Software and automation. Reviewed October 29, 2026
Answering service
Also called: Live answering, Call center
An answering service is a staffed call center that picks up a business's phone when the office cannot, takes a message or books an appointment, and bills by the minute or by the call.
In practice
A live service handles the awkward call an AI still fumbles, and costs more for it. Many trade businesses now run both: AI for the first answer and overflow, live agents for the calls that need a person.
Whichever answers, the test is the same: did the caller get booked, and how fast.
Related terms
- AI receptionistAn AI receptionist is software that answers the business phone in a natural voice, asks the caller what they need, captures their details and books or routes them, at any hour.
- Speed to leadSpeed to lead is the time between a lead arriving and the business responding, and the first contractor to respond wins a large share of the jobs.
- Booking rateBooking rate is the share of leads that turn into a scheduled appointment or estimate, and it is the first place to look when leads are up but revenue is not.
More software and automation terms
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