24/7 VIRTUAL RECEPTIONISTS

Answering service for IT companies & MSPs

For faster ticket resolution, think Smith.ai's IT answering service. Our virtual receptionists answer calls & chats, 24/7, and even handle new client intake.

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Incoming calls are unpredictable

Calls come in, but you're not always available to answer them. We can capture and screen callers, book appointments, and log details instantly in your CRM and on your calendar.

Support your clients’ IT needs while we handle the calls

There’s too much to do. And you can't delegate managing IT infrastructure or end-user systems. Hand off answering calls, booking appointments, and taking payments to our receptionists.

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 more leads with Live Chat & texts

Leads come to your website with questions. With Smith.ai 24/7 Live Chat, we respond in seconds to turn website visitors into clients. Plus, we answer texts, too.

Get the most out of Smith.ai

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

“After the Woolsey fire I thought my business would close. But I am able to grow with Smith.ai chat and phone answering services.”

Sara Gepp

Close to the Earth IT Services

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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 IT and managed service answering services do much more than pick up phone calls and take messages for IT techs and administrators. At Smith.ai, we provide virtual receptionists capable of a wide range of services from calling 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 IT technicians, developers, and managed services consultants.

IT professionals are frequently focused on working on computer repairs and can’t be expected to answer every call that comes in, but offering quality customer support through a reliable IT answering service has been shown to improve businesses in a variety of ways. Here are a handful of the benefits IT and managed service agencies experience with us:

Expand availability

With a phone answering service that’s available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, your clients will always have a real person to talk to, whether your IT company is busy, closed, or on holiday. Your clients’ questions always earn a thoughtful response.

Increase leads captured

Missed calls mean missed opportunities. Don’t miss out on leads just because you’re not always able to answer the phone. Answering services provide nighttime, weekend, and after-hours availability so your managed services business will never miss another call.

Boost work productivity

Through outsourcing call handling to an answering service, your IT team will be able to spend time where you need it most and focus on more important work to build your business.

Enhance client satisfaction and business reputation

At Smith.ai, we know amazing customer service and how to deliver it for a range of business types and industries. Our virtual receptionists are trained in customer service and hospitality, so let us put tried-and-tested practices to work for you and deliver an exceptional and professional response that represents your IT company well every time.

Save money and time

No need to allocate limited time and money towards hiring an in-house receptionist when you can get all of the services your team needs and then some with an answering service for a fraction of the price. On average, customers who use Smith.ai save upwards of $30,000/year.

Stay up-to-date with leads and clients

Phone answering services can provide your IT and managed service business with detailed call summaries after each call and even provide your clients with chat and text messaging so you can stay in contact with your most valued clients.

An IT and managed service answering service can offer your busy staff with much needed relief, whether you're on a budget, overwhelmed by overflow calls, or simply looking to enrich your company’s customer service. In signing up with Smith.ai’s IT and managed services answering service, your business can receive even more benefits to help your agency accomplish its goals, whatever they may be.

Smith.ai’s answering service can provide IT and managed service businesses with…

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 seemingly limitless features, Smith.ai’s answering service is guaranteed to grow your company’s productivity, revenue, and outreach. Smith.ai has provided quality service to IT and managed service businesses for years and our clients trust Smith.ai to provide their business with premium support. Read our 5-star reviews to learn why tech business owners prefer Smith.ai.

The price of a receptionist is one of the most significant factors to consider when deciding on whether to hire an answering service or a traditional, in-house receptionist. Let’s look at the average cost for an in-house receptionist.

The average salary nation-wide for an in-house receptionist is about $37,000 and they often come with expensive, additional 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, Including Salary: $77,000/year

If your IT and managed services business is located in a highly populated area, that expense may be even higher. In-house receptionists can add to that cost when they end up coming in late, calling in sick, requesting time off, taking personal leaves of absence, going on vacation, and so on. On the other hand, Smith.ai’s virtual receptionists can accomplish the same tasks as an in-house receptionist and then some, barring coffee runs and supply restocks, of course, and are much more affordable since your team doesn’t have to pay for any time off, 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 your business save money, but your business will also be able to optimize productivity and revenue like never before. Contrary to in-house receptionists, virtual receptionists can answer calls outside of regular business hours, which is far more important than you might recognize, as 27% of leads call after hours. Smith.ai’s agents can answer live chats and texts. SMS answering can be overlooked, but over 46% of customers prefer communicating with businesses through text.

Virtual receptionists can even perform sales assistance by making outbound calls to convert more leads, which has been shown to be helpful. It’s critical for businesses to respond promptly, as over 67% of clients base their decision to hire a business on the initial responsiveness to their call or email. Long waiting periods encourage leads to take their business elsewhere and you may not have the chance to explain why you’re the right managed services business to hire. With Smith.ai’s IT and managed service answering service, your business can receive all the benefits of an in-house worker without the unnecessary cost. Read our article to learn more about the differences between an in-house vs. a virtual receptionist.

Running an IT and managed service business can get hectic, from managing projects and tasks to overseeing company development and growth. Businesses like these constantly face issues that impact their ability to succeed. The most common scenarios that IT and managed service businesses use virtual receptionist services for are:

I can’t afford to hire staff, but still need “front desk” support

“Front desk” support is an indispensable way to provide IT and managed service companies with consistent administrative assistance that can help operations run a lot more smoothly. When tech managers have a limited budget, however, they may not be able to afford pricey in-house receptionists, especially when they already have to pay for computer repair tools and supplies, marketing, and advertising.

I need time to focus without constant interruptions from calls

Phone calls come in whether your IT and managed service business is available to answer them or not. When IT teams have to answer phone calls in addition to their regular duties, they may struggle to stay focused and keep up with important tasks. On average, it takes about 23 minutes to get back to a task after being interrupted by a phone call.

