in call volumes. This can lead to inefficiencies and suboptimal cost management.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">But what\u2019s the real cost of a missed call?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Beyond minutes and pricing plans, every unanswered call is potentially lost revenue. Whether it\u2019s a missed customer enquiry, a lead ready to convert, or a high-value sale slipping through the cracks, those missed connections can add up fast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Want to see how much revenue you could be missing out on?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Use our ROI calculator below to estimate your potential monthly gains with AnswerConnect.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Just plug in your missed calls, conversion rate, and average sale value &#8211; and get a clear picture of how much you could earn by answering every call.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"my-embed\">Use the Return on Investment Calculator now <\/h2>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"calconic-calculator\"  data-calculatorid=\"68494cdc662e93002a6d5f55\"><\/div>\n    <script>\n          (function() { var qs,j,q,s,d=document, gi=d.getElementById,\n  ce=d.createElement, gt=d.getElementsByTagName,\n  id=\"calconic_\", b=\"https:\/\/cdn.calconic.com\/static\/js\/\";\n  if(!gi.call(d,id)) { j=ce.call(d,\"script\"); j.id=id; j.type=\"text\/javascript\"; j.async=true;\n  j.dataset.calconic=true;\n  j.src=b+\"calconic.min.js\"; q=gt.call(d,\"script\")[0]; q.parentNode.insertBefore(j,q) }\n})();\n        <\/script>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-1 wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.answerconnect.com\/services\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Find out more about our pricing<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Answering service options <\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Choosing the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.answerconnect.com\/services\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>right type of answering service for your business<\/strong><\/a> is like trying on a new pair of shoes. It pays to get it right &#8211; otherwise things can get uncomfortable pretty quick. With various options available, from the friendly touch of live answering services to the tech-savvy vibes of internet services and the &#8217;round-the-clock availability of automated solutions, there&#8217;s something for every business. Why does it matter? It&#8217;s about finding that sweet spot where your business thrives, customers are happy, and you have the freedom to focus on what you do best.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Live answering services:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Live answering services offer a <strong>personalized approach<\/strong> to call handling based on your company&#8217;s own guidelines. With a <strong>dedicated team <\/strong>managing your calls, you can trust that familiar voices will represent your business. These services extend beyond call handling, including <strong>message taking, appointment setting<\/strong>, and a touch of <span id=\"urn:enhancement-a36a63d1-a21a-46cf-947c-40ba5aba3d5f\" class=\"textannotation disambiguated wl-thing\" itemid=\"\/entity\/customer-suppport-12245\"><strong>customer support<\/strong><\/span>. <strong>Suitable for a variety of business<\/strong> types, live answering services are designed to handle diverse call volumes efficiently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Virtual answering services:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Tailored for <strong>businesses thriving in the online realm<\/strong>, Internet Answering Services meet the unique needs of<strong> e-commerce or web-only ventures<\/strong>. Ideal for those with a significant online presence, these services include features such as <strong>live web chat, order processing<\/strong>, and <strong>addressing web inquiries<\/strong>. While live answering services may be enough for some web-only businesses, internet\/online answering services offer <strong>additional features crucial for successful e-commerce operations<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Automated answering services:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Automated answering services <\/strong>provide a 24\/7 presence without the need for human intervention at all hours. This option includes <strong>automated messages or menus<\/strong>, helping callers navigate and find information. Suited for companies receiving numerous calls seeking basic information, <strong>the option to combine automated and live answering services offers flexibility<\/strong>, allowing callers to leave messages for later follow-up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Call center services:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Designed for businesses handling high call volumes, <strong>Call Center Services <\/strong>are ideal for <strong>peak seasons<\/strong>, <strong>lead generation<\/strong>, or <strong>supporting existing receptionists<\/strong> and <span id=\"urn:enhancement-6cd8edfb-d00b-4c62-9ee7-614e661d59be\" class=\"textannotation disambiguated wl-thing\" itemid=\"\/entity\/customer-service\"><strong>customer service<\/strong><\/span> representatives. These services ensure prompt attention to customers by employing multiple agents, particularly beneficial for businesses spending extended periods on the phone, such as <strong>qualifying leads, taking orders, or assisting customers<\/strong>. <em>Call centres may not represent the same commitment to quality and care that smaller answering services possess<\/em>, however. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Recommended Reading<\/strong> ? : <a href=\"https:\/\/www.answerconnect.com\/blog\/business-tips\/build-your-business-with-live-answering-service\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">How Can Your Business Can Benefit From a 24\/7 Live Answering Service?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">In-House, outsource, or specialized?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An executive, sole proprietor, or entrepreneur\u2019s time is often best spent off the phone (though personally handling some customer service can yield great insights). Once you\u2019ve decided to hire some help, the big question is: <em>should that help be inside or outside your organization?<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>In-house receptionists can provide great service for walk-ins <\/strong>(if you have them) and a good one can learn to understand the ins and outs of your business almost as well as you do.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Problem is, <strong>a full time employee only works about 40 hours a week<\/strong>. Even if your business isn\u2019t open longer hours, <strong>your business opportunities can come any time<\/strong> &#8211; 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The term \u201c<strong>outsource<\/strong>\u201d can conjure up images of low quality. And there are certainly subpar live answering services on the market. There are advantages to contracting with an outside provider for your <strong>customer service phone calls, emails,<\/strong> and<strong> chats<\/strong>. You can have the best of both worlds by a<strong>voiding the low-quality providers and hiring live answering specialists<\/strong> to help you with your inbound leads.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hiring a specialized answering service to take your calls has some important benefits:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Scale.