There was a time when a telephone answering system was how fast you could get to a ringing phone. After that, it became all about tapes and then digital machines that sit beside the phone. Now, the best telephone answering systems are completely machine-free. You subscribe to a company, then simply dial in to get your messages without worrying about your machine breaking.
Access Direct
Messagingservice.com is a company that specializes in managing your messages and delivering them to you in the most convenient manner possible. While this company is geared toward businesses, busy individuals can make use of its services for $9.95 a month.
Features include voice mail that you can dial in from any location to check and the option of having your phone messages transcribed and faxed or emailed to you, or sent to your BlackBerry or smart phone. You can also utilize a toll-free or regular number provided by the company, or you can use your own phone number.
AT&T Voice Mail
Since AT&T is the telephone service used by most people in the U.S., using its residential voice mail is very convenient for those who still have land-line telephones. One of the benefits of using this voice mail service is that the charges show up on your monthly telephone bill, so there isn't an additional bill to manage. Plus, it's a company you already know.
AT&T offers services for residences, small businesses and larger corporations that want to take advantage of voice mail as an alternative telephone-answering system. According to AT&T's website, it "works all the time---when you're online, on the phone and even when the power is out." You can combine your land-line and wireless phone message system into one if you have your wireless through AT&T as well. It provides up to three private mailboxes for your use and will send you pager or text message notification of new messages.
Ring Central
Ring Central is one of the better voice mail systems if you need something a little bit extra in a telephone answering system. It offers professional greetings, call routing and message mailboxes. It says, "You can route calls to all of your phone numbers---cell, home, land-line, cousin's house---into your RingCentral voice mail system, which eliminates the need to check multiple message lines."
You can get your voice mail by email, phone or the Internet at any time. Prices start at $9.99 a month, which would work for an individual or small business. Larger businesses will require larger plans, which can go up to $100 a month.
Tags: voice mail, telephone answering, your phone, answering system, Ring Central, telephone answering system