You’re in the middle of wrapping up a job when the phone rings. It’s a potential customer ready to book, but you can’t answer right away. By the time you call back, they’ve already gone with a competitor.
Does this scenario sound familiar? It’s the reality for many small businesses that rely on manual call handling.
An answering service solves this problem by making sure no call — or opportunity — slips away.
In this guide, you’ll learn what answerinsonag services do, compare the top providers, and highlight the key mistakes to avoid so you can choose the best fit for your business.
What is a call answering service for small businesses?
A call answering service makes sure your business never misses an important call, even when your team is busy or out of the office. Instead of customers going to voicemail, someone picks up the phone to help them.
Depending on the provider, this might mean answering FAQs, taking detailed messages, transferring calls, or scheduling appointments. The result is better customer relationships without the overhead of hiring full-time staff.
💡Related: Virtual receptionist vs automated answering service
Answering service showdown: Top picks compared side-by-side
Before we deep dive into each tool, here’s a high-level overview to see how they stack up:
| Answering service | Starting price | Key features | Best for | Setup fees | Free trial |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenPhone’s Sona | Free for up to 10 calls per month | Call transfers, call summaries and transcripts, and a shared inbox for calls and texts | Preventing missed calls while maintaining personal service | ❌ | 7-day free trial |
| AnswerConnect | Contact for a quote | Live receptionists with custom scripts and appointment scheduling | Getting professional reps to answer every call | ❌ | ❌ |
| Ruby | $245 per month for 50 minutes | Payments over the phone and conflict resolution training | Delivering premium customer service with trained professionals | ❌ | ❌ |
| Abby Connect | $99 per month for AI or $329 per month for human receptionists | AI answers basic questions; live agents handle complex calls | Combining AI efficiency with human backup when needed | $95 one-time fee | ❌ |
| Bland AI | $0.09 per minute | Payment processing during calls and multilingual support | Customizing AI conversations for specific needs | ❌ | ❌ |
| Davinci Virtual | $129 per month for 50 minutes | Professional business address and appointment booking | Projecting a professional image with a virtual office presence | $95 one-time fee | ❌ |
| MAP Communications | $179 per month for 125 minutes | Calendly integration and HIPAA compliance | Managing unpredictable call volumes cost-effectively | ❌ | 7-day free trial |
| Go Answer | $175 per month for 100 minutes | Spanish and English answering and dedicated agent teams | Serving Spanish and English-speaking customers | $75 one-time fee | 14-day free trial |
8 best answering services for small business: In-depth look
Now let’s zoom in on each tool:
1. Quo Sona: Best overall for growing businesses
Pros
- Works inside your phone system without call forwarding
- Detailed transcripts and summaries for every call
- Easy to set up and test with a free trial
Cons
- Free tier is limited to about 10 calls per month
Quo’s Sona is an AI phone answering service built right into your business phone system. Instead of forwarding calls to a third party, Sona uses AI trained on your business knowledge to answer calls, capture details, and keep everything in one place.
Say a customer calls to book an appointment. Sona can ask when they’d like to come in, what type of service they need, and log their contact info.
If the call requires a human touch, like a quote negotiation or complaint, Sona can seamlessly transfer it to the right teammate. You can even create custom “jobs” for Sona, like handling cancellations, qualifying leads, or collecting intake details.
Every conversation is logged automatically with a call summary and transcript. Your team can find it right in your Quo inbox, alongside texts, voicemails, and internal notes. That visibility means no one’s left guessing what happened on the last call.
And since Sona works inside Quo, you also get built-in collaboration and productivity tools:
- Shared numbers so your whole team can answer calls and texts as one voice
- Auto-replies and scheduled texts to follow up automatically
- Call tags to sort and filter calls by urgency, sentiment, or topic
- Integrations with over 7,000 tools, including HubSpot, Salesforce, and Jobber
Here’s what Hannon DePalma CEO Christopher Sands has to say:
“With Sona, I never worry about missing a call again. It’s like having a smart, reliable assistant who always picks up. It’s professional, friendly, and on it 24/7.”
Key features of Sona
- Easy setup inside OpenPhone
- Local and toll-free numbers
- Shared inbox for calls, texts, and Sona conversations
- Automatic call summaries and transcripts
- AI call tagging
- Third-party integrations with CRMs, Slack, Zapier, Make, and more
- Frequent feature updates based on customer feedback
Sona pricing
Sona is an add-on to any Quo plan. Sona pricing is based on credits:
| Tier 1 | Tier 2 | Tier 3 | Tier 4 | Tier 5 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sona tiers | Free | $25 per month | $49 per month | $99 per month | $199 per month |
| Included credits | 1,000 credits/10 calls | 4,000 credits/40 calls | 10,000 credits/100 calls | 25,000 credits/250 calls | 60,000 credits/600 calls |
| Overage rate per credit | $0.01 | $0.0075 | $0.0065 | $0.0055 | $0.0045 |
| Overage rate per call | $1.00 | $0.75 | $0.65 | $0.55 | $0.45 |
See Sona in action in under an hour, and test it risk-free with Quo’s seven-day free trial.
