You can choose different types of after-hours answering services for your business.

Virtual Receptionists

Virtual receptionists are remotely based receptionists trained to handle customer inquiries for your business. They take messages, provide basic business information, book appointments, and place orders. Most virtual receptionists are bilingual or multilingual, allowing them to cater to a wide range of customers.

Automated Answering Services

Automated answering services are the opposite of virtual receptionists. Instead of talking to a live person, customers reach a self-serve menu where they press buttons to get the information they need. If you’re in an industry that relies on giving a personal touch to customers, automated services can turn off your customers.

Call Forwarding Services

For solopreneurs who prefer tackling every single call themselves, call forwarding services can be an option. Incoming calls are directly routed to a personal phone number in case no one is available to respond from the business line. However, this solution doesn’t work for small businesses that receive many calls. Not to mention that handling after-hours calls by yourself or your employees negatively impacts work-life balance.

What to Look for in an After-Hours Answering Service

Here are four things to look for when choosing an after-hours answering service for your business.

1. Robust Feature Set

The first thing you’ll want to look for in an after-hours answering service is a robust feature set. This means the service should have all the features you need to give your customers the best possible experience, like omnichannel support, web portal integration, voicemail, and more.

2. 24/7 Support

Another important thing to look for in an after-hours answering service is 24/7 support. This means that the service will be available to answer your calls no matter what time it is, which is important because you never know when a customer will need to contact you.

3. Competitive Price

Of course, you’ll also want to ensure that the after-hours answering service you choose is priced competitively. Don’t overspend on this service just because it’s important—there are plenty of affordable options out there.

4. Trial Period

Finally, make sure that the after-hours answering service offers a free trial so that you can test it out before committing to it long-term. They should also be able to give you a free consultation, especially if you need customized services. This way, you can be sure it’s the right fit for your business.

At On Call Centre, we understand how vital after-hours answering services are for growing your business. Our solutions utilize the latest technology, and our live agents are professionally trained to deliver the best customer service and are all bilingual. Get in touch for a free consultation to know how we can serve your business.

At On Call Centre , we deliver exceptional customer support 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year—sometimes 366. On Call Centre has been providing tailored, fluently French/English bilingual answering services and call centre services to small business owners (professionals, trades) and customer support departments (government, high tech, property management, healthcare, emergency clients) serving Ottawa , Montreal and Toronto —and all over Canada —for almost 50 years.