Archives: FAQs

Can I sign-up for short-term call answering, eg. a day, week or month?

Yes, you are able to use our service for an hour, a day, a week, whenever you need our assistance. Many clients use our live call answering for short-term needs, for example, when their own in-house receptionist is at lunch, sick or on annual leave. Some clients use the service during their busy periods only, as call overflow or for campaigns. Our live call answering service is like having a casual receptionist who is always available. It’s reliable and risk-free, as you only pay for what you use.

If you prefer to use our service seasonally, you can take advantage of our pause package.

See all FAQs

Can your receptionists transfer calls to staff members?

Yes. You can list all staff or departments on your account and provide different availability settings for each. When your staff are listed as available, our receptionists will attempt to warm transfer the call to them. This means, the receptionist will call your staff member, advise who is on the line and if accepted, transfer the call. If your staff member is unavailable, the receptionist will simply let the caller know, take a message and send it instantly. You are able to update staff details, availability and message settings instantly via the OfficeHQ online client portal.

Call transfers are an add-on feature available on MyReceptionist, MyAssistant and MyDiary plans.

See all FAQs

How do I know which plan size to choose?

If you start with the free trial, it gives you an opportunity to understand what call volume or duration you should select ongoing. Once you’ve selected your plan, you can upgrade or downgrade at any time without penalty. To help give you confidence you are on the correct plan, you will be provided with an online client portal, which allows you to track your usage in real time. You’ll be able to see every incoming call by day and time, the messages received, where they were sent and whether any calls were transferred.

See all FAQs

Do I receive a local telephone number with my subscription?

Yes, we allocate an exclusive phone number to each client so our receptionists know which business the incoming call is for. If you have an existing phone number, simply forward your calls to the number we provide. Through your telephone provider you have the option to forward all calls, or have calls only come to us when you’re busy or there’s no answer. We’ll answer as many or as few calls as you need.

See all FAQs

When can I start using the call answering service and how long does it take to set up?

Set up can take as little as a few minutes. For a MessageExpress or MyReceptionist service, you can start using the service almost instantly. Simply set up an account yourself, using the free trial webform or have our customer service team do this for you. Either way, it only takes a few minutes to get started. Once your account is set up, you simply need to forward your phone line to us and we’ll start answering your calls.

If you’re interested in a MyAssistant or MyDiary plan, a short setup may be required, depending on complexity, to train our receptionists on your preferred software, business information or webforms. Please contact us to find out more.

See all FAQs

What’s the difference between MyReceptionist and Message Express?

The MessageExpress service works best for those clients who just need messages taken for one person or team. The receptionist will answer with a greeting such as “Good morning, [your business name]. May I take your message please?” Messages can be instantly sent by email or SMS, however call transfers are not available on this service. On the MessageExpress service, receptionists are focused primarily on message taking, so are unable to provide general business information to callers.

The MyReceptionist service offers more flexibility and customisation so we can give the impression we are part of your business. It’s designed for those clients who would like to provide a more personal touch. When subscribing to the MyReceptionist service, you’ll receive a fully customised greeting, the ability to take different messages or make transfer calls to different people or departments in your organisation, plus receptionists can answer basic questions about your business, such as the location, your website URL, what your business does and when calls might be returned.

If you’re not sure, please speak to our friendly consultants or sign up for a free trial of our MyReceptionist service so you can test it out. Once you subscribe, you change between package types whenever it suits your business. No penalties apply.

See all FAQs

We already have a phone number. Does that matter?

No. If you have a 1300 or 1800 number, you can request to port it across to OfficeHQ to save costs. If you already have a local number, simply forward calls from your existing phone number to the unique number we provide. We can work with any existing scenario, just ask.

See all FAQs

Can I upgrade or downgrade my subscription anytime?

Yes, you have the flexibility to upgrade or downgrade at any time to a more suitable subscription that meets your requirements and budget. For example, you can change the number of calls being answered by OfficeHQ or you can change the type of package you have subscribed to. There’s no cost to change plans. We want you to feel comfortable you are on the right plan for your usage.

See all FAQs

Can you prevent me from missing calls?

Yes, our team of receptionists can answer calls you’d usually miss. You may be on another call or simply unable to answer because you’re busy at the time. Our receptionists will take a detailed message and send to you instantly by email or SMS. Many clients who subscribe to our service are surprised when they learn how many calls they’d been missing prior to having their calls answered by OfficeHQ.

See all FAQs

Showing 9 of 129