The Costs of Virtual Assistance Phone Answering Service in Palm City, Florida.

When you decide to hire a team to handle your customer support, you must decide whether to hire in-house staff or hire a remote team to manage your call flow. At first glance, getting in-house staff may seem like the most cost-effective option, but today, many call-handling services have affordable packages to take care of your calls without hiring and training new employees.

You may be afraid that outsourcing your business communication will cost you too much money and that you won’t supervise them like you would with an in-house team, but the costs of getting new staff to work at the office are beyond hiring and training. You’ll need to pay salaries, get the required equipment (computers, headsets, calling software, etc.), accommodate them inside the facility, and ensure their working space is always clean and dandy.

 

On the other hand, companies like Ding A Ling Answering Services offer reasonable and straightforward packages for all our virtual assistant phone answering services to cover all your communications needs without burdening yourself with the payroll of a new team. 

When you outsource your business needs with a remote assistance service, you only have to pay one monthly cost instead of juggling utility and software bills, cleaning services, salaries, and other benefits. Still, if you are unsure and feel like the cost of virtual assistants will surpass the cost of an in-house team, it’s worth seeing the most common pricing ways for professional answering services and what affects their costs.

How do virtual assistants and customer support services charge you?

Your company's pricing structure will vary depending on the service you hire. Most companies charge per minute but could also charge you for their call-handling services per call, on tiers or monthly subscriptions. So, ensure you understand your payment terms when signing up for these services.

Per minute pricing

This model bases the charges on the time the virtual assistant phone answering service company spent supporting your business with the call, email, or text flow. However, these rates may be higher than those on packages or subscriptions to accommodate the supplemental work they may perform outside their standard service plans. 

Per call pricing

As it sounds, you’ll be charged per every call the remote assistance takes on your behalf. Though it may sound like the most straightforward pricing model, you should be careful about how your company defines a call. Some of them may charge the same rate for a call that got disconnected 3 seconds in than for a call from your prospects. Or they could bill sending emails, texts, and faxes as “calls.”

Monthly subscriptions or plans

Some professional answering services have pre-paid minute packages to use as you need. Generally, these minutes don’t expire, but the company will set a monthly minimum to be used for your account to remain active. Thus, remember to check the terms and conditions of your contract. 

You can choose from some standard plans, but remember that they may vary depending on the company and your specific business communication needs. 

 

Plan

Average monthly cost

100 minutes plan

$150 - $250

200 minutes plan

$300 - $400

500 minutes plan

$600 - $700

1000 minutes plan

$1,076 - $1,175

2500 minutes

$2,675 - $2,775

Pricing tiers

Tiered prices let you pay only for the services you need. For instance, if you need an automated menu to re-direct your customers to your in-house staff, you can choose a low tier that offers that specific service. On the other hand, if you need a virtual assistant phone answering service available during weekends and holidays to respond to the most frequently asked questions, the tier will be costlier than the previous one.

What things can affect your final costs for remote assistance?

You can get some supplemental services besides call handling for your business, which will increase your costs at the end of the month. Some of them are:

  • Secured text messaging: This feature ensures your text messages are HIPPA compliant to protect your customers' sensitive information, especially for healthcare organizations and providers. It can increase client engagement rates, as clients feel their information is protected and your business cares about it.
  • Appointment scheduling and lead information registration: Ensure potential clients can always schedule a meeting or appointment with your business, even if they call after hours. Professional answering agents will schedule the appointment in your calendar and register all necessary information (name, reason for appointment, contact information, etc.).
  • CRM Integration: Some companies will offer you to integrate their call-handling system with your CRM software so you can have the vital information updated in real time, and your in-house staff can provide a personalized service to your clients as if they were the ones who took the initial call. 

Pay for the virtual assistant phone answering service you deserve with Ding A Ling. 

We know that leaving such a crucial feature of your business, like your customer support, in the hands of a third party can be stressful; that’s why our answering services packages are 

customized to your communication needs, the information you need to take from your customers, and your preferred ways for updates. 

All of our professional answering packages begin with an initial consultation with you and include everything to achieve your communication goals: free texting, faxing, call transferences, customized greetings, and order takings. 

Leave a positive impression with each and every call when you use our professional, caring, reliable operators who accurately record every message and promptly report every call using the preselected method you choose. Get your messages via email, text, voicemail, or home phone notification – the choice is yours.

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