Frequently Asked Questions
Explore Common Questions About AnswerFirst
Get Answers to Our Frequently Asked Questions
Explore our comprehensive list of frequently asked questions to learn more about our company and services.
General FAQs
AnswerFirst has been providing professional answering services since 1998, giving us over 25 years of experience in the industry. Over the years, we’ve witnessed significant changes in technology and communication, but one thing has remained constant: our commitment to connecting people with the answers they need. Through our decades of service, we’ve refined our processes, embraced innovation, and continued to prioritize exceptional customer experiences. Our longevity is a testament to our dedication to quality and the trust our clients place in us.
AnswerFirst’s Customer Service Professionals are available around the clock, ensuring your customers can always reach you, even outside of standard working hours. Our service filters and prioritizes calls by urgency, allowing your skilled office assistant to focus on high-value tasks without frequent interruptions.
In some instances, we can even direct the caller without the need for a return call. This approach not only optimizes your assistant’s time and expertise but also provides excellent coverage at a fraction of the cost of employing a full-time assistant.
We provide a unique forwarding phone number. You forward your calls to that number, and when it rings at our contact center, our Customer Service Professionals (CSPs) will answer in your company name and follow your specific account instructions.
Providing excellent service starts with selecting the right Customer Service Professionals (CSPs) and offering competitive pay, great benefits, and an exceptional work environment. All of our CSPs have prior customer service experience and must undergo personality testing and rigorous training to ensure familiarity with our systems and account handling standards. They are continually reviewed, rewarded, and guided based on their performance. Our 2.1% turnover rate is an industry low, reflecting our commitment to quality.
Every account is custom-built based on your specifications, script requirements (if any), and dispatch protocols. You can easily adjust your account questions and dispatch protocols by contacting our support team.
Most accounts are active and capable of messaging within one business day. Full customization is typically completed within one to two business days from receiving your instructions and contact lists.
Yes, you can view your minutes online in real-time, 24/7/365.
Yes, you can listen to your calls online, 24/7/365. Please note that calls are available for up to 60 days.
Yes, you can make changes to your script by contacting our support team at 1-800-435-9332.
Please visit our Sign Up page to get started.
Pricing FAQs
We keep our pricing simple to eliminate the burden of comparing and choosing the best plan for you. With AnswerFirst, you pay an affordable monthly base rate plus a per-minute rate for the services you actually use. We offer true one-second billing, meaning we don’t round up to the nearest minute, and we don’t lock you into any contracts or commitments.
Please contact a Business Development Specialist for more information about our pricing.
The cost of our services varies based on each client’s unique needs. We offer a base monthly rate plus a per-minute rate for the services provided, with true one-second billing, meaning we don’t round up to the nearest minute so you’re not charged for unused time.
There are no additional fees for nights, weekends, or holidays.
For more information about our pricing, please get in touch with a Business Development Specialist.
We offer three payment methods: credit card/debit billing, ACH checking, or you can apply for credit terms. Applying for terms may add an additional business day to your account setup turnaround time.
There are no additional fees for nights, weekends, or holidays.
For more information about our pricing, please get in touch with a Business Development Specialist.
The following services are included with your AnswerFirst account, with no additional charge:
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- Client Web Access (CWA)
- Custom Announcements
- Multiple Delivery Methods
- Call Recordings
- Message archiving
- Account reports
- 24/7/365 Answering (Includes Holiday, Weekends & Nights)
No, we do not require you to sign a contract, and you are free to cancel at any time without penalty.
Yes, account customization is a one-time fee based on the complexity of your account. Please contact a Business Development Coordinator to determine your specific rate.
One forwarding number is included with your account, with a maximum of five forwarding numbers allowed per account. Each additional forwarding number incurs a charge of $3 per month.
Answering Service FAQs
Yes, our answering services are available 24/7/365, with no additional costs for nights, weekends, or holidays.
Most calls are answered within an average of 2 rings or less, with a small percentage answered on the 3rd or 4th ring. We prioritize prompt and efficient responses to ensure your customers are never kept waiting.
Absolutely! You can use your call forwarding features to determine whether we answer all calls, no calls, or just overflow calls when all your phone lines are busy or in use. You can even let us know daily how we should handle your calls, just as if we were at your office. As far as your callers are concerned, we are part of your office.
