- Years answering calls
- 30+
- Live agents, every call
- 24/7/365
- English & Spanish agents
- EN · ES
- Plans start at
- $33
Business & professional services
Polished, professional phone coverage for firms that run on relationships
Accountants, insurance agents, consultants, staffing firms and agencies all live by the same rule: when a client or prospect calls, someone should answer. But you can’t take calls while you’re in a meeting, on a site visit or with another client. Our live agents answer in your company’s name, take complete messages, capture new business, and make sure the important calls reach you right away.
Southern Voices has been doing this since 1995. We’re a US company headquartered in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, serving small businesses and professional firms across the country, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, in English and Spanish. For a full overview of how it works, see our small business answering service.
Who we answer for
Answering for professional and service businesses
Small offices and growing firms where every call is a client relationship or a new opportunity.
Accounting & tax firms
Client calls covered all year, and the rush of tax season handled without voicemail.
Insurance agencies
Policyholder questions, claims calls and quote requests answered in your agency’s name.
Consulting & advisory firms
Clients reach a professional voice and the right advisor every time.
Marketing & creative agencies
Campaign inquiries and new business calls captured, never missed.
Staffing & recruiting
Candidates and employers both get a fast, accurate response.
Retail & local services
Customer questions and orders handled during busy hours and after close.
Law offices
New-client intake and urgent calls handled by your criteria.
Real estate
Showing requests and buyer leads captured around the clock.
What we handle
The calls that keep your business moving
New business inquiries
Your qualifying questions asked and the lead sent to you right away.
Appointment setting services
Meetings and consultations booked on your calendar or sent as requests.
Virtual receptionist
A professional greeting, call screening and transfers, so you look like a bigger office.
Order taking
Orders and service requests captured accurately for your team.
Customer service questions
Common questions answered from the information you give us.
Employee call-off lines
Staff report absences through one number, and the right manager hears right away.
During the day and after hours
Coverage that fits how you work
Some firms forward only after-hours calls. Others send overflow when the office is busy, or have us answer every call so the team can focus on billable work. You choose. When a call needs you right away, the agent reaches you by a live transfer, a call to your cell, or a text. Everything else arrives as a complete message by email, text or the client portal.
Our agents follow custom scripts and greetings written with you, so callers hear your company’s name and your way of doing business. Read does your answering service sound like you?
- Your office: 9 AM–5 PM
- Southern Voices: nights, weekends, holidays
- Southern Voices: lunch hour
- Overflow backup whenever your lines are busy
Example schedule. You choose exactly which hours we cover.
How business calls are handled
What happens when a client calls
A live agent answers in your company’s name, works out what the caller needs, and follows your instructions.
- Priority You or the right team member, reached now Live transfer, a call to your cell, or a text
- New lead Lead captured and sent to you Name, company, need and best time to follow up, sent to you right away
- Booking Appointment booked Booked on your calendar or sent as a request
- Question Question answered Hours, services and common questions, answered from your information
Spanish-speaking customers get a live bilingual agent, not a “press 2” menu. See bilingual answering.
Getting started
How it works
- Tell us about your businessYour services, your callers and what you want done with each kind of call.
- Approve your scriptWe write the greeting and script, and agents are trained before your first live call.
- Forward your lineAfter hours, overflow or every call. Turn coverage up or down whenever you need to.
- Grow with usAdd lines, locations, appointment setting or order taking as your business grows.
Pricing
What an answering service for your firm costs
Pricing follows your call volume and how much each call involves. Plans start at $33, so even a one-person office can afford live coverage. Larger firms get volume discounts as call volume grows.
See answering service pricing for what goes into a quote, or ask us for one.
Plans start at
$33
Your plan is built around your call volume, and larger organizations get volume discounts.
Questions
Professional services answering FAQs
Don’t see your question? Call and ask a live agent, any time.
Will callers know they’ve reached an answering service?
Agents answer in your company’s name with a greeting you approve, and they follow your script for how to introduce themselves.
Can you transfer important calls to me?
Yes. You decide which callers and situations need you right away, and agents reach you by live transfer, a call to your cell or a text.
Can you book meetings on my calendar?
Yes. Agents can schedule appointments on your calendar or take complete requests for you to confirm.
Can we use you only during busy times?
Yes. Many firms use us for overflow and after hours only. Accounting firms can add coverage just for tax season.
How much does it cost?
Plans start at $33 and scale with call volume and complexity. Larger firms get volume discounts. See our pricing page or contact us for a quote.
Keep reading
Guides for small and growing businesses
Virtual receptionist benefits
What a virtual receptionist does for a small business.
Your next customer is calling
Why answering every call matters.
The complete answering services guide
How answering services work, start to finish.
Also serving: law firms, property managers and contractors & home services.