<\/strong> A good service can grow with you, in increments of minutes, not hours.<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Cost. <\/strong>Round-the-clock coverage from in-house employees is expensive.<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Expertise.<\/strong> Some people change their own motor oil, but most of us appreciate the speed and convenience of leaving it to the experts.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Once you\u2019ve decided to explore what a l<strong>ive answering service<\/strong> can do for your business, it\u2019s time to choose one. Here are a few criteria you can use in evaluating your options and making a decision that\u2019s right for you.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/answerconnect-blog\/1\/2015\/12\/iStock-2150027688-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"Answering Service Agent Taking a Call\" class=\"wp-image-13764\" srcset=\"https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/answerconnect-blog\/1\/2015\/12\/iStock-2150027688-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/answerconnect-blog\/1\/2015\/12\/iStock-2150027688-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/answerconnect-blog\/1\/2015\/12\/iStock-2150027688-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/answerconnect-blog\/1\/2015\/12\/iStock-2150027688-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/answerconnect-blog\/1\/2015\/12\/iStock-2150027688-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to choose an answering service<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For many businesses, <strong>hiring an answering service is an affordable, effective solution<\/strong>. There\u2019s just one problem &#8211; <em>how do you choose from the many options out there?<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Choosing an answering service, as with any other vendor or service provider you work with, is complicated. Ultimately, the decision has to work for your particular situation.<\/span> Because we have experience in what good looks like, we&#8217;ve created this short list for you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Still, there are some <strong>basic criteria anyone can use to choose an answering service<\/strong><\/span> that&#8217;s right for them:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Quality<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Options<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Technicality<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Customization<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Working Hours<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Human or Non Human<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Call Recording Features <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>HIPAA Compliant<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Remote Capability <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Quality<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Test the service by calling as a \u201cmystery shopper.\u201d If your candidate can\u2019t offer this, move on. Quality takes many forms, but two things to look at are <\/span><b>accuracy<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><b>attitude<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. <em>When the service takes a message, does the message come through? Is the information in the message correct? <\/em><strong>A misspelled name or badly transcribed phone number can stop your sales in their tracks.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Getting things right is half the battle. But the real test of a service is how it makes your callers feel. Empathy and professionalism are critical &#8211; don\u2019t settle for less.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Options<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Do you need <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.answerconnect.com\/services\/order-management\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>order management<\/strong><\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">? <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.answerconnect.com\/services\/appointment-taking\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Appointment-taking<\/strong><\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">? Make sure the service you\u2019re testing can do what you need them to. If all you need your live answering service to do is take messages, fine. But be sure to ask about <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.answerconnect.com\/services\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>other services<\/strong><\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> they may provide as well.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Get Technical<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As you shop around, don\u2019t be afraid to <strong>ask specific questions<\/strong> about a live answering service provider\u2019s performance. Here are a few to start with:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><em>What\u2019s your average hold time?<\/em><\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><em>What\u2019s your average time-to-answer?<\/em><\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><em>What\u2019s your abandonment rate (how many callers hang up while on hold)?<\/em><\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><em>How do you compensate your live answering agents?<\/em><\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><em>What\u2019s your employee turnover rate?<\/em><\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><em>Can you provide access to all my call data?<\/em><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Custom Scripts<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In live answering, <strong>a script is an invaluable guide for maintaining consistency and the right tone<\/strong> for your account. But you never want the person answering the phone for your business to sound like a robot. Your live answering service provider should have the ability to <strong>customize your script<\/strong> according to your specifications, and to make changes as needed. The attention an answering service puts into making your script tells you <em>a lot<\/em> about the care they\u2019ll take in answering your calls.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Hours<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If your calls come on weekends or at night, but your service is only Monday &#8211; Friday and 9-to-5, what\u2019s the point? <strong>The best answering services are available 24\/7\/365<\/strong> &#8211; whenever you need them, <strong>at no extra charge<\/strong>. And they&#8217;re flexible enough to evolve with your business as you grow.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">IVR<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your main goal in working with a live answering phone service is probably to have your calls answered by a human being. Still, <strong>don\u2019t overlook the value of a good, well designed IVR<\/strong> (interactive voice response) system. An <strong>IVR can provide basic information<\/strong>, such as your address and hours, without using your live answering plan minutes. An automated system can also help route your calls to the right department or person within your organization. Just <strong>make sure that it isn\u2019t too hard for your callers to reach a real person<\/strong> when they want to.