An automated voicemail service is one of the most irritating things for a customer to experience, especially when they urgently need professional assistance for a product or service. The better alternative is to opt for a live answering service that employs real operators trained to assist and manage customer grievances. Professional services charge monthly or offer custom pricing depending on the business size. Here are the top four live answering services reviewed for you.

ReceptionHQ
ReceptionHQ capitalizes on potential leads that help expand your business. The company employs professional US-based receptionists trained to provide live answering during business and exclusive after hours. Clients and customers receive complete support and assistance on call for a truly personalized experience. The service also employs professionals who can speak Spanish as well as English to assist as many callers as possible. You can request the receptionists to use customized greetings while providing support for callers to improve the overall experience. ReceptionHQ offers a free 7-day trial with all features unlocked. There is also no lock-in period for the contracts giving you absolute flexibility over subscription scaling for business. The service can be canceled at any time, and termination is free of charge. Pricing for exclusive virtual reception and call answering packages starts at $15/month, going upwards of $49/month. The premium plan includes call transfers, lead capture, live assistance, and appointment scheduling services.

AnswerForce
AnswerForce can pick up phone calls with an army of virtual receptionists on your behalf. These professionals are trained to take the call, make notes, and even patch priority calls to the business team as per the given instructions. This way, no customer is left in the wind wondering why customer support is not reachable. You can even give them a custom call script that can be updated as and when changes are needed, so operators have all the answers ready. Virtual receptionists can even schedule appointments and provide timely reminders. One of the key features of this live answering service is bilingual conversations. More customers can be converted into potential leads for the business by increasing reach. With the service available 24/7, your customers will always get support during or after business hours. Moreover, they don’t have to face the woes of an automated machine or response service. AnswerForce live receptionists can be hired for as low as $299/month to attend calls around the clock.

VoiceNation
Firstly, the service only hires US-based operators primarily working from the main office. Operators are trained to screen calls and minimize downtime by eliminating the need for automated replies. They are also bilingual and equipped with scripts to answer in multiple languages. This improves active engagement and broadens business reach to convert potential leads and expand the existing customer base. The service is live 24/7, so no customer calls go unattended, even on weekends and holidays. Moreover, business orders can be taken after hours to maximize profit-making. You can also provide specific instructions to operators and ask them to patch important calls directly to the mainline. VoiceNation also offers a mobile application that lets you monitor the live answering service on the go. There are no contracts, hidden fees, or charges. You can contact the vendor to customize a business subscription as the service charges for fixed minutes, the only drawback in an otherwise innovative solution. Prices range from $49/month to $799/month.

AnswerConnect
AnswerConnect is one of the more affordable services that offers tailor-made solutions based on the size of your business. It even features seamless integrations with third-party tools, including Setmore, Salesforce, Zoho, Zendesk, and Zapier. AnswerConnect offers custom solutions by understanding your business model and designing a live answering service that commits to the business requirements. Live answering is a better alternative to voicemail services as customers feel valued since the business is taking active notice of their requests. You get tailor-made responses for different types of customer queries. It is also possible to update responses based on user experience data. With the AnswerConnect app, you can monitor every interaction on the go, customize availability, even maintain a consistent caller ID, and personalize services. The app also provides instant notifications and offers a live chat feature to engage passive customers and transform them into active leads for the business. Note that prices can be discussed with the vendor only upon registration.