Pricing & Info Packet - Answering Service, Virtual ...€¦ · Answering Service Answering Servi e. Rates & Services • Serving customers since 1998 • No additional fees for nights,

Pricing & Info Packet

For more information: 1-800-645-2616 I www.answerfirst.com I [email protected] our social networks to ask us questions, provide suggestions, get assistance with account issues and more:

twitter.answerfirst.com or @answerfirst facebook.answerfirst.com

Rates & Services• Serving customers since 1998

• No additional fees for nights, weekends & holidays

• Simple rate plans. Per minute rate decreases as usage increases

• Dedicated Account Representative for personalized support are available

• Calls are never placed on hold to answer other calls

• We only hire experienced U.S. Customer Service Professionals

• Supervisor onsite and available 24/7/365

• Real-time access to call recordings, detailed reports & messages online 24/7/365



Our Billing OptionsChoose a plan based on your expected usage. Our plans include live operator time as shown below. If you

use additional minutes your per minute rate automatically adjusts based on your usage as shown in the table below. You are always billed at the lowest per minute rate possible.

Additional ServicesInternational Calls & TextsPer minute rate varies.

Virtual Services (Voicemail & Call Patching) Billed at $0.25 per minute. Unlimited plans available.

Forwarding Numbers1 included. Each additional $1 per billing cycle - maximum 5 per account.

Toll Free NumberAdd a domestic toll free number for an additional $0.05 per minute.

miSecure Messaging Mobile AppAccess & manage your AnswerFirst account on the go! Includes HIPAA & PCI compliant 2-way messaging. MiSecure Messaging works on Apple and Android devices. Only $5 per device, per billing cycle.

Please note: these rates are based on a call limit of 4 simultaneous inbound calls. If you have questions about this, please ask your Sales Rep.

Setup Fees

Account Customization is a one-time fee* based on the complexity of the account.*Your Business Development Coordinator can provide you with a specific rate.

Services Included at No Additional Charge Client Web Access Access your account via the web.

Custom AnnouncementsIncluded with every account.

Multiple Delivery Methods Choose any combination.

Call RecordingsAccess all inbound and outbound call recordings through our web interface.

Message Archiving Messages available for 85 days on the web.

Account Reports Available 24/7 on the web.

Inbound E-Mail ProcessingAdd this functionality to your account.

True 24/7/365 Answering Answering on holidays, weekends and nights.

I just want to let you know, we are very happy with AnswerFirst’s answering services! The receptionists have been professional, friendly and helpful.

- Dana, Nyquist Capital Partners

Delivery ChoicesChoose multiple delivery methods.

Monitored DeliveriesDigital paging and alpha paging

Unmonitored DeliveriesEmail and text messaging

Client Web Access DeliveriesPick up messages through our web interface.

ExportExport messages or form submissions through our web interface in .csv format.

Virtual ServicesVoice Mail & Call PatchingAdd these services to your account.



AnswerFirst’s Mobile App: miSecure MessagingManage and access your AnswerFirst account while also utilizing HIPAA and HITECH compliant secure two-way messaging on your tablet or smartphone.

miSecure Messaging features include:

• Affordable – $5 per device, per billing cycle

• Flexible – works on Apple and Android devices.

• Secure – HIPAA and HITECH compliant secure messaging. The application securely logs in to the message server and never actually stores messages on your phone. The application is password protected and you can only view the data through a secured connection meaning that your communications and data are encrypted and safe.

• Easy to use – just like text messaging, but you can only communicate with contacts in your group/circle.

• Unlimited number of licenses – you can have as many devices in your group as needed.

• No hidden fees – no overage fees, no character limits.

• Your data is safe – users cannot copy, paste or forward any of the messages outside of your circle within your licensed devices. If you lose your device, we deactivate the lost device.

• Scalable - you can add other devices at any time; setup is done by administrators at AnswerFirst.

• Customizable – recipients control how they want to be alerted when a new message is received.



Listed below are some of the standard features available with Client Web Access. In addition to these features, Client Web Access provides another layer of redundancy for your account information. Client Web Access is available from any web browser anywhere in the world and all data is available in real-time. As soon as a message is saved by one of our agents, it is available in CWA.

Client Web Access

Update account information

Deliver messages

Process inbound e-mails

Change your on-call status

Export your data

Print messages

Add notes to messages

View call details

View messages

View form submissions

Listen to recorded calls

View reports

View account data

Client Web Access (CWA), an exclusive offering of AnswerFirst Communications, is a free service included with every Live Operator account. It provides a secure way for you to log in to our web server to access your account information in real-time. We offer a variety of functions through our web access interface including message review, form review, live status updates, report generation and voice log access as well as account screen review.

*Client Web Access is included free with every account.



