24/7 VIRTUAL RECEPTIONISTS

Answering service for insurance companies

Smith.ai's insurance answering service handles calls, chats & texts, 24/7. Our North America-based virtual receptionists screen leads & book appointments.

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An independent insurance agent sits for a meeting with a client.

Incoming calls are unpredictable.

Calls come in, but you're not always available to answer them. We capture leads, book appointments, collect payment, and log details instantly in your systems.

Tackle insurance claims while we handle the calls.

There’s too much to do, and you can't delegate an insurance agent's work. Hand off "the rest" to our receptionists. We capture leads, set appointments, and follow-up to win business.

We provide 360-degree coverage to manage both your inbound and outbound customer engagement.

Powerful call intelligence gives your business the lead

Make better business decisions with real-time call data, visualized in every Smith.ai client dashboard. Every call summary is enriched with metadata including actions completed, caller disposition, priority, relevance, call recording and transcription, and more. See the big picture with historical tables and charts to predict business growth, costs, and ROI with superior accuracy.

Outreach calls and campaigns speed-up sales and support

Smith.ai receptionists make calls on your behalf, improving your speed-to-lead and unburdening staff who need to reach out to clients. We'll call-back online leads who complete web forms, contact donors for donation renewals, chase down payments on unpaid invoices, and more. We'll even send follow-up emails and texts after every call to ensure a connection is made. Learn more.

82%

of consumers expect an immediate response to a sales inquiry

50%

of lead generation budgets are wasted on leads who are never contacted

79%

of marketing leads never convert into sales

67%

of customers who receive excellent service spend up to 14% more

Capture and book appointments with 24/7 Live Chat.

Running your own insurance agency can be time-consuming. Our 24/7 live agents respond instantly to chats and texts, so new online leads are converted while you stay focused on important work.

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Outreach Campaigns

Where we reach, engage & qualify leads to build your book of business.

More about Outreach Campaigns

Web Chat

The best channel for sales, service & support by utilizing bots, humans, or both.

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Smith.ai is trusted by 3,000+ businesses

5.0 stars

4.9 stars

5.0 stars

4.7 stars

“Every call is answered with a friendly voice. Thanks to Smith.ai's receptionists, my clients are reminded the firm cares about them from the start.”

Scott Nyman

Nyman IP

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TALK TO OUR TEAM of experts

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Improve customer experiences with 24/7 engagement. We offer features and pricing for organizations of all sizes.

North America-based agents
Best-in-class AI technology
Live-staffed website chat
Bilingual services
Sales development & outreach
Rich call intelligence

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END-TO-END INTEGRATIONS

We play well with your software

Calls, chats & appointments are automatically logged in your systems. Real-time syncing with over 7,000 integrations.

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end-to-end integrations

We play well with your legal software

All activities — from calls and chats to appointments and payments — logged in your firm's preferred software.

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Frequently asked questions

The best independent insurance agent answering services do much more than pick up phone calls and take messages for home and office. At Smith.ai, we provide virtual receptionists capable of a wide range of services from call handling, to scheduling, to lead intake, to website chat, and more. Whether you need a virtual receptionist for full-time call handling, overflow support only, after-hours, or triage, here are the answers to the most common questions we receive from independent insurance agents.

Independent insurance agents know first-hand just how hectic their schedules can be. Between scheduling meetings with potential clients and providing complex insurance advice, independent insurance agents take on the weight of an entire business on their shoulders, leaving little time in their schedule to prioritize tedious administrative tasks, like appointment scheduling or call handling. Unfortunately, this leaves potential and existing clients high and dry. But luckily, with an independent insurance agent answering service, customer service can still be prioritized without impacting agents' busy schedules. A reliable answering service can provide solopreneurs the support they need in the ways that matter most. A few of the most notable benefits that independent insurance agents can enjoy with an answering service are:

Expanded availability‍

With a phone call answering service that’s available 24/7, your clients will always talk to a real person, whether you're busy, closed, or on holiday. With a trusted professional on the line representing your business, your clients will receive the high-quality customer service they expect.

Increased lead captured

Missed calls means missed opportunities. Don’t miss out on leads because you're too busy to answer the phone. Answering services provide nighttime, overflow, weekend, and after-hours availability, meaning your potential clients will be well-taken care of and you'll never have to miss out on another lead.

