What are the Differences Between Live Call Answering vs. Voicemail

When running a business or an organization, every phone call is crucial. You can’t afford to miss a single call, as it could be a potential customer, a dream project, or an important client. Therefore, you need to look for solutions to never miss a call.

When thinking about solutions to missing calls, the immediate thoughts that come to mind are live call answering and voicemail. Now, the question is which is the most suitable option for you. 

This article will help you figure it out by analyzing the differences between these two approaches. So, let’s get started!

How Does Live Call Answering Work?

Unlike voicemails, responses to missed calls in live call answering aren’t automated or robotic. In live call answering, the call is received by a receptionist or assistant. 

So, when inbound calls are received, the callers don’t get answered by a pre-set automated system. Instead, the callers can have a conversation with the receiver or receptionist. The receptionist listens to the caller’s concerns and decides where or whether to forward the call.

Many times, it isn’t even required for the receptionist to forward the call. A caller looking for some generic information can get it from the receptionist, reducing the number of calls coming. In this case, you can use automated tools like Interactive Voice Response (IVR) systems, Automatic Call Distribution (ACD), and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software.

How Do Voicemail Systems Work?

We are all acquainted with voicemail systems. They are automated systems that record the message left by a caller when a call isn’t received. However, callers don’t get to have human interaction, so they often skip using voicemail records.

However, modern voicemails are much more advanced than that. Some of them transcribe your message and send a notification to your email. Also, you can automate your voicemail services through using tools like VoIP servers and cloud-based services for recording, storing, and managing voice messages.

Key Differences Between Live Call Answering and Voicemail

Now, let’s differentiate between these approaches in detail. Below are the key points that are different between live call answering and voicemail:

Response Time

The response time of voicemails might look prompt, but not when you consider the bigger picture. As per the study, maximum voicemail messages should be between 20 and 30 seconds for the highest engagement rates. Even though the customer gets an immediate response through a voicemail, the issue or concern your caller called for isn’t solved or heard instantly. 

On the other hand, in live call answering, the receptionist gets to address the caller’s issue immediately. They can act based on urgency, which a voicemail cannot. For call answering services, typically respond for inquiries required within 2-5 minutes for chat and 5-10 minutes for email. That is why customers or callers with another option often might not create a voicemail message or, later, call at all.

Customer Experience

Customers make or break a business. Their convenience should be given the highest priority, no matter what. Hence, whatever step or strategy you adopt, you need to ensure that all kinds of customers prefer it.

Generally, customers get annoyed when they call for assistance and are received by an answering machine. They feel their call is unvalued or ignored, so they hang up without leaving a message.

This doesn’t happen in the case of live call answering. In this case, they can interact with a real person and express their issues and concerns without having to wait for their questions to be heard. Thus, call answering can ensure better customer satisfaction with personalized service.

However, when a call is forwarded from the receptionist to the appropriate unit in live call answering, the customer might be kept on hold and required to repeat their concern. Many customers get irritated by that, too.

Business Professionalism

Customers’ impressions of a business depend heavily on its professionalism. Call answering services assign professional virtual receptionists who seamlessly handle different types of customer calls and concerns.

They are trained to provide personalized assistance to the customers based on the instructions by the business owner. Their professional and cordial approach creates a good impression among the customers and gives them a sense of reliability. 

This advantage is missing in a voicemail system. However, a modern and advanced voicemail system with added features in favor of the callers can also add to the professional image of the company. 

Lead Conversion & Retention

Many times, a potential customer willing to move forward with your service might call to address some queries. When their calls aren’t received and go to the voicemail system, they might never take the time to call back again. 

Hence, live call answering is much more effective and beneficial for lead generation, conversion and retention. The receptionist addresses the queries of the potential client and convinces them to move forward with the product or service provided by your company. 

Operational Costs

Live call answering is undoubtedly a much more costly option than integrating a voicemail system. While a simple integrated voicemail requires zero to very little investment, live call answering requires a good budget for hiring call answering services or individual receptionists.

Moreover, if you choose to hire an individual receptionist, you will further need to consider overhead costs along with added costs for training, maintenance, and extra office space and resources for the hired receptionists.

Flexibility & Availability

One of the best advantages of both approaches is the flexibility for the caller. The caller can call anytime, leave a voicemail, or get answered by a receptionist. 

While most phone answering services provide 24/7 live service, some offer business owners the choice to choose the number of hours with flexible costing options. However, the availability of a human at any time of the day to address a call adds to better customer service.

Use Cases: When to Choose Which Option

Now that you know the key differences between voicemail and live call answering, how do you decide which option would be best for you? Let us help you make the decision.

Best for Live Call Answering

• If your business gets a large volume of calls every day.

• You get a good number of calls in holidays and after hours.

• When your employees are too busy to receive and address all the calls and messages.

• If you have a reasonable budget for hiring call receptionists or telephone answering services. 

• When your company needs to address concerns department-wise.

• A crucial part of your business is dependent on incoming calls.

• Requires quick and efficient handling of client inquiries.

• A higher number of urgent and emergency calls.

• Your target market prefers individual interaction and immediate address to their queries.

• Examples include hospitals, insurance, and law firms.

Best for Voicemail

 

• If your business is comparatively newer and you don’t want extra expenditures. 

• You get fewer calls a day.

• You have a small group of employees.

• You don’t have the budget to hire extra manpower to address calls.

• You want to scale without hiring.

• Your company doesn’t have sub-divisions or wings.

• Target customers are more comfortable with leaving a message than with live interaction.

• You check your messages very frequently.

• Matches your industry standards and practices.

• Examples include sole proprietorships, small businesses, and service-based businesses such as plumbers, electricians, carpenters, and contractors.

Hybrid Approach: Combining Both for Maximum Efficiency

Why not combine both? Yes, you heard that right. You can hire call answering services for off-hours and holidays when you or your employees can’t receive the call yourself. The rest of the time, you can utilize the voicemail system for calls missed due to different reasons.

This would ensure maximum efficiency in terms of answering calls and overall cost. You don’t have to pay the answering service agent or receptionist for full-time service; you just have to pay for their active servicing hours. 

Moreover, because you will have an active house receptionist during off-hours and holidays, no calls will go unaddressed. If you miss a few business calls during your working hours for some reason, they will be saved as a voice message so you can address them immediately once you’re available.

Final Verdict

No matter what you decide, always make your customers your priority. If necessary, you can take a survey to understand what your customers prefer.

This will improve your interactions with your customers and build a trusting relationship with them, which will help your business maintain excellent customer service.

However, only let the customer decide when you’re capable of providing any or both of the options. In cases of limited budget, make the decision based on your capability. 

Besides, if you go for the voicemail system for now, you’ll always have the option to switch to or combine it with live call answering. So, no pressure!