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Best answering service apps – what features to look for

best answering service apps

One of the keys to being a successful entrepreneur is the ability to focus and be productive. With the number of unwanted spam, sales, and robocalls going up in recent years, one huge issue when it comes to maintaining focus can be your mobile phone.

Despite the ability to generate queries and sales online, from live chat and enquiry forms, phone calls still provide the highest quality of leads. If someone has taken the time to call you, they are significantly more likely to convert into a client or customer.

This can provide a bit of a dilemma,  it’s vital for your business that you do not miss any enquiries but at the same time, you certainly don’t want to waste hours per day being interrupted and distracted by unwanted spam calls.

It may sound like an exaggeration to state that calls can take up hours per day, but a study from the University of California concluded that it takes around 25 minutes to get back into the swing of things after an interruption. As you might expect, research has also found that unwanted distractions can increase levels of stress too. People tend to compensate for interruptions by working faster. Speed comes at a price, however, with people –

“experiencing more stress, higher frustration, time pressure and effort.”

Quote source

It’s no wonder then that phone answering apps have become popular. With the rise in remote working, a telephone answering service is ideal for an entrepreneur looking to run a business from home, whilst maintaining a professional image.

Not all answering service apps are created equal and it’s essential to pick the right one as mismanaged calls can cost your business money. If something goes wrong or they’re not able to speak to someone, chances are the caller will go on to ring a direct competitor.

Transform your mobile into a fully functioning office phone system

Thanks to Moneypenny’s Pocket Phone System app, not only will you never miss a call again, but you can guarantee an excellent customer experience. You can decide where you want your calls to go when you are unavailable or your line is engaged. For example, you could set the app to route calls firstly to your mobile, then your landline. If there’s nobody available to answer either of these lines, you can set the call to be routed to a third number or to voicemail.

With the Pocket Phone System app, it just takes 2 or 3 clicks to configure the call routing settings and update your status so that calls get diverted to the correct person. There’s also a handy feature that shows you the last call that came in.

With the app’s VIP contact feature, you can configure the call-path specifically for these contacts to bypass your switchboard and go straight through to yourself or a colleague. You can also set and configure where callers are routed outside of regular working hours – be it a colleague, to your mobile or to voicemail.

Phone number options & settings

If you have an established business, chances are, you will not want to change your phone number. With the Moneypenny’s app, that’s not a problem; we’ll give you a free divert number to forward your calls to – customers won’t notice a thing!

Alternatively, you can buy a business number from us. With thousands to choose from, you could have a professional business landline number, just using your mobile phone. You can also add a freephone number, which is an excellent idea for generating the maximum number of phone calls and enhancing your brand. In fact, research from startups.co.uk concluded that providing an 0800 number to your customers can increase the number of phone enquiries by 175%        

You can also use your new phone number for outbound calls so that you create a consistent and professional impression when dealing with customers and other businesses via the phone.

Outbound calling features

With the Pocket Phone System app, you can make outbound calls from your business number – but on your mobile. It’s also quick and easy to access all of your contacts, with a dedicated VIP section for regular and important clients or contacts.

Simple set up

It’s quick and easy to sign up for our Pocket Phone System app – just head over to our small business phone system page and follow the four steps. Once you are signed up online, you will receive an email from us with a link that will take you to a page to configure and personalise your app. You can personalise all aspects of the system to suit your needs. For example, you can set what your callers will hear when they ring your business. There are three options to choose from: voice recognition, auto-attendant or a personalised welcome greeting that gets played to your callers before they are transferred.

If you wish to, you can set up your app to give the appearance your business is bigger than it is. For example, if you are a solopreneur working from home, you can set up the auto-attendant or voice recognition greeting to ask people to choose a specific department – even though they all go through to the same person. The app starts at £20 per month and is quick to set up. Just fill in a few simple details regarding how you would like your calls to be answered, your business name, and what your business does and you’re good to go.

Reports and configurations

With the Moneypenny’s Pocket Phone System app, you will get access to our client portal and dashboard, where you can search your calls and messages and adjust your out of hours settings.

Value for money

You can manage all of your business calls on your mobile with the Pocket Phone System app. With no additional hardware required, you can save hundreds, if not thousands of pounds in regards to set up costs. At the time of writing, the app costs as little as £20 per month, with features including outbound calling, clever call routing, voicemail-to-email and much more. For more pricing information, please visit our small business answering service app page here.

No long-term contracts

With the app, there are no long term contracts. You get invoiced every month, and we require a single month’s notice to cancel your subscription from the date of your next invoice.

Compatibility with all phones

The Pocket Phone System app works on all phones; whether you need to use it with a mobile, residential line or VOIP – you can!

Answering service reviews

Moneypenny is based in the UK (with a branch also in the US) and has over 20 years of business communications experience. In that time, we have developed a stellar reputation for providing an outstanding level of customer service and satisfaction.

A company you can trust, with “excellent” reviews on TrustPilot and Google and a range of prestigious awards from the likes of Best Companies, your company is in safe hands.

Moneypenny’s Pocket Phone System

Enjoy all the benefits of an office phone system, for a fraction of the cost – on your mobile phone. With call filtering, state of the art switchboard and voice recognition technology and the option to add a freephone number, you can completely change the way that you work with our clever app.

For more information about our award winning app and service, please visit our Pocket Phone System webpage or call our team on 0333 202 1005.

We give you amazing people and technology:

Telephone
Answering

Your own Moneypenny PA to answer calls exactly as if based in your office.

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Live Chat

Amazing people, briefed by you to manage chats whenever you can't.

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Pocket Phone System

All the functions and support of an office phone system, minus the hardware.

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