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Call Recording<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not all businesses need or want their calls to be recorded. <strong>Call recording can be a useful tool for quality assurance<\/strong>, but can also be off-putting for some callers. Whether you choose to record your calls or not, it\u2019s a good idea to find out if the live answering service you\u2019re considering has the ability to do it.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">HIPAA<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019re a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.answerconnect.com\/industries\/healthcare\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>doctor, dentist, or other health professional<\/strong><\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> covered by <strong>HIPAA<\/strong> (the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act), <strong>you\u2019ll need a HIPAA-compliant service.<\/strong> To keep patients\u2019 medical records confidential, your service has to be able to pass on messages to you securely.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Remote Work<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When all your answering service\u2019s agents are clustered in one building, it only takes one power outage, snowstorm, or other event to knock them offline. Single-location companies may also struggle to cover business hours in other time zones. Not only that, but the carbon footprint of all those agents driving to that one location can be considerable.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Don\u2019t put all your eggs in one basket. There\u2019s a better way. <strong>With a <\/strong><\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.answerconnect.com\/why\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>remote work model<\/strong><\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>, providers of services like live answering can spread agents across time zones and even around the world. That way, no one outage<\/strong>, whatever the cause, can interrupt your live answering service.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/answerconnect-blog\/1\/2015\/12\/iStock-1409041639.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13759\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Your business, your choice<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ultimately, you know best how to choose an answering service for your business. And, of course, making that decision is just the beginning. <strong>Keep an eye on the live answering service provider you choose, over time<\/strong>, to be sure you\u2019re getting what you pay for.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A great live answering service, one with the options and expertise you need, <\/span><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">can be a tremendous boost to your business.<\/span><strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> <\/span><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>More sales, fewer missed leads, and more time to focus on growing your business are all within reach.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Take the next step <\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Looking for a reliable, professional and trustworthy service?<\/strong> AnswerConnect has been voted the best US answering service by Forbes and have a Trustpilot rating of &#8216;Excellent&#8217;. We&#8217;re used across the US by businesses of all sizes to help manage with high call volumes, provide after-hours call services and much more. <strong>Streamline your customer service capabilities today.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-2 wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.answerconnect.com\/plans\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Register now<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Discover insightful tips on how to choose an answering service. Our ultimate guide covers everything from costs to call handling types. Check it out!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":11315,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wl_entities_gutenberg":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[26,59],"wl_entity_type":[273],"class_list":["post-6021","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-answerconnect-services","tag-answering-service","tag-virtual-assistant","wl_entity_type-article"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How to Choose an Answering Service - AnswerConnect<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Discover insightful tips on how to choose an answering service. Our ultimate guide covers everything from costs to call handling types. Check it out!\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.answerconnect.com\/blog\/answerconnect-services\/how-to-choose-an-answering-service\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to Choose an Answering Service - AnswerConnect\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Discover insightful tips on how to choose an answering service. Our ultimate guide covers everything from costs to call handling types. Check it out!\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.answerconnect.com\/blog\/answerconnect-services\/how-to-choose-an-answering-service\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"AnswerConnect Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2015-12-16T10:50:54+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-08-28T11:04:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/answerconnect-blog\/1\/2023\/12\/iStock-1349678748-1-1.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"667\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Robert Phillips\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Robert Phillips\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"12 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.answerconnect.com\/blog\/answerconnect-services\/choose-answering-service-business-success\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.answerconnect.com\/blog\/answerconnect-services\/how-to-choose-an-answering-service\/\",\"name\":\"How to Choose an Answering Service - AnswerConnect\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.answerconnect.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.answerconnect.com\/blog\/answerconnect-services\/how-to-choose-an-answering-service\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.answerconnect.com\/blog\/answerconnect-services\/how-to-choose-an-answering-service\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/answerconnect-blog\/1\/2023\/12\/iStock-1349678748-1-1.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2015-12-16T10:50:54+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-08-28T11:04:00+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.answerconnect.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/2bbe9fa4bc59c03fb4cb83def18d6ece\"},\"description\":\"Discover insightful tips on how to choose an answering service. Our ultimate guide covers everything from costs to call handling types. Check it out!\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.answerconnect.com\/blog\/answerconnect-services\/how-to-choose-an-answering-service\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.answerconnect.com\/blog\/answerconnect-services\/how-to-choose-an-answering-service\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.answerconnect.com\/blog\/answerconnect-services\/how-to-choose-an-answering-service\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/answerconnect-blog\/1\/2023\/12\/iStock-1349678748-1-1.