Top 10 Live Answering Services

A live answering service lets customers to talk to a person when your staff is unavailable. Read about the top 10 live answering services available now.

A live answering service allows customers talk to a live human being, even when normal staff is unavailable. Multiple benefits are afforded to both businesses and customers by using such a service. Read ahead to learn about the top 10 live answering services available today.

Live Answering Services - Brief Overview

Live answering services put customers in contact with real human beings 24/7, 365-days per year. Benefits include enhanced customer service, office-based expense reductions, sales and marketing support and more. New or smaller businesses display a more professional and higher standard impression on customers and the costs per month are often significantly less than keeping your business staffed 24/7.

Read About the Top-10 Live Answering Services in the U.S. Today

Pricing for live answering services is tiered based on usage and features and commonly billed in monthly packages. Packages often include minute allowances and assess additional fees for usage overages. The more you pay for a package the more minutes it includes and the less you are charged for overages. Customized pricing by direct quotes is also commonly available and each company also offers additional benefits unique to its brand and service. The Top-10 live answering services in the U.S. today are:

Specialty Answering Service (SAS)

Specialty Answering Service (SAS) is the number-one choice for a live answering service in the U.S. by many companies today. SAS provides flexible service and pricing plans, which accommodate the needs of any type and size of business. Scalable SAS service features include bilingual customer support, appointment setting and real-time talk increments for billing. The one-time initial setup fee is only $50 (lower than many others) and a free trial is offered when you register. Eight total package and pricing plans are offered, including:

Economy ($34 per month; $1.29 per minute overage).
100-Minute ($128 per month; $1.19 per minute overage).
220-Minute ($219 per month; $1.19 per minute overage).
500-Minute ($539 per month; $1.09 per minute overage).
1,000-Minute ($999 per month; $1.05 per minute overage).
2,500-Minute ($2,400 per month; $0.99 per minute overage).
5,000-Minute ($4,599 per month; $0.99 per minute overage).
10,000-Minute ($8,599 per month; $0.89 per minute overage).

My Receptionist

My receptionist competes with SAS for the top-rated live answering service spot on the market today. Many customers asked to list pros and cons about My Receptionist simply had a challenging time coming up with anything negative to say. Even better, companies using My Receptionist also state their customers also have not provided any negative feedback about the service. Three tiered-pricing packages are available (Starter, Cruising and Express) to meet the needs of every size business. The Starter package includes 70 minutes and costs $100 per billing period. The Cruising package costs $175 per billing period and includes 150 minutes. The Express plan includes 235 minutes for $250 per billing period. Some benefits of using My Receptionist include optional call screening, live call transferring, message-taking, and a toll-free number option.

AnswerConnect

AnswerConnect offers call screening, quality lead generation and appointment booking services. The AnswerConnect customer service is top-tier in the industry for both you and your customers. For example, part of why AnswerConnect is so popular is their ability to create customer solutions based on answers to detailed questionnaires. Clients using AnswerConnect state the service allows them to spend money and resources in other areas, which means AnswerConnect services also help businesses expand. Pricing is only available via direct quote because AnswerConnect believes in customizing experiences for individual company needs.

Front Office Solutions

Front Office Solutions provides 24/7 services, which are particularly geared toward companies where emergency-type calls are received. For example, plumbing, HVAC, counseling services and automobile towing companies might benefit from Front Office Solutions packages. Five tiered-pricing packages are available, which include customized options for outbound calls from local numbers and company technician dispatching services. A one-time setup fee of $300 is assessed and a 7-day free trial is offered. Pricing ranges from $79.95 per month (0 included minutes; $2.50 per minute overage) through $1,200 per month (850 included minutes; $1.95 per minute overage). Additional package features include:

Free calls under 30-seconds.
No fees for calls in queue.
6+-minute calls are rounded down.
No fees for hang-ups, wrong numbers or robo calls.
No contracts and customized plans available.

MoneyPenny

MoneyPenny is known as one of the larger live answering service providers in the industry. The company maintains more than 225,000 clients from a wide variety of business types and sizes. One top favorite feature provided by MoneyPenny is their live website chat service. MoneyPenny has twenty years of experience in the industry and offers a host of useful features. Pricing is available via direct quote only via email or on the phone (844 364 6618).

Abby Connect

Abby Connect provides popular service features such as custom transfer music, bilingual answering services and a dedicated reception team. After a 14-day free trial prices are tiered at $279, $499, and $1,089 per month. Minutes included in those pricing tiers are 100, 200 and 500 respectively.

Gabbyville

Gabbyville also offers a free trial, which includes fifty free minutes. Starter, Basic, Premium and Executive plans vary in price from $250, $500, $800, and $1,200 per month respectively. Gabbyville service features include conference call initiation, outbound client calls, appointment reminder functions and no-charge spam calls.

VoiceNation

VoiceNation strives to decrease hold times for your customers, while increasing call accuracy and customer retention. The service responds to calls as if they are physically in your company offices, giving the impression your customer service is live 24/7. A 7-day free trial is offered, which includes thirty minutes. The VoiceNation Basic and Business plans cost $69 (25 minutes) and $99 (50 minutes) respectively. Additional plans include:

Pro ($249 per month; 150 minutes).
Executive ($449 per month; 300 minutes).
Enterprise ($799 per month; 600 minutes).

AnswerForce

AnswerForce provides live call responses within thirty seconds or less. Features include lead capturing, web lead response functions and appointment setting capabilities. Additional features include CRM integration, order entries and web chat options. Specific pricing is made available through an email registration process provided on the AnswerForce website.

Virtual HQ

Virtual HQ employs only American virtual receptionists and strives to answer all calls within six rings. Client greetings are customizable and toll-free (or local) numbers are provided. Virtual HQ offers a 7-day free trial and prices range from $49 to $299 per month with pay-as-you-go and structured minute options.