My business is growing and my team can’t handle it all

Businesses grow and it can be difficult to keep up. With calls that need to be answered, appointments that need to be scheduled, and invoices that need to be sent, it’s easy for IT and managed services teams to feel overwhelmed.

I can’t offer around-the-clock availability to answer calls

‍When the work day is over, IT technicians and repair staff want to go home and enjoy their free time away from clients, but calls don’t stop coming in and leads can often be missed, as over 27% of leads call outside of normal business hours. Businesses may not be able to provide after-hours availability, but may still want to offer accessible customer service.

If your IT or managed service business is currently dealing with one or any of these scenarios, an answering service can help by allowing you to outsource these tasks directly to a professional agent. An answering service will take on some of the more painstaking responsibilities, addressing and alleviating the tedious issues your IT company faces. Smith.ai’s virtual receptionists can accomplish the same, whether your team needs assistance handling phone calls, blocking spam, or qualifying leads. By erasing the need to allocate time to screening calls and answering clients’ questions, your company can get back to focusing on more important work without neglecting your client relationships. Review our case study to learn more about how Smith.ai’s virtual receptionist service can provide support for IT and managed service business like yours.

IT and managed service businesses, like any business, often find themselves in compromising situations that need outsourced assistance to resolve. Some of the most common problems are:

I can’t keep up with incoming calls and messages from clients

With a limited staff and an endless list of projects, IT and managed service businesses often have difficulty answering phones and responding to messages from clients in addition to their regular duties. Running an IT business and providing quality customer service at the same time can be too much for one company to do and can lead to poor performance in both.

I’m spending my whole day on administrative tasks and can’t get productive, real work done

The high price of in-house receptionists being what it is, managed services businesses are often left to delegate daily tasks themselves. Despite spending a large portion of their day on performing office duties, managed services teams often struggle to balance their important projects with their regular administrative tasks.

I’m missing calls from new business leads and it's costing me money

Responding to each call can feel impossible for IT and managed service businesses when they have higher priority assignments to address. IT staff can easily fall behind on replying to new inquiries so potential leads can be frequently missed. Leads don't wait for call-backs. They call the next IT business in the search results. If businesses fail to pick up, they not only lose a lead, they lose ROI, money on marketing campaigns and ad spend, as well as conversion rates from ads.

I can’t respond fast enough to leads to beat my competition to new clients

With a crowded marketplace for IT and managed service businesses, it can be a major obstacle for managed services businesses to distinguish themselves and stand out amongst other similar businesses. Consistently offering quality customer service through quick and thoughtful responses can place businesses above their competitors, but many businesses often lack the time to do so.

I’m struggling to find and keep new clients

One of the most crucial, yet challenging, aspects of growing a successful business is finding and keeping new clients. With so much time and effort being dedicated to existing clients, IT and managed service businesses may not have the chance to seek out and nurture new clients. Businesses who spread their workload too thin may not be able to deliver quality customer service. Slow response times may annoy customers and hurt client loyalty and retention, as well.

I can’t seem to keep track of my clients’ data

Maintaining detailed phone records and call summaries can be difficult for IT and managed services businesses who disperse client data across a multitude of software platforms. Knowing how, when, and why clients call is critical for any business hoping to successfully navigate client relationships, but unfortunately, is not always easy to accomplish.

If your IT and managed service company is facing any of these challenges, a virtual receptionist service may be useful. One of the many rewarding things about Smith.ai is that our services fit your business needs, not the other way around. Our virtual receptionists can allocate time where you need it most and address the specific issues your staff face, whether you need assistance qualifying and intaking new clients or sending invoices and collecting payments. Sign up risk-free with our 14-day money-back guarantee and see how Smith.ai’s virtual receptionists can alleviate the problems your IT and managed services company faces.

Determining which services are important to your IT and managed service business is a good place to start. To figure out which services would be best for your business, ask yourself what problems or opportunities you face that a virtual receptionist service can address:

Does your IT and managed services business need a little extra assistance gaining new clients?
Does your IT and managed services business fail to answer website and text messages in a timely manner?
Does your IT and managed services business have difficultly blocking spam calls?

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

After that, consider what services would best fit your company’s activity level:

Does your business receive hundreds of calls a day or just a few?
Do you receive more online messages than calls?
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 next is sign up. Getting started with Smith.ai’s virtual receptionist service is simple and fast. No annual contracts, no setup fees, and no need to supply scripts.

Follow three simple steps:

Customize your instructions – Just answer a few, quick questions about your firm 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 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 we're not the right fit for you, get your money back up to $1000 within the first 14 days.

Whether your business is looking for a full-time virtual receptionist or an overflow or occasional phone answering service, Smith.ai can offer customized assistance to your team with quality customer service, lead screening, and sales development. 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 who are guaranteed to transform your business by capturing leads and delighting current clients.

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

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Take the faster path to growth.
Get Smith.ai today.

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24/7 VIRTUAL RECEPTIONISTS

Answering service for IT companies & MSPs

Incoming calls are unpredictable

Support your clients’ IT needs while we handle the calls

Powerful call intelligence gives your business the lead

Outreach calls and campaigns speed-up sales and support

Capture more leads with Live Chat & texts

Get the most out of Smith.ai

Outreach Campaigns

Web Chat

Smith.ai is trusted by 3,000+ businesses

Sara Gepp

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 IT and managed service answering service?

How much money will I save by hiring an answering service for my IT and managed service business compared to an in-house receptionist?

What common scenarios do IT and managed service businesses use virtual receptionist services for?

What are the common problems that indicate my IT and managed service business needs a virtual receptionist service?

What do I need to prepare to get started with an IT and managed service virtual receptionist service?

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