Our Customer Service Professionals are equipped to escalate issues or cases to the appropriate personnel or departments within your business. This ensures that inquiries or problems are addressed efficiently and directed to the right resources for resolution.
Yes, we can send your messages directly to you. You can choose either to have the audio file sent to a designated email address or to log in and listen to it in CWA. Please note that you may not use both options for the same individual voicemail box.
Live Transfer services enable AnswerFirst to act as a live switchboard for our clients. With Live Transfer, our experienced Customer Service Professionals (CSPs) answer the phone and ask the caller which extension, person, or department they need. The CSP then transfers the caller to the specified location immediately without further questioning.
With Call Patching, our Customer Service Professionals ask callers a few questions to learn more about them and their needs, much like a receptionist. CSPs screen calls to prevent confusion or problematic callers from getting through. This screening process ensures that your customers reach the correct destination and get in touch with the right personnel. As part of our Call Patching services, CSPs can keep callers on hold while they contact the account representative to determine if the call should be patched through or if a message should be taken.
Absolutely! We understand that each business has unique needs, challenges, and requirements. Our answering services can be fully customized to meet the specific demands of your business, both during and after hours, ensuring seamless communication and exceptional client support.
Yes, our Customer Service Professionals are available 24/7 to assist your customers with their scheduling needs, ensuring seamless service at all times.
We offer a variety of delivery options that can be customized to fit your business needs. General messaging is typically included as part of a scheduling account. We deliver general messages through multiple methods and channels, including:
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- Hold for call-in or retrieval through our included client web portal
- Call-out (cell phone, home phone, etc.)
- Email each as taken/Email summary
- Text messaging options
- Fax each as taken/Fax summary
- Voice mailbox
- File download or export
We can combine and customize delivery options to fit any business model.
Yes, we provide 24/7 monitoring of any IT software, hardware, application, and cloud-based platform alerts and failures, ensuring comprehensive coverage for your business.
Most accounts are active, with messaging capability, within one business day. Full customization is typically completed within one to two business days from receipt of your instructions and contact lists.
When a call is answered, the caller will hear an auto-attendant announcement providing several choices. One popular option is transferring the caller to one of our experienced Live Operators. Other options include leaving a message in a mailbox or being transferred to a particular extension or number.
Contact Center Service FAQs
Yes, our contact center services are available 24/7/365, with no additional costs for nights, weekends, or holidays.
Yes, every call and inquiry, whether through phone, email, or other communication channels, will be answered by a real Customer Service Professional. Our team is made up of highly trained individuals based in the United States, dedicated to providing personalized and efficient service for every interaction. You can trust that your customers will always speak with a real person, ensuring a human touch in all communications.
No, all of our Customer Service Professionals are located within the United States. We believe in providing the best service possible, which includes employing local, knowledgeable staff.
Absolutely! You can use your call forwarding features to determine whether we answer all calls, no calls, or just overflow calls when all your phone lines are busy or in use. You can even let us know daily how we should handle your calls, just as if we were at your office. As far as your callers are concerned, we are part of your office.
We take privacy very seriously, ensuring all information is safe and secure. Our call center utilizes the highest data encryption and firewall technologies to ensure the integrity and security of our network.
Yes, our Customer Service Professionals are equipped to escalate issues or cases to the appropriate personnel or departments within your business. This ensures that inquiries or problems are addressed efficiently and directed to the right resources for resolution.
Having access to a variety of communication methods is crucial for effective customer support and service. With AnswerFirst’s omni-channel support, customers can reach out via email, social media, and messenger chatbots, ensuring seamless and efficient communication across multiple platforms.
Our 24/7 Employee Helpline services assist businesses in uncovering problems early, such as discrimination, safety concerns, and theft. We provide assistance to staff during emergencies, including natural disaster relocation, travel issues, and personal emergencies. Additionally, we handle everyday questions about new policies, benefit availability, and contact information, as well as common requests for needed equipment, assistance, and time off.
Yes, we maintain detailed records of all employee callouts to ensure proper documentation is available if any questions arise. This absentee information, kept in an indisputable and unalterable form, ensures that compliant employees retain their jobs and provides the company with documentation regarding non-compliant workers. This distinction is critical and can be the difference between a wrongful termination lawsuit and a justifiable, defensible action.
We provide Level 1 Help Desk Administration 24/7/365, ensuring continuous support for your technical needs.
