What is call overflow and do I need it?
Call overflow is when your business phone rings 3 to 5 times unanswered and automatically routes to an outsourced answering service as backup. You only pay for overflow calls actually answered, typically 50p to £1.50 each. It is the lowest-risk way to start outsourcing because you keep handling calls yourself when you can.
Overflow setup:
- Your phone rings 4 times. If unanswered, it forwards to the answering service.
- The answering service handles the call as if it were yours.
- You pay only for calls that actually overflow, not all calls.
Who should use overflow:
- Businesses that already have a receptionist or office team but miss calls during peak times.
- Solo professionals who answer when they can but cannot during client meetings or fieldwork.
- Companies testing outsourcing before going fully outsourced.
Typical overflow capture rate: 25 to 40% of calls. For a business getting 200 calls a month, that is 50 to 80 extra calls answered for £25 to £120.
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