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/answerconnect-blog\/1\/2023\/12\/iStock-1349678748-1-1.png\",\"width\":1000,\"height\":667,\"caption\":\"Happy live answering service agent taking a live answering call\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.answerconnect.com\/blog\/answerconnect-services\/how-to-choose-an-answering-service\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.answerconnect.com\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"How to choose an answering service for business success.\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.answerconnect.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.answerconnect.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"AnswerConnect Blog\",\"description\":\"Help Grow Your Business\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.answerconnect.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.answerconnect.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/2bbe9fa4bc59c03fb4cb83def18d6ece\",\"name\":\"Robert Phillips\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.answerconnect.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/829842418c5728a2aec29451a2ce7b26?s=96&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/829842418c5728a2aec29451a2ce7b26?s=96&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Robert Phillips\"},\"description\":\"He\u2019s a customer experience expert, dedicated to ensuring client satisfaction and success through every touch point.\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.answerconnect.com\/blog\/author\/robert-phillips\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"How to Choose an Answering Service - AnswerConnect","description":"Discover insightful tips on how to choose an answering service. Our ultimate guide covers everything from costs to call handling types. Check it out!","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.answerconnect.com\/blog\/answerconnect-services\/how-to-choose-an-answering-service\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"How to Choose an Answering Service - AnswerConnect","og_description":"Discover insightful tips on how to choose an answering service. Our ultimate guide covers everything from costs to call handling types. Check it out!","og_url":"https:\/\/www.answerconnect.com\/blog\/answerconnect-services\/how-to-choose-an-answering-service\/","og_site_name":"AnswerConnect Blog","article_published_time":"2015-12-16T10:50:54+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-08-28T11:04:00+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1000,"height":667,"url":"https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/answerconnect-blog\/1\/2023\/12\/iStock-1349678748-1-1.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"Robert Phillips","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Robert Phillips","Est. reading time":"12 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.answerconnect.com\/blog\/answerconnect-services\/choose-answering-service-business-success\/","url":"https:\/\/www.answerconnect.com\/blog\/answerconnect-services\/how-to-choose-an-answering-service\/","name":"How to Choose an Answering Service - AnswerConnect","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.answerconnect.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.answerconnect.com\/blog\/answerconnect-services\/how-to-choose-an-answering-service\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.answerconnect.com\/blog\/answerconnect-services\/how-to-choose-an-answering-service\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/answerconnect-blog\/1\/2023\/12\/iStock-1349678748-1-1.png","datePublished":"2015-12-16T10:50:54+00:00","dateModified":"2025-08-28T11:04:00+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.answerconnect.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/2bbe9fa4bc59c03fb4cb83def18d6ece"},"description":"Discover insightful tips on how to choose an answering service. Our ultimate guide covers everything from costs to call handling types. Check it out!","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.answerconnect.com\/blog\/answerconnect-services\/how-to-choose-an-answering-service\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.answerconnect.com\/blog\/answerconnect-services\/how-to-choose-an-answering-service\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.answerconnect.com\/blog\/answerconnect-services\/how-to-choose-an-answering-service\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/answerconnect-blog\/1\/2023\/12\/iStock-1349678748-1-1.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/answerconnect-blog\/1\/2023\/12\/iStock-1349678748-1-1.png","width":1000,"height":667,"caption":"Happy live answering service agent taking a live answering call"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.answerconnect.com\/blog\/answerconnect-services\/how-to-choose-an-answering-service\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.answerconnect.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"How to choose an answering service for business success."}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.answerconnect.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.answerconnect.com\/blog\/","name":"AnswerConnect Blog","description":"Help Grow Your Business","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.answerconnect.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.answerconnect.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/2bbe9fa4bc59c03fb4cb83def18d6ece","name":"Robert Phillips","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.answerconnect.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/829842418c5728a2aec29451a2ce7b26?s=96&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/829842418c5728a2aec29451a2ce7b26?s=96&r=g","caption":"Robert Phillips"},"description":"He\u2019s a customer experience expert, dedicated to ensuring client satisfaction and success through every touch point.","url":"https:\/\/www.answerconnect.com\/blog\/author\/robert-phillips\/"}]}},"_wl_alt_label":[],"wl:entity_url":"\/post\/how-to-choose-an-answering-service","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.answerconnect.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6021"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.answerconnect.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.answerconnect.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.answerconnect.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/19"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.answerconnect.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6021"}],"version-history":[{"count":30,"href":"https:\/\/www.answerconnect.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6021\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13935,"href":"https:\/\/www.answerconnect.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6021\/revisions\/13935"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.answerconnect.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11315"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.answerconnect.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6021"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.answerconnect.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6021"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.answerconnect.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6021"},{"taxonomy":"wl_entity_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.answerconnect.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/wl_entity_type?post=6021"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}