Level 1 services include, but are not limited to:
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- Triaging incident severity
- Reacting within SLA parameters
- Opening, updating, and escalating support requests
- Performing troubleshooting steps
- Notifying of known issues, current statuses, and expected repair times
- Resetting passwords using client-provided end user or client-facing modules
- Communicating regarding trouble ticket status
No, we are unable to remotely access devices to help troubleshoot problems.
We complete orders via API, clients’ websites, and secure online payment forms. For clients with only a few items, we may use our message script to process orders. Please note that we do not collect payment information through our message script or API. Additionally, we cannot agree to privacy policies, terms, or conditions on behalf of callers. This ensures that all orders are delivered and uploaded to your systems accurately, so you never miss an order from your customers.
Technology FAQs
Our IT Department takes extraordinary measures to ensure our call center remains operational. AnswerFirst utilizes multiple redundant systems, sites, and procedures. Our infrastructure has been engineered to provide redundant networks, telephony services, and Customer Service Professionals. While our physical location and management may be affected by a disaster, our Contact Center is built to avoid major impact from a single disaster.
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- Physical Equipment: Traditional telephony switching equipment is located in at least two U.S. Data Centers in different geographical areas. This includes switching equipment, modems, and telephony connections.
- Virtual Equipment: AnswerFirst data and software applications are hosted in the cloud using the robust, redundant AWS (Amazon Web Services) infrastructure.
- Data (ISP) Circuits: Data is provided by multiple vendors in multiple formats. At least two redundant, high bandwidth data and SIP circuits are in place at all locations, both physical and virtual.
- Customer Service Professionals (CSPs): To ensure employee redundancy, AnswerFirst employs remote CSPs working throughout the United States in multiple locations. CSPs can access all the equipment mentioned above.
In the event of an emergency, we quickly notify clients via email or SMS through our robust automated communications platform. You can sign up to receive notifications at https://answerfirst.statuspage.io/. Additionally, we encourage clients to follow us on Twitter and Facebook for important updates.
Yes, privacy is of utmost importance to us. All employees sign a confidentiality agreement that remains in effect indefinitely. Our call center uses the highest data encryption and firewall technologies to ensure the integrity and security of our network. We are HIPAA compliant, adhering to the highest standards of customer data and information protection. Clients can rest assured that their information is safe and secure.
There are no additional fees for nights, weekends, or holidays.
For more information about our pricing, please get in touch with a Business Development Specialist.
Yes, in addition to our mobile app, we also offer Client Web Access (CWA). CWA provides a secure way to log in to our web server and access your account information in real-time.
No, Client Web Access (CWA) is included free with every account.
Integrations FAQs
API stands for Application Programming Interface. Simply put, an API is a set of rules that allows different programs to communicate with each other. For instance, we can use an API to enable our Customer Service Professional (CSP) interface to interact with a program you use to run your business.
API requests can be much more complex and may include requests for images, videos, or other types of data. Thousands of APIs are available, and more are developed as new software solutions emerge.
- Secure: APIs enable your software to communicate with ours without our Customer Service Professionals logging directly into your system, so your account credentials remain secure.
- No Training Required: API integrations allow our CSPs to work within our platform, eliminating the need for them to learn how to use your software.
- Reduce Errors: Information entered by our CSPs goes directly into your database, reducing the potential for errors.
- Faster Setup: Without the need to train our CSPs on your software, your account setup can be completed faster and more affordably.
Yes, not all APIs are created equal. Some software may have limitations on what can be done via their API, and we must work within these constraints. While creating new records via an API integration is usually straightforward, pulling and editing data via APIs can be more complex to set up and maintain. These integrations can be time-consuming and expensive to implement.
There are no additional fees for nights, weekends, or holidays.
For more information about our pricing, please get in touch with a Business Development Specialist.
The technical requirements for full API integrations depend on the specific scope of work, which will be determined once we identify a viable candidate for these integrations.
Yes, you can upgrade to a full integration as long as you have a knowledgeable IT resource to assist with the integration. Please note that there are associated hourly costs for this work. For more information, please contact a Business Development Specialist.
Yes, you will need a Zapier account in order to use Zapier integrations. You will also need a Client Web Access (CWA) account which is included free with your AnswerFirst account.
Yes, you will have complete control, ensuring a secure and personalized experience.
Yes, please visit our Zapier Integration Guide. If you still have questions or run into issues, please reach out to our team for assistance.
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