Answering services
AnswerConnect
AnswerConnect is a 24/7 live answering and virtual receptionist service. Receptionists answer calls and website chats, take and deliver messages in real time, route and transfer calls, qualify leads, and book appointments. Named sectors include real estate, home and commercial service providers, legal, medical and dental, finance, and e-commerce order management.
Call flow is built per client: the service can take every call, only after-hours calls, or overflow during busy periods, and can recognize returning callers for a more personal greeting. Bilingual answering is available, and urgent calls can be handled under their own rules. Chats are handled by the same receptionists and draw on the client's regular plan minutes, with no extra charge for chats the client's own team takes. A client portal tracks opportunities, a mobile app carries the service between locations, and the company integrates with tools clients already use.
Plans include premium access to the Setmore appointment-scheduling app at no extra charge, with calendar syncing to Google Calendar, Office 365, and others, appointment reminders by email or SMS, and self-scheduling alongside bookings taken by a receptionist. The company is recommended by leading franchise organizations and is the International Franchise Association's preferred answering service, states it was voted the best 24-hour answering service by Forbes, pledges people rather than bots on every interaction, and plants a tree for every customer and employee every month.
Pricing is by plan and is not published on the pages crawled, so confirm the minute allowance, what counts against it, and overage terms before signing up.
Best for
Property managers, storage operators, and other small businesses that want every call and web chat answered by a person around the clock, with appointments booked, and are willing to buy a plan measured in minutes.
What they do
- 24/7 live call answering
- Virtual receptionist service
- Live web chat support
- Appointment scheduling
- After-hours answering
- Overflow call answering
- Bilingual call answering
- Call routing and transfer
- Urgent call handling
- Franchise answering programs
What stands out
- Plans include premium access to the Setmore appointment-scheduling app at no extra charge.
- Recommended by leading franchise organizations and named the International Franchise Association's preferred answering service.
- Web chats are handled by the same receptionists and use the client's regular plan minutes.
- Plants a tree for every customer and employee, every month.
Common questions
- What does an after-hours answering service cover?
- After-hours answering picks up when the office closes, so calls still reach a person in the evenings, at weekends, and on holidays instead of a voicemail box. AnswerConnect's 24-hour service includes appointment scheduling, order taking for customers who want to buy outside business hours, and routing, with the client choosing where after-hours calls, emails, and chats are sent.