Go Answer Review

Go Answer is our best pick for inbound call center services because it combines competitive pricing with a strong list of features and exceptional customer service. With a range of well-priced plans,Go Answer's services are suitable for businesses of any size, as well as those that need a call center that can scale to accommodate their growth. Go Answer maintains three call center locations: The two U.S. centers are in New York and Florida; the third is located in St. Lucia.

Pricing

Go Answer offers relatively competitive prices that are flexible enough to accommodate businesses with both small and large call volumes. Shared agent packages are based on monthly subscriptions and include a 30-day, risk-free trial. Setup fees are only charged if you hire Go Answer following the free trial period. Here is a breakdown of the monthly subscription packages:

• Pay as you go: $50 per month, plus a $1.15 per-minute overage fee
• 100 minutes: $110 per month, plus a $1.10 per-minute overage fee
• 250 minutes: $250 per month, plus a $1 per-minute overage fee
• 500 minutes: $475 per month, plus a 95 cent per-minute overage fee
• 1,000 minutes: $900 per month, plus a 95 cent per-minute overage fee
• 2,500 minutes: $2,200 per month, plus a 90 cent per-minute overage fee
• 5,000 minutes: $4,200 per month, plus a 90 cent per-minute overage fee
• 10,000 minutes: $8,200 per month, plus a 90 cent per-minute overage fee
• Custom plan: If you require more minutes or specialized service, you can call Go Answer's sales department to develop a custom package and receive an estimate.

Plans require a $75 setup fee, which is only charged if you go forward with Go Answer's services following the free trial period. All plans include a toll-free number, call patching, access to an online client portal, bilingual support, email and text message notifications, and 24/7/365 live operator call answering.

Add-ons include an interactive voice response menu, which costs 15 cents per minute; subaccounts, which cost $10 per month; and additional phone numbers, which cost $10 per month. Go Answer's base plan offerings are generous compared to most other call center and answering services we evaluated.

For dedicated agents, Go Answer charges a very low $14.50 per hour. However, the company requires a minimum team of five dedicated agents working eight-hour shifts, so the low hourly rate is not indicative of the total bill. Other companies charge about $26 per hour for dedicated agents, and they often allow clients to hire just one agent. We recommend using dedicated agents if your business has a high volume of calls, specialized needs, and the budget to support a team of dedicated agents for a full day's work.

Pricing packages can be adjusted from month to month as needed based on expected volume. Go Answer is a month-to-month service that does not require any long-term contractual commitments.

Features and Services

Go Answer has all the features and services we looked for in a call center, and many of those services are included in the plans at no additional cost. Most services simply draw on the package of minutes you select and pay for each month.

These are the key features that Go Answer offers:

• Live answering: The most basic service, live answering, allows you to outsource the management of inbound phone calls to call center agents at Go Answer. Agents help callers using a script you develop (with help from Go Answer) to ensure calls are handled in accordance with your brand's messaging.
  
  
• Message taking: Agents can take down your callers' names, contact information and reason for calling, and then forward the message to the appropriate contacts within your company who can follow up accordingly.
  
  
• Customer service: Go Answer can answer caller questions, address complaints and handle other aspects of customer service for your business. If they can't assist a caller, agents can take a message or patch calls directly to a prespecified contact within your organization.
  
  
• FAQs: You can provide agents with 15 to 20 frequently asked questions and their answers, enabling them to adeptly respond to caller inquiries immediately, rather than routing these basic calls to your business.
  
  
• Customer retention: Go Answer agents can engage in customer retention functions, such as offering coupons or discounts to dissatisfied customers or recording customer complaints. Go Answer can even mail coupons or other materials to customers to ensure satisfaction.
  
  
• Call patching: Go Answer includes call patching in your monthly subscription. Many call center services will patch calls, but most charge extra. Go Answer will simply transfer calls to the relevant points of contact at no added charge; each call simply draws from your bank of minutes.
  
  
• Email and text message notifications: Go Answer includes both email and text message notifications so you receive up-to-date information regarding new messages or appointments set by agents.
  
  
• Client portal: You get access to an online portal where you can view your minute usage, remaining minutes, types of calls, results of calls, average call duration and more details. You can also customize the scripts that agents use for your business.
  
  
• Outbound services: Go Answer also offers outbound services, which are customized to suit your business. The service doesn't detail all of its outbound services on its website; we recommend that you contact Go Answer and speak with one of its representatives.

Go Answer maintains dedicated teams based on specific verticals, such as legal, HVAC and FAQs. These teams can be used by companies that require agents with a specialized knowledge of certain industries.

During the 30-day free trial, Go Answer determines the average call volume for your business and the type of calls your company is likely to receive. It then develops a more detailed plan on how it can handle your business moving forward. Once the free trial period is over, you are charged the setup fee and begin paying the monthly subscription fee (based on the plan you choose) as well as any fees for the add-on services listed above.

Go Answer Pros

We chose Go Answer as the best inbound call center service because it offers a comprehensive list of features and services with monthly subscription levels suitable for large and small businesses. For companies that require more than the 10,000-minute package, custom plans can be developed. It is also easy to scale up and down as needed with Go Answer.

In addition to Go Answer's flexible pricing and various services, we had the best customer service experience with the company. Not only was the representative we spoke to friendly, engaging and knowledgeable, but he explained what to look for when researching other call center services. We told him that our (hypothetical) business was unfamiliar with the contact center industry, and the insights he offered were helpful for us and would be invaluable for any small businesses looking to better understand the industry and find the right service for them.

Go Answer Cons

While Go Answer is competitively priced for the industry, it is not the cheapest option. Its per-minute usage rates only become truly competitive with its higher-volume plans. However, Go Answer is not a tiered service, meaning that even if you choose the lowest-volume plan, your business gets access to all the core services Go Answer offers. This is not the case with other services we reviewed.

An additional limitation is that Go Answer only offers outbound services on a case-by-case basis. It was difficult for us to gauge the outbound services the company offers. While many call centers' websites detail their outbound offerings, such as market research or customer win-back strategies, Go Answer requires an evaluation of your needs to develop an outbound approach for your business.

Customer Service

Our customer service experience with Go Answer was possibly the single best experience we had among the call center and answering services we assessed. Not only did the representative we spoke with explain our options in depth and what the onboarding process looks like, he recommended that we pose certain questions to the other call center services we might be considering.

For a small business weighing whether they should hire a call center and which one is best for them, the advice we received from the Go Answer rep was indispensable. He explained things like incremental billing policies and agent work time – little-known policies that are common in the industry that can significantly impact how much you owe. He also sent us a detailed proposal following our call, which expanded on all the points we discussed.

Ultimately, Go Answer went above and beyond our expectations. We placed more than two dozen calls to call center and answering services, and Go Answer's customer service stood out as the best.

Ready to choose a call center service? Here's a breakdown of our complete coverage:

• Choosing a Call Center Service: A Buyer's Guide
• Best Call Center Services
• Best Overall Call Center Service
• Best Outbound Call Center Service
• Best Call Center Services for Low-Volume Businesses
• Best Answering Service Overall
• Best Pay-as-You-Go Answering Service

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