When purchasing answering services, one of the concerns is pricing. Determining medical answering service pricing shouldn’t be too hard, but it sometimes is difficult to compare apples and oranges with different plans.

How Per Minute Versus Per Call Affects Cost

Many call centers will charge based on a per minute cost and the time they spend working on your account, but you should know how each affects cost.

Per call pricing may seem intuitive, but it will depend on how a call is defined. If you get about 50 calls a day, then you know you will need a service that matches this. Many services will charge the same rate for hang-ups and wrong numbers as a call in which a prospect calls. A call can also include a text, email, or fax, as well as a voicemail. Other possible charges can include forwarding, testing your number, and more.

Time-based pricing is based on the amount of time that is being worked on your account. Time-based billing can be a better option because you pay for what you use. This type of service pricing tracks usage by the time spent working on each customer, including answering calls, placing a call, sending emails, and more. Some will only bill for time spent on the phone since that’s what’s easily tracked, but ones that are only tracking time spent on the phone will usually charge more for work they can’t track.

What You Should Know about Pricing

Some answering companies will charge fees beyond the base rate. Without checking on these hidden costs, you could be charged way more than you think. In the real world, a minute is 60 seconds, but in the answering service world, a minute is broken up into different increments so it’s important to ask what increment is being used. Even if a call isn’t a whole minute, it could still be charged for a whole minute. Be aware of holiday surcharges. Some answering services will charge you more to have your phone answered on a holiday. Other companies will charge for on-hold calls. There are also common add-on charges, such as a text charge, fax charge, or additional charges for 24/7 coverage. When searching for a medical answering service, be aware of any additional costs so you can accurately compare.

Custom Quotes for Medical Answering Service Pricing

Some call answering companies will give you a custom quote based on your business. Getting a plan tailored to your needs is one way to make sure you aren’t going to be paying too much for services you aren’t using. This type of plan will be the best value for your business.