If you're like many business owners in 2025, you've probably wondered:
“Are answering services still a thing? Or is this just an outdated voicemail dressed up for the modern world?”
We hear you—and we’ve heard every myth in the book. Whether you’re considering a phone answering service or a virtual receptionist, misinformation can get in the way of a smart decision.
So let’s clear the air. Here are five of the most common myths about answering services—and the facts that bust them.
This one comes up all the time, and it's flat-out wrong.
Many people assume a phone answering service is just an automated voice saying, “Leave a message after the beep.” But that couldn’t be further from the truth in 2025.
Whether powered by real human agents or advanced AI virtual receptionists, today’s services do way more than just take messages.
Here’s what you can expect from a top-tier answering service:
- Answer calls using your business name
- Qualify leads by asking smart follow-up questions
- Schedule appointments directly into your calendar
- Route messages via email, text, or integrations (HubSpot, Salesforce, Zoho, and more)
- Screen and escalate urgent calls to your team in real-time
Here's a real world example:
You're a plumber, deep under a kitchen sink. You miss a call. Normally, it would hit voicemail (and statistically, those callers will hang up!) But with a virtual receptionist, a live agent answers:
“Thanks for calling (Your Company's) Plumbing, how can I help you today?”
They collect the name, issue, and contact details, and send it to you via SMS immediately. Or you could have your plumbing answering service send all that caller data right into your CRM (like Housecall Pro, Jobber, Salesforce, ServiceTitan, etc) to save your team so much time! (The best answering services integrate with your software using Zapier—which is free!).
That’s a job you just saved. Multiply that by a few missed calls a week, and you’re looking at thousands of dollars recovered.
Bonus:
Calculate the cost of your missed calls using our "Missed calls cost calculator"!
This one’s understandable. You’ve built a brand and a tone and you’re afraid outsourcing calls will break that.
Modern phone answering services and virtual receptionist providers offer:
- Custom greetings you write and approve
- Access to your FAQs and service menu
- US-based agents (Watch out for this! Some services say “US-based” when they really mean “headquartered in the U.S.”—while still routing calls offshore)
- Industry-specific scripts that sound just like your internal team
Here's a real world example:
“Thank you for calling ABC Dental. Are you calling to schedule an appointment or have a billing question?”
See how that's polished, helpful, and aligned with your brand voice?
The best part? Callers often don’t even realize they’re not speaking to your in-house staff. And if done right, they’ll never need to!
Bonus:
Spoiler alert: They’re not.
The idea that phone answering services cost thousands of dollars a month is one of the most outdated myths out there.
Let’s break it down based on current industry pricing:
|
Plan Type |
Monthly Cost |
Call Volume |
|
Entry-Level |
~$150 |
Up to 100 minutes |
|
Mid-Tier |
~$300 |
Up to 250 minutes |
|
Enterprise |
$600+ |
500+ minutes |
That means for many small businesses, especially service-based ones, answering services offer an affordable and scalable solution.
Check out our answering service pricing plans here.
Full-time hire:
- $2,500/month base salary
- Benefits, training, time-off costs
- Management and supervision overhead
Winner? The virtual receptionist. Every time.
Bonus: Ambs Call Center's AI Answering Services Start at Only $19/mo!
While after-hours coverage is a huge value-add, it’s far from the only time businesses rely on a virtual receptionist.
Modern teams use answering services for:
- Lunch coverage: When staff breaks happen, calls still come in
- Overflow support: When call volume spikes, avoid long hold times
- Remote teams: No front desk? No problem.
- Field service businesses: No time to answer mid-job? Let an agent do it.
Here's a real-world example for property managers:
Imagine a property manager getting 10+ maintenance calls in an hour. Instead of being overwhelmed (and missing half of them), a phone answering service picks up, screens calls for urgency, and only forwards the true emergencies.
Without someone to handle their calls, they wouldn't be able to do anything but handle their calls! But thanks to a property management answering service? Efficiency goes up. Caller experience improves. Stress? Down.
Totally valid concern...if you're working with a generic, low-effort provider.
A real virtual receptionist service should offer full onboarding to learn your business inside out:
Here's an example of a follow-up message one of our virtual receptionist agents use for a client of ours with a law firm.
“Are you calling about a new legal matter or an existing case? What type of legal issue is it—family law, personal injury, or something else?”
This isn’t generic. It’s precise, and it helps you screen unqualified leads before they waste your staff’s time.
But to be honest: If you need deep, ongoing brand training or scripts that change daily...you might be better off with in-house help.
Bonus:
Want to know if you're a good fit for an answering service? Check out our guide here!
To wrap things up, phone answering services won’t run your entire business for you. But they will solve major pain points like:
- Missed leads
- Poor first impressions
- Staff burnout
- Overflow chaos
- After-hours coverage
If you're at that growth stage where you can't answer every call—but you're not ready to bring on full-time front desk staff—this is *the perfect* middle ground.
Here's a comparison of the myths and truths around answering services that we've just gone through.
|
Myth |
The Truth |
|
It's just voicemail |
Nope — modern services qualify leads, schedule, and integrate |
|
Customers will know |
Not if it's customized to your brand |
|
It's too expensive |
Plans start around $150/month |
|
Only for after-hours |
They help during the day too (overflow, lunch, etc.) |
|
They won’t get it |
Top services onboard and script for your business |
Great question! A phone answering service often handles basic call answering, message taking, and escalation. A virtual receptionist goes further: appointment booking, lead qualification, CRM logging, and brand voice scripting.
If you:
- Miss more than 2–3 calls a day
- Don’t want the overhead of a full-time employee
- Value professionalism and fast response times
…a virtual receptionist is likely a great fit.
They can—if you choose a provider that lets you script greetings, FAQs, and call flows.
Most answering services send you call summaries in real time via text, email, or CRM. The *best* providers will offer integrations with your CRM through Zapier for the cost of $0!
A phone ringing off the hook doesn’t have to mean lost opportunities.
Whether you want a full-featured virtual receptionist or a no-frills phone answering service, your business can save time, impress callers, and never miss another lead again. You can request a quote from us here!
Educational resources:
How much do answering services cost in 2025?
What does a virtual receptionist do?
What is an AI answering service?
AI answering services vs phone answering services for your business!