Services OverviewSome clients use their advanced phone systems to forward their calls. Some phone systems have degradation in call quality when this type of call forwarding is used so it is a good idea to test this option before implementing.

What am I billed for?Typical line items on your bill will include:

• Base Rate • Live Services • Virtual Services (if any) • Total There are no surprises. You will not find any hidden fees on your invoice. The main item will be Live Services. Live Services include talk time, wrap time (occurs when we are finalizing a message once the call is disconnected), account updates, emails, faxes, API calls, SMS and dispatch. Virtual Services include voice mail and call patching; these are optional services that can be added to your account.

Account Customization is a one-time fee* based on the complexity of the account. *Your Business Development Coordinator can provide you with a specific rate. You can review your call volume and listen to your call recordings for quality control via our secure online customer portal (Client Web Access) at your convenience 24/7/365.

How can I be sure that smart, friendly people will answer my calls?Providing excellent quality starts with selecting the right Customer Service Professionals and offering more than competitive pay through incentives. All of our CSPs have prior experience in customer service and must go through our rigorous training program to insure that they are familiar with our system and our clients’ accounts before they are allowed to work. Also, they are reviewed, rewarded and given guidance based on their performance each day.

How quickly can I start using your services?How quickly can I start using your services? Most accounts are active, with messaging capability, within 1 business day. Full customization is typically completed within 1 to 2 business days from receipt of your instructions and contact lists.

How will calls for my business reach the AnswerFirst call center?We provide all account holders with a unique forwarding phone number. You forward your calls to that number and when the number rings at our contact center, a Customer Service Professional answers in your company name and follows your account instructions.

How will I get my messages and data?We can deliver messages via, email, text messaging, paging, chat, social media, verbally over the phone, or using any combination of these. Data can be written directly to your database and can be delivered as a .CSV. By logging into our Client Web Portal (Client Web Access) you can also view, edit and deliver messages and stored data. A summary of your data and messages can be scheduled as a daily email.

How do I forward my phone lines? Can you forward my phone lines for me?There are several options that phone carriers provide for you to forward your calls to AnswerFirst. The most common is the manual call forwarding feature. Manual call forwarding requires you to select the line you want to forward and dial an access code followed by the number to which you wish to forward. Some phone companies offer Busy No Answer. Busy No Answer forwarding allows your line to ring to us if it is tied up or if it is not answered by a predetermined number of rings. Remote call forwarding allows you to forward your calls from anywhere.



Get support via our Facebook and Twitter.

When you need support you can call us, email us or submit an online request...

... and we provide support via our social networks, too!If you have a question or need support, you can contact us through Twitter or Facebook for assistance.

No Facebook or Twitter account? Here are some good reasons to join:

• 24/7 customer support• Fast response• Stay updated in-the-minute• Transparency• Enjoy reading the correspondence of other customers• Rate our service

Joining is easy and now is a good time:twitter.answerfirst.com or @answerfirstfacebook.answerfirst.com



1. Does the normal rate include answering inbound communications at any time q q q including holidays, weekends and nights?

2. Does the service record all calls and make them available to you at no charge? q q q

3. Can the service patch callers to you in the continental U.S. without long q q q distance fees?

4. Does the service bill in true one second increments? (no one minute q q q rounding up)

5. Is your account assigned a unique phone number not used by other clients? q q q

6. Does the service include a local forwarding number at no additional charge? q q q

7. Can you take your forwarding number with you if you leave the service? q q q

8. Doestheserviceoffervariousbilling&paymentmethods? q q q

9. Doestheservicemaintainasupervisoronstaff24/7forissuesorproblems? q q q

10. Are all your calls answered by agents in the U.S.? q q q

13. Doestheserviceprovide24/7freewebaccesstoallaccountdata q q q (complete transparency)?

14. DoestheserviceofferaHIPAAcompliantmobileappthatworksonApple q q q and Android devices?

15. Can you make real time on-call status changes via the web? q q q

16. Can your data be exported in .csv format for import into your database? q q q

17. Are your calls never interrupted to answer other calls (callers not put on hold)? q q q

18. Does the service utilize separate dispatch operators to minimize mistakes? q q q

19. Doestheserviceoffercustomizedholdannouncements? q q q

20. Can the service bring your inbound e-mails, chats, SMS and social media q q q into the operator queue for processing?

21. Can voice mail services be included as part of your live operator account? q q q

22. If using voice mail services, can messages be e-mailed to you in .wav format? q q q

23. In the event of a power, telephone or internet outage, will the service q q q continue to function?

24. Can you Tweet or Facebook your service for support? q q q

Call Center Comparison Guide AnswerFirst 2nd 3rd 4th



Pricing & Info Packet - Answering Service, Virtual ...€¦ · Answering Service Answering Servi e. Rates & Services • Serving customers since 1998 • No additional fees for nights,

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