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Do you dread receiving your answering service bill? Unsure if you are over paying? Is your answering service pricing competitive? This post answers these questions.
This blog is dedicated to those who want a clear understanding of their answering service bill. Like any smart person, you want to know what you are paying for. This presentation provides 3 easy steps to help you better understand your answering service pricing.
2. STEP 1:
TYPES OF
PRICING
MODELS
PAY BY THE MINUTE
PAY PER CALL
TIERED PRICING
MONTHLY SUBSCRIPTIONA LIVE ANSWERING
SERVICE WILL
TYPICALLY OFFER
FOUR TYPES OF
PRICING.
PAY FOR WHAT YOU USE.
PAY FOR EACH CALL RECEIVED.
FLAT MONTHLY RATE WITH FIXED
NUMBER OF MINUTES, PAY FOR
ADDITIONAL CALL TIME
PRICING VARIES BASED ON THE
SERVICES OFFERED
3. STEP 2:
PRICING COMPARISON
Under $0.70 per minute
High call volume or poor
service quality.
$.70 to $0.80 per minute
High call volume or simple
services like message
taking.
$0.80 to $1.00 per minute
Standard rate for a quality
answering service. Type of
service will determine cost.
$1+ per minute
Typically specialized services
that require a highly trained
agent to manage call.
Ex. Help Desk
0
0.25
0.5
0.75
1
Low
Q
uality
H
igh
Volum
e
Sim
ple
Services
Standard
R
ate
Specilized
4. STEP 3:
UNDERSTAND
CHARGES
COMMON
CHARGES
Questions You Need To Ask
Is your bill easy to understand?
Are charges hidden by being grouped together?
Will your rate ever change?
Secretarial Calls: Calls answered on your behalf.
Check-in Calls: Calls from personnel needing updates from agents.
Call-outs: Agents call out to complete a task.
Patches: Caller is connected to another person.
Outgoing Data Calls: Agent sends a text message, emails, etc.
Incoming Data Calls: Management of text message, emails, etc.
Non-Live Calls: Duties performed by agent after call ends.
Account Updates: Changes to your account processes.
Client Maintenance: Updates to information used by agent.
Agent Training: Charges depend on the complexity of tasks.
Pre-Announcements: Some companies charge for this, most don't.
5. STEP 3:
UNDERSTAND
CHARGES
AVOID
THESE
CHARGES
Are there "Setup Fees"?
What services are included?
IMPORTANT: Read Your Agreement, each
answering service could use different language
to describe charges.
Connect/ Non Connect: Some answering services will
charge you even if the call doesn’t connect. These types of
companies should be avoided.
Time in Voicemail: Another sign of a provider trying to
nickel and dime you. If you are being charged for a client
leaving a voicemail, run from that service!
Hold Time: Being charged for hold time is not a regular
practice by answering services, but it does happen. I
recommend you avoid a service that will charge you for hold
time.