Quo has three business phone plans to choose from:
- Starter: $15 per user per month for shared phone numbers, voicemail transcriptions, unlimited calls and texts in the US and Canada, auto-replies, and more
- Business: $23 per user per month for phone menus, call transcripts and summaries, call transferring, and more
- Scale: $35 per user per month for call tags, dedicated onboarding, and priority chat and email support
2. AnswerConnect: Best for a 24/7 human touch
Pros
- Professional voices create good first impressions
- Integrates with popular CRMs and business tools
Cons
- Setup can take longer than most answering services
- Quality varies between different agents handling your calls
- Must contact sales for custom pricing quotes
AnswerConnect uses live receptionists to answer your calls around the clock. During setup, you’ll create custom scripts that tell them how to greet callers and answer common questions.
Once live, you forward calls to their team. They can share business information, schedule appointments, take messages, or transfer urgent calls to you.
Although you have the advantage of having real people interacting with your customers, training virtual assistants requires significant time and doesn’t always guarantee proper execution.
For example, one AnswerConnect user made test calls to check if agents followed their script. Here’s the review they left:
“When the Agents answer the call, they are not ‘engaging’ with the caller. The Agents sound very mechanized. So it’s a give away this is an answering service. Also, the Agents are not following the script.”
AnswerConnect sends instant notifications about every interaction through their mobile app, SMS, or email. However, this means you’ll need to piece together information from multiple channels, which can be time-consuming.
Key features of AnswerConnect
- Appointment scheduling and lead capture
- Bilingual support
- CRM integrations with Salesforce, Zendesk, Slack, Zapier, and more
- Instant notifications via mobile app, SMS, or email
- Offers live website chat support
- No long-term contracts
- US-based virtual receptionists
AnswerConnect pricing
AnswerConnect doesn’t publicly display their pricing information. You have to contact their sales team for a quote.
3. Ruby Receptionist: Best option with live chat
Pros
- US-based receptionists trained in conflict resolution and active listening
- Handles payment processing and appointment scheduling
Cons
- Higher pricing than most answering services
- Bilingual support is only available during business hours
- Manual call forwarding is required for non-Ruby numbers
Ruby gives you US-based receptionists who handle your business’s phone calls and live chat. You can train them to sound like real employees. They can process payments, book appointments, transfer calls, and capture leads.
Control when calls go to Ruby or straight to you, and update instructions through their app at any time. You can also keep your personal number private using Ruby’s business number as your caller ID. But since it’s a standalone service, you’re trusting them to get call details right and relay accurate information back to you.
You’ll need to set up call forwarding manually if Ruby doesn’t host your number. Their billing can also be confusing, and some users complain about inaccurate reports.
Key features of Ruby
- HIPAA-compliant
- Bilingual support
- Outbound calling capability
- Offers live chat support
- Mobile app for call management
- Integrates with Grasshopper, Nextiva, Zapier, Clio, and other tools
Ruby pricing
Ruby offers different pricing tiers that include the same features and only differ by minute allowances:
- 50 minutes per month: $245 per month
- 100 minutes per month: $385 per month
- 200 minutes per month: $705 per month
- 500 minutes per month: $1,695 per month
4. Abby Connect: Best for blending AI efficiency with human empathy
Pros
- Combines AI efficiency with human empathy in one service
- Real-time call management and analytics dashboard
Cons
- Human receptionists are expensive for small businesses
- 24/7 answering requires an additional add-on fee
- Limited to 5-10 contacts on the lower-tier plans
Abby Connect is a 24/7 professional call answering service that uses AI and human receptionists to handle your calls. The AI receptionists handle the initial call screening, appointment scheduling, and basic inquiries. A personal team of 5-7 live receptionists is ready to step in when calls get complex or require personal attention.
A mobile app gives you access to call summaries, transcripts, recordings, and AI-generated sentiment scores. Additionally, Abby Connect lets you control when calls are routed to their team versus coming directly to you.
However, you have to forward calls to their system. This means you’re checking multiple places to piece together conversation history when following up with leads. The service also doesn’t integrate with as many tools as some competitors and charges a $95 setup fee upfront.
