Answering Services for Small Businesses

Our small business answering service helps you answer your calls live and deliver professional customer service on a budget.

Plans & Pricing

Have Every Call Answered Live with Small Business Telephone Answering Services from CMS

Small businesses are busy places where resources are stretched thin. You are trying to get everything done on a budget. Employees often wear multiple hats. This can have a negative impact on customer service. With small business answering services from CMS, you can put your telephone answering and call center needs to rest for good.

Our 24 hour call center ensures that every call made to your business is handled by a live person. That means no more relying on voicemail, no more missing important phone calls, and no more multitasking as you and your team try to work and take phone calls at the same time.

Our flexible telephone answering services are built for small businesses. All of our solutions are 100% customizable. Whether you’re a small office looking for a virtual receptionist to take your calls during business hours; a 24/7 operation in need of customer service outsourcing; or a start-up in need of an answering service to handle appointment scheduling or e-commerce order entry, we can tailor a solution to fit your needs.

Make a great first impression and deliver professional customer service on a budget

First impressions matter. When someone calls your business, the quality of that interaction is vital to your success. That’s why it’s important to ensure every call is met by professional, courteous service. While staffing your own call center or hiring a dedicated receptionist to take your calls can be expensive, CMS makes it easy. Our small business solutions help you power-up your own phone operation at a fraction of in-house costs. With CMS, you only pay for the time we spend fielding your calls. Even if we’re on standby 24/7, you only pay us for the time we spend handling your calls.

Don’t miss business opportunities when your office is closed

Over 60% of after-hours calls generate significant revenue for various types of businesses and often require immediate attention. If that customer can’t reach your company live, he or she will call your competition. Our small business answering services are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, allowing you to operate around the clock, even if your office is closed. With CMS taking your calls, you can take advantage of every opportunity that comes your way.

Small business answering service agents taking calls

How it Works

Forward your number

Forward your phone number to CMS and your calls will be routed to our team.

We answer your calls

Every call made to your line will be answered by a live person.

You receive messages

We will follow your procedures and take messages or dispatch calls as appropriate.

Custom Small Business Telephone Answering Services

We deliver more than your typical answering service by combining top tier customer service with leading technology personalized for your small business.

Whether you need a simple daytime receptionist service or a 24 hour customer service call center integrated with your help desk software, we can help develop an answering service solution that meets your needs.

Small Business Call Center Solutions

Tailored call center solutions for small businesses. Custom software, integrations, and more. A true extension of your business.

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Small Business Virtual Receptionist

A virtual receptionist to handle routine office calls as an extension of your business. From basic message taking to appointment scheduling and other routine office functions.

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Small Business Customer Service

Professional customer service solutions for small businesses. We are your customer service team.

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Small Business BPO

Business process outsourcing (BPO) for small businesses. Our call center handles your telephone business operations.

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Small Business Automated Answering Service

Automated contact center solutions including IVR that enable small businesses to efficiently process incoming calls.

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Frequently Asked Questions

A small business answering service is a call center that answers telephone calls for small businesses. The answering service generally answers calls live in the name of the business and functions much like an employee would, only they are virtual and answer calls for numerous different small businesses.

Small business answering service pricing is generally based on your call volume or the amount of time spent handling calls on your behalf. As a result, small business answering services cost a fraction of what you would pay an employee to provide the same availability. Instead of hiring, managing, and paying staff or dealing with the many other headaches that comes with running your own call center operation, CMS handles everything on your behalf. Our time-based billing model enables businesses to pay for the time they need. That means you can provide continuous phone coverage, even 24 hour availability, but only pay for the time we spend handling calls on your behalf. For more information, visit https://www.continentalmessage.com/pricing/.

A small business telephone answering service works by utilizing the call forwarding feature on your phone. When you are ready for us to begin taking calls on your behalf, you simply forward your phone number to our call center, where our agents are standing by and ready to answer as an extension of your business. They greet each caller and follow scripting and procedures that you specify in advance. You can forward your calls on-demand, after office hours, 24 hours a day — whenever you need help with your call volume.

Yes. Our call center operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. We never close and are available to answer your calls at any time, day or night.

Every call we take is handled per your specifications. We work with each customer to customize our answering service to their needs. This starts by identifying the types of phone calls that you expect and developing scripting for each call type. This can be as basic as having a basic script for taking messages or as involved as having distinct scripting for each type of call that you expect.

For example, a law office may have different scripts and call handling instructions for new clients and existing clients. New clients may go through an intake script whereas existing clients may be asked whether their call is urgent and then dispatched to their attorney or an attorney on-call. Beyond the scripting, we can also follow unique each instructions for how messages are dispatched, how calls are routed, how we integrate or interact with your software systems, and more. In short, our small business answering services are personalized so that we function as an extension of your business.

Yes. We have two call center facilities in the United States, one in Columbus, Ohio and a second facility in Las Vegas, Nevada. All of our calls are handled in the USA and we never outsource to third parties.

Small business virtual receptionist answering office calls

Small Business Call Center

Small Business Virtual Receptionist

Small Business Customer Service Outsourcing

Small Business BPO

Automated Answering Service for Small Business

Small business answering services from CMS are the ideal solution for small business owners looking to provide professional customer service without the expense or distraction associated with hiring dedicated staff.

We understand small business

Our answering service for small businesses allows businesses to keep their costs low without losing touch with their customers. At CMS, we understand the needs of small businesses and are proud to provide our communication solutions to thousands of entrepreneurs across the country.

By choosing CMS as your small business answering service, you put our decades of experience at your disposal and gain a team of professionals dedicated to your success. We consult with each new client individually and customize our services to meet their needs.

Small business answering service options

  • Small Business Live Answering Service
  • Small Business Emergency Service
  • Small Business Virtual Office & Virtual Receptionist
  • Small Business Appointment scheduling & Appointment Reminder
  • Small Business After Hours Call Center
  • Small Business Overflow Call Center

Don’t see a small business answering service option for you? Contact us and we will find a solution that meets your business needs. We have experience in many industries and will work with you and your business to make your customers happy.

Our answering services for small businesses are available 24/7/365 and designed with your business in mind. We know that each business is different and embrace the opportunity to tailor our services specifically for your organization.

Focus on your business

Running a small business requires your full attention. With CMS handling your live answering needs, you’ll have additional time to focus on what you do best. We handle your callers as our own, so you’ll never have to worry about the level of customer service being provided to your customers.

Don’t rely on voicemail

Did you know that voicemail could be costing your business money? A missed call could mean a missed opportunity to make a sale or assist an existing customer, which in turn affects your bottom line. Don’t rely on customers to leave a voicemail and expect them to wait for you to call them back the next day. Many customers and clients who call a business and don’t speak with a live person will simply move on to the next listing in the phone book.

CMS is here to help businesses like yours nurture sales leads and grow profits. Using our small business answering service will also help you keep up with that growth by allowing you to focus on tasks besides answering the phone.

Improve service while saving money

By employing CMS as your live answering service, you not only gain our customer service expertise, but also the large cost savings associated with outsourcing everyday business tasks. Paying the staff and equipment costs needed to manage an in-house call center is expensive. CMS call center agents, on the other hand, are only paid while taking calls on your behalf.

Take your business to the next level

While your competition sends callers to voicemail, our answering service for small businesses will provide you with agents to answer live every time. CMS is sure to set your business apart from the crowd. Whether you need someone to pick up the phone when you’re busy, or an around-the-clock customer service call center, CMS is sure to exceed the expectations of both you and your customers.

Get help answering your calls

Ready to learn more? We are standing by and ready to answer the call. Click the button below for small business plans & pricing information.