Increased work productivity

By entrusting an answering service with your calls, you'll be free from the burden of administrative duties. Less time spent on the phone and more time allocated to productive work means your independent insurance agency has more opportunities for growth than ever before.

Enhanced client satisfaction and business reputation

Smith.ai knows great customer service, so whatever your business size or industry, our virtual receptionist have you covered. Each and every Smith.ai virtual receptionist is highly-trained in customer service. Let us put our award-winning practices to work for you by delivering exceptional and professional responsiveness you can be proud to put your name behind.

Save money and time

Gain the services of a several highly-trained virtual receptionists for the price of a streaming subscription. Enjoy all of the services that an in-house receptionist can offer, and then some, with an answering service for fraction of the price. Customers who use Smith.ai can save upwards of $30,000/year.

Stay up-to-date with leads and clients

Phone answering services can send over detailed call summaries after each and every call, and even provide your clients with chat and text messaging so your clients have numerous ways to get in contact with your agency.

A live independent insurance agent answering service can change the way you do business for the better. Whether you're on a budget, overwhelmed by growing business demands, or simply looking to enrich your customer service, Smith.ai's virtual receptionist are designed to suit your business needs. Your independent agency can receive all the benefits of an in-house receptionist and more, empowering you to accomplish your business goals, whatever they may be.

Smith.ai’s answering service can offer independent insurance agents…

24/7 availability

After-hours & overflow answering

Bilingual answering

Outbound call-backs

Spam blocking

Appointment scheduling

Sales development

Payment collection

CRM Integration

Lead development

And much more…‍

With an endless list of accommodating features and resources, Smith.ai’s answering service is guaranteed to enhance insurance agents' overall productivity, revenue, and outreach. For years, Smith.ai has offered quality service to independent insurance agents like yourself and our clients trust Smith.ai, and only Smith.ai, to provide them with the premium support their solo business need. Read a few of our 5-star reviews to learn why independent insurance agents all over the nation rely on Smith.ai.

The cost of "front desk" support can understandably be an important factor in any professional's decision to hire some administrative assistance. Keeping costs lows and quality high is crucial, but with an in-house receptionist, you may not get the most bang for your buck. To give you a look at the cost comparisons, we've compiled a list of some of the average expenses independent insurance agent can expect when hiring an in-house receptionist.

The average salary nation-wide for an in-house receptionist is about $37,000 and they usually come with criminally expensive (often unspoken) fees, such as:

Medical, dental, and vision insurance, costing about $11,000/year
Life and disability insurance, costing about $2,000/year
401K’s, retirement and pension plans, costing about $2,000/year
Paid sick leave, holidays, and vacations, costing about $5,500/year
Commuting reimbursement, costing about $5,000/year
Child care subsidy and parental leave, costing about $3,000/year
Health and wellness programs, costing about $1,000/year
Bonus pay, costing about $2,000/year
Company retreats, team bonding events, and employee outings, costing about $4,000/year
Free lunch, snacks, and drinks, costing about $3,500/year

Total Cost in Addition to Salary: $77,000/year

If your agency is located in any major city, that price may be even higher. Costs pile up when your in-house receptionist inevitably comes in late, calls in sick, requests time off, takes personal leaves of absence, goes on vacation, etc. Smith.ai’s virtual receptionists can accomplish the same tasks as in-house receptionist and then some, barring coffee runs and supply restocks, of course, and are not taxing on your budget because you never have to pay for any of our receptionists' benefits or salaries.

Smith.ai’s answering service costs as little as $292.50/month, with no hidden fees. Ever. By hiring an answering service instead of an in-house receptionist, your business could save over $33,000/year on salary alone, and possibly up to $40,000/year in benefits beyond salary payments. Not only will you save tons, but you'll also see a huge boost in your overall productivity and net profit. Unlike in-house receptionists, virtual receptionists can answer calls outside of normal operating hours, enabling your agency to capture and covert nearly 27% more leads. Smith.ai’s agents can also answer live chats and texts, which is how 46% of customers prefer communicating with businesses.

Virtual receptionists can even provide sales assistance by making outbound calls to convert more leads, satisfying the over 67% of clients who base their decision to hire a business on the initial responsiveness to their call or email. With leads receiving immediate, professional responses, there's no telling the amount of leads you'll be able to convert. With Smith.ai’s trusted independent insurance agent answering service, your team can enjoy the benefits of several in-house receptionists without the unnecessarily high cost. Read our article to learn more about the differences between an in-house vs. a virtual receptionist.