Key features of Abby Connect
- English and Spanish answering
- Live chat support
- Custom call flows
- Workflow integrations
- 24/7 coverage
- Mobile app with availability controls
- Call analytics
Abby Connect pricing
Abby Connect offers different pricing tiers for AI and human receptionist services:
AI receptionist plans:
- Free: $0 per month for up to 20 minutes
- Starter: $99 per month for up to 50 minutes
- Essential: $165 per month for up to 100 minutes
- Professional: $299 per month for up to 200 minutes
- Growth: $690 per month for up to 500 minutes
Human receptionist plans:
- Essential: $329 per month for up to 100 minutes
- Professional: $599 per month for up to 200 minutes
- Growth: $1,380 per month for up to 500 minutes
5. Bland AI: Best for advanced AI customization
Pros
- Handles payments and scheduling during calls
- Supports multiple languages for global customers
Cons
- No built-in phone system included
- Per-minute billing can get expensive with high call volumes
- Customer support can be slow and unresponsive
Bland is a phone-calling platform that uses conversational IVR to automatically answer incoming calls. You feed it sample conversations and info about your business to train it. After that, it takes care of support, sales, and scheduling calls without you having to pick up the phone.
The AI is built to sound human and operate 24/7 in any language. However, Bland charges extra for advanced features like voice cloning, multilingual support, and GPT-4 usage. Its API-first approach also means you need in-house developers to set it up and maintain it, which can get expensive for small businesses.
Users report mixed results with call quality, as well. Some say the AI sounds robotic with awkward pauses, which isn’t what you want when talking to customers.
Key features of Bland AI
- Conversation flow builder
- Voice calls, SMS, and web chat support
- Real-time analytics and campaign tracking
- API integrations with business systems
- Multi-language support
- Self-hosted infrastructure
Bland AI pricing
Bland uses pay-per-use billing with optional monthly plans for higher usage limits:
Usage rates:
- Voice calls: $0.09 per minute
- SMS: $0.02 per message
- Outbound call minimum: $0.015 per call attempt
- Call transfers: $0.025 per minute using Bland numbers
Monthly plans:
- Start: Free for 100 daily calls, 10 concurrent calls, and 1 voice clone
- Build: $299 per month for 2,000 daily calls, 50 concurrent calls, and 5 voice clones
- Scale: $499 per month for 5,000 daily calls, 100 concurrent calls, and 15 voice clones
- Enterprise: Custom pricing for unlimited usage and features
6. Davinci Virtual: Best for a virtual office plus call handling
Pros
- Receptionists can schedule appointments directly in your calendar
- Handles complex call flows and frequently asked questions
Cons
- Pricing starts high compared to basic phone services
- No texting or mobile communication options
- No integration with popular business software or CRM systems
Davinci Virtual is a virtual office and live answering service provider for small businesses. It offers a virtual business address, live receptionists, and call-handling features like receptionist call screening, message taking, and appointment scheduling.
Davinci offers both virtual office and answering services on the basic plan. However, you won’t get features like SMS texting, call analytics, and CRM integrations that other providers offer. The service also has a $95 setup fee, which means higher initial costs for your business.
Key features of Davinci Virtual
- Local or toll-free numbers
- Call routing and screening
- Outbound calling available
- Audio conferencing for up to 95 participants
- Online faxing and document transfers
- Voicemail management system
Davinci Virtual pricing
DaVinci Virtual offers four pricing tiers:
- Business 50: $129 per month for 50 live answer minutes
- Business 100: $239 per month for 100 live answer minutes
- Premium 50: $249 per month for 50 live answer minutes
- Premium 100: $319 per month for 100 live answer minutes
7. MAP Communications: Best for variable call volume
Pros
- Pay-per-minute pricing for businesses with fluctuating call volumes
- US-based agents with HIPAA compliance available
Cons
- Less control over which agents are assigned to your account
- No published pricing requires contacting sales for quotes
- May experience longer response times during high-volume periods
MAP Communications gives you US-based receptionists who answer calls with custom scripts that match how you want your business to sound. They operate from multiple call centers across the United States and can qualify leads, take messages, and schedule appointments.
They can also transfer calls directly to you when needed and provide real-time reporting so it’s easy to track call patterns and response times. The service uses pay-per-minute billing, making it cost-effective for businesses with variable call volumes.
Since MAP Communications is a bigger call center that serves many businesses, you might get different agents handling your calls each time. This can cause poor customer service. You also have to forward calls through their system, which can lead to a lack of visibility into conversations.
