Answering Service Cost

Answering service cost is a much debated topic within the small business community. Different services charges different rates and have varied pricing structures. With a simple internet search on the subject of cost, you will likely find services that charge per minute, charge per call, and those that have flat rate structures. Within the different pricing groups, you can expect to discover a cost fluctuation of as little as 1% to as much as a 35%. While cost can vary from service to service, the true "cost" of the service provided is in the benefits to your business.

If you are analyzing answering service cost, you must first look at the benefit of the service. If the service is working in harmony with your company, then price should be irrelevant. Is the service helping your customer service? Are they representing your brand well when they are answering the calls? Is their staff like the people that you would hire to work in your own office? Are you getting your messages in a timely manner? Is there little to no disruption in service? Is the management always accessible? If you answered positively to any of these questions, the actual cost should be irrelevant because whatever you are paying is more than paying you back in the efficiency of the service and the way they are representing your business. If however you are looking to save some money on your invoice each month, consider your move carefully.

As stated earlier, cost can vary between services and you will always be able to find a cheaper service or another company willing to give you a deal. Before you make the move, consider that you may be saving money but you may be getting a service that is not as beneficial as your current service. Again, the real cost of a service is a relationship to how much that answering service is helping your business. If you are able to get a company to answer your phone calls for a lower price, they may miss telephone calls, make errors on messages, have operators that are unprofessional, and generally not be as efficient as your former service. Looked at the issue of cost in this fashion, lower cost does not always translated to money saving.

If you are thinking about moving answering services to cut costs, it is always a good idea to test out the service before you make any type of commitment or possibly burn a bridge with your current services. Many businesses looking to win your contract will offer free trials ranging from 7 days to one month. Look for and test services before you commit because the real cost is not in the price, its in your reputation and the potential damage an unprofessional answering service could cause to it!