Picking a low price answering service might seem like a good idea if the only thing you are considering is price. But how long are you willing to put up with terrible service, hidden fees, and a damaged brand image?

It is absolutely crucial to know exactly what you are signing up for when you partner with a live support provider. A low price answering service could look great on the outside, but once you dig into the details, you may find more than you bargained for. Before you commit to an outsourcing partner, ask yourself if you are basing your purchasing decision solely on price and how important quality service is.

It’s ok to want both! Everybody wants great service from a low price answering service. How realistic is it to actually get what many promise, but few can deliver? Well, that really depends on your expectations.

If you are a very small operation that doesn’t get very many calls, (maybe 30 or less per month) then you might be ok with a low price answering service. Maaaaaybe. Some low price answering services offer a flat rate, but there is a good chance your callers will experience long hold times and poor service. The situation where you might get by with reasonable service on the cheap is if you can find a very small, boutique answering service that is only taking care of a couple clients. They very well could deliver some great service, but make sure you find out if they can handle calls 24/7.

Outside of that one scenario, the odds are finding a cheap answering service that consistently answers promptly and takes good care of each caller is slim to none. Especially if you expect a higher volume of calls.

A low price answering service typically one has one thing going for them. And it’s their low price. What commonly happens to companies that sign up with one of those kinds of vendors is that performance and service suffer big time. Those providers just don’t have the internal resources, technology, or staff to provide good answering services.

How long are you willing to put up with poor low price answering service before you realize that the damage they are doing to your brand is not worth the smaller cost up front? Properly branding your business phones with an answering service is critical. When customers experience bad service or potential clients get a terrible first impression of your company, you are really doing some long term damage.

Just be careful out there when you are shopping for live support and be sure to compare answering service reviews. Dig into the contracts that a low price answering service has prior to signing it. See if there are sneaky ways built in for them to bill you more. And always ask for references from their existing clients. As long as you do your homework upfront, you won’t get stuck with a low price answering service that does more harm than good for your business.