Key features of MAP Communications
- 24/7 bilingual answering service
- HIPAA-compliant
- Lead qualification
- Live call transfer
- Appointment scheduling with a Calendly integration
- Real-time reporting and analytics
MAP Communications pricing
MAP Communications offers four pricing tiers:
- Pay-As-You-Go: $49 per month with 0 minutes; $1.37 per additional minute
- Business: $179 per month for 125 minutes; $1.30 per additional minute
- Enterprise: $339 per month for 250 minutes; $1.28 per additional minute
- Premium: $649 per month for 500 minutes; $1.28 per additional minute
8. Go Answer: Best for bilingual support
Pros
- Integrates with popular CRM and calendar tools like Salesforce and Calendly
- Industry-specific rep training for legal, healthcare, and home services
Cons
- $75 setup fee
- Multiple call center locations may result in inconsistent answering service quality
- Dedicated rep services require hiring a minimum of five reps for eight-hour shifts
Go Answer gives you 24/7 live bilingual virtual receptionists and web chat services. They can take messages, schedule appointments, answer customer questions, or transfer calls directly to you.
Their client portal lets you track call volume and review call results. You can adjust scripts as needed through the portal.
However, Go Answer charges a $75 setup fee before you can get started — adding to your start-up l costs. They also require minimum contract periods of 30 days for shared agents. This reduces flexibility for businesses that want to test the service first.
Key features of Go Answer
- 24/7 bilingual answering service
- Live call transfer and message taking
- Appointment scheduling with calendar integration
- Customer service and FAQ handling
- CRM integrations with major platforms
- Real-time notifications and client portal
Go Answer pricing
GoAnswer offers four virtual receptionist plans that require email and phone number submission to view pricing:
- 100 Minutes: $175 per month; $1.75 per additional minute
- 200 Minutes: $300 per month; $1.50 per additional minute
- 500 Minutes: $550 per month; $1.10 per additional minute
- 1,000 Minutes: $1,100 per month; $1.10 per additional minute
Critical mistakes to avoid when selecting an answering service
Even the best answering service won’t help if you choose the wrong fit. Here are the most common mistakes to avoid:
- Choosing based on cost alone: The cheapest options often leave out important features like integrations or detailed reporting. Look for providers that continually improve their product with regular feature updates so you get long-term value, not just a lower monthly bill.
- Picking an option that doesn’t offer consistent service: When call handling quality varies depending on who picks up, customers notice. Prioritize providers that guarantee reliable uptime and have systems in place for consistent performance across every call.
- Not considering visibility and oversight: Without visibility, your team risks losing context on customer needs. Choose a solution that lets you see transcripts, summaries, or call details directly in your business phone system.
- Not checking ratings and reviews: A provider might look great on their website but fall short in the real world. Reviews give you a window into product reliability and how responsive the customer support team is when issues arise.
- Assuming basic call handling is enough: Look for features like call routing, transfers, bilingual answering, and handling FAQs so customers get immediate help instead of being passed along.
- Overlooking integrations: An answering service that doesn’t connect to your CRM or workflow tools creates extra work. Integrations with platforms like Zapier, HubSpot, or Salesforce keep information flowing smoothly.
The best answering service for your small business: Quo (formerly OpenPhone)
Picking the right answering service is more than just a convenience. It affects how trustworthy you seem to customers, how well your team can work together, and how much you pay each month.
Quo’s AI voice agent, Sona, is the best choice for small businesses.
It charges by the call, so costs are more straightforward than virtual receptionist services that bill by the minute. Sona also gives better visibility since calls aren’t forwarded out. And on the Scale plan, every conversation includes transcripts, summaries, and call tags.
Try Quo and Sona for free for seven days to see if they’re the right fit for your business needs.
FAQs
The typical live answering service cost is around $250–$300 or more per month. AI phone answering services are a fraction of the price at around $50–$100.
An answering service helps reduce spam calls, capture more leads, and ensure you don’t lose potential customers when your team is busy. It also saves time by handling call transfers and routine questions.
The terms are often used interchangeably, but there’s a small difference. An answering service usually covers call screening and message taking.
What’s a virtual receptionist then? It can also handle tasks like appointment booking and call transfers. But many modern services like Quo now offer both.
Voicemail only records a message, leaving customers waiting for a call back. An answering service picks up the call, interacts with the customer, and provides answers or next steps.
Answering services are designed to be more personal and tailored to your business. Call centers, by contrast, handle high call volume for many clients at once.
Service businesses like plumbers, electricians, and contractors rely on answering services to avoid missed jobs. They’re also common in real estate, legal, and healthcare, where quick response and detailed message-taking are critical.
Calls are answered by trained agents, either human receptionists or AI voice agents. They use the business knowledge you provide to represent your company accurately.
For most small businesses, yes. By capturing more leads, improving service, and saving teams time, most businesses see a clear return on investment, or ROI.