Managing your own agency means you no doubt have your hands full. From managing daily projects to overseeing overall business development and growth, independent insurance agents have plenty to deal with in their day-to-day. With bustling work environments like this, it's easy to see how issues can sneak up every now and again. Some of the most common scenarios we see independent insurance agents need virtual receptionist services for are:

I'm desperate for “front desk” support, but I can't afford it

"Front desk” support, no matter the form it takes, is an absolute necessity for any and every business. Allowing a trusted professional to tackle administrative duties on your behalf can make a humongous difference in creating sustainable workflows, practical in-office hours, and manageable workloads, especially for freelance or independent workers. Unfortunately, many independent insurance agents can't afford pricey in-house receptionists.

Constant phone calls distract from work

Calls come in whether you're ready to answer them or not. When independent insurance agents need to take time away from appointments to answer the phone, they can have a tough time getting refocused. And when it takes, on average, about 23 minutes to get back to a task after being interrupted by a phone call, that's time and money down the drain.

Growing business demands are overwhelming

Businesses grow and while that growth is great for obvious reasons, it can be a challenge for insurance agents who work independently to keep up with growing demands. With calls that need to be answered, consultations that need to be scheduled, and leads that need to be screened, it’s easy to see how independent insurance agents can have trouble accomplishing all that needs done.

I can't offer the around-the-clock availability clients want

When the work day ends, you deserve to go home and spend time away from clients. But when you clock out, clients don't stop calling. When you're unavailable to answer their calls, leads can and will be missed, as over 27% of leads call outside of regular business hours. Independent insurance agents may like to offer around-the-clock customer service, but they can't (and shouldn't) be expected to spend every waking moment on-call.

Whether you're currently stuck dealing with one or more of these frustrating scenarios, or one quite similar, an answering service can undoubtedly be of service to you. By allowing professional receptionists to take over call handling for you, you can finally have the time to focus on more productive work while your clients receive the professional responsiveness they've been waiting for. Our virtual receptionists can address and resolve some of most of the tedious administrative issues you face. Whether you're in need of some additional call handling, spam blocking, or lead qualifying support, Smith.ai's virtual receptionists can pick up wherever you leave off. With highly-trained virtual receptionists taking over your most tedious tasks, you can get back to doing what you do best, assured that all of your clients, new and existing, will be in good hands.

Whether you're a Fortune 500 company or an independent solopreneur, once in awhile, situations arise that demand outsourced assistance to resolve. That's just the way business works. Independent insurance agents are no exception. A few of the most commonly reported issues we've seen independent insurance agents experience are:

I can't provide the responsiveness clients demand

Busy schedules, growing workloads, and limited hours leave insurance agents with zero time to offer the responsiveness their leads expect. Trying to get all of the day-to-day tasks of running an independent insurance agency while still providing the high-quality customer service you'd like to be known for is just about impossible.

I'm spending all of my day on administrative tasks

Unreasonably high costs for in-house receptionists and administrative support staff force independent insurance agents to try and tackle all of their administrative tasks themselves. Despite spending a large portion of their day to answering client questions and sending out invoices, agents can never seem to catch up on the non-stop administrative demands. Needless to say, in cases like these, productivity levels are often disappointing.

I can't answer calls or reply to messages from potential leads in time

Though they may try their best to answer calls as they come in, there are only so many hours in the day and insurance agents working independently simply cannot possibly get to every call. By prioritizing existing client appointments and projects, independent insurance agents quickly let their call handling and lead screening duties fall to the wayside, resulting in unsatisfied clients and low conversion rates.

My competitors are getting to leads faster than me

Many independent agents complain of how difficult it is to standout amongst their competitors nowadays. Providing high-quality customer service through quick and thoughtful responses can obviously place any professional in good standing with new and existing clients, but with a competitive market, a massive workload, and a tight schedule, decent customer service can be a challenge for independent insurance agents to offer.

I'm having trouble capturing and converting new clients

One of the most significant, yet challenging aspects of building a successful independent business is finding and converting new clients. With existing clients and current projects prioritized first, many insurance agents have difficulty finding the time to seek out and convert new leads. Independent agents often take on twice the workload other agents do, meaning lead generation and conversion usually is the first of many tasks to get left behind.

