There are many misconceptions about what answering services are and do, and unfortunately, that can discourage some small or mid-sized companies from getting the small business answering services that could help them grow or maintain their businesses. Below are some of the most common myths about answering services that persist in the business world, as well as some information that counters them and might help you decide if you could benefit from a live answering service:

1. Myth: Answering Services Are Just for Doctors

Truth: It’s true that 24 hour answering services are most commonly employed by doctors, lawyers or other professionals who get emergency calls outside of business hours. But answering services are simply for any business that doesn’t have a dedicated call management or customer service team as part of the staff. Most answering services will let you choose your hours so that you’re not paying for times you don’t really need covered (not many people call a hardware store at 1 a.m., for example).

2. Myth: Hiring an Answering Service Is Expensive

Truth: Many owners or managers assume that even a small business answering service is too expensive to justify contracting out these services. But in reality, doing so can boost productivity and save your company money. If you’re having employees take on multiple roles, answering phones as well as fulfilling their normal responsibilities, their workflow can be interrupted by simple questions regarding hours, policies and similar issues. An answering service can take care of these simple matters directly so that your employees can focus on their expertise. And if you’re considering hiring an in-house team to handle calls, you’ll pay far more in labor and training costs than you would for an outsourced contract. If you’re trying to save money by implementing an automated phone system, you should also consider the costs of opportunities lost; consumers are far more likely to get frustrated and hang up if they’re asked to jump through hoops just to speak to a live person.

3. Myth: Phone Service Is Obsolete Anyway

Truth: You might be wondering if phone service really matters anyway. Won’t employees just leave you messages or email you? The answer, overwhelmingly, is no. It might surprise you to learn that even in this digital age, most people prefer customer service issues to be handled over the phone. Moreover, consumers have high standards; one recent study showed that about 60% of participants thought a minute of hold time was too long, and just under 33% thought any hold time whatsoever was unacceptable. With those standards, it’s more effective to hire a professional answering service than to keep those customers happy on your own.

What questions do you have about small business answering services? Ask in the comments.