I don't know how to keep track of all of my clients’ data

Maintaining detailed phone records and call summaries isn't a simple task for agents who frequently disperse client data across a few different software platforms. Knowing how, when, and why clients call is incredibly important for independent agencies trying to prioritize their client relationships, but when customer information is mismanaged, agents find their client relationships can quickly deteriorate.

If you find yourself struggling to resolve any one of these frustrating issues, a virtual receptionist service may be just the answer you've been searching for. One of the many useful features of Smith.ai answering services is that our receptionists are dedicated to addressing the specific problems your agency faces. Our virtual receptionists allocate time where you need it most, settling even the most complicated matters on your behalf. So whether you could use a hand scheduling appointments, collecting payment, or simply answering calls, Smith.ai is here to help. Sign up risk-free with our 14-day money-back guarantee and experience first-hand how Smith.ai’s virtual receptionists can alleviate the problems your independent insurance agency faces.

When considering a virtual receptionist service, a good place to start is to consider which areas of you could use additional support in. To figure out which services your independent insurance agency might benefit from the most, ask yourself which problems or challenges you face that a virtual receptionist service can help to address:

Do you have trouble answering and responding to text messages?
Could you use additional lead screening assistance?
Do you struggle to collect payments from forgetful or avoidant clients?

Whatever it may be, Smith.ai’s virtual receptionists can adjust their service to better suit your needs.

Once you've identified some of the areas where Smith.ai receptionists can be of use for you, consider what services would best fit your activity level:

Is it difficult to remain productive during the work day due to too many phone call interruptions?
Do clients prefer to text you rather than call?
Would your business benefit from 24/7 phone answering or would you prefer a particular time frame, such as 9-to-5, for answering calls?

Whether you get twenty calls a month or 2,000, Smith.ai can customize your virtual receptionist service to fit your business activity so you only pay for what you need.

All you have to do is sign up. Getting started with Smith.ai’s virtual receptionist service is quick and easy. No annual contracts, no hidden setup fees, and no need for scripts.

To sign up with Smith.ai, follow these three simple steps:

Customize your instructions – Just answer a few, quick questions about your team and the preferences you have, and we’ll get you started. We’ll use your answers to customize the way our virtual receptionists answer your calls and your clients’ questions.
Send your calls to us – We work with every major phone system and can set up customized rules for when we answer your calls, or we can answer every call, 24/7!
Try risk-free with our 14-day money-back guarantee – Fully experience our call answering, scheduling, payments, and other phone services completely risk free for 14 days. If you find that we're not the right fit for you, you can receive up to $1,000 back within the first 14 days.

Whether you'd benefit from a full-time virtual receptionist or simply an overflow or after-hours call answering service, Smith.ai can offer customized assistance to your team with quality customer service, lead screening, and sales development in a way that suits your needs best. When you sign up with Smith.ai, you won’t just be gaining a virtual receptionist service, you’ll be gaining a professional, reliable, and friendly team of well-trained experts who can transform your independent insurance agency for good.

‍Learn how to get started with Smith.ai’s virtual receptionist service.

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Get Smith.ai today.

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24/7 VIRTUAL RECEPTIONISTS

Answering service for insurance companies

Incoming calls are unpredictable.

Tackle insurance claims while we handle the calls.

Powerful call intelligence gives your business the lead

Outreach calls and campaigns speed-up sales and support

Capture and book appointments with 24/7 Live Chat.

Get the most out of Smith.ai

Outreach Campaigns

Web Chat

Smith.ai is trusted by 3,000+ businesses

Scott Nyman

TALK TO OUR TEAM of experts

Book a consultation

END-TO-END INTEGRATIONS

We play well with your software

end-to-end integrations

We play well with your legal software

Frequently asked questions

What are the benefits of an independent insurance agent answering service?

How much money will I save by hiring an answering service for my independent insurance agency compared to an in-house receptionist?

What kinds of scenarios do independent insurance agents need virtual receptionist services for?

What are some of the common problems that indicate my independent insurance agency could use a virtual receptionist service?

What do I need to prepare to get started with an independent insurance agent virtual receptionist service?

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Take the faster path to growth.
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