Definition
Updated
An answering service is an outside team of people who answer a business's calls, take messages and sometimes book appointments when the business can't pick up.
It suits businesses that want a human voice on every call. An AI receptionist covers similar ground and can text back missed callers, within the consent rules for texts.
Health practices should treat an answering service like any other vendor that handles patient information. HHS says services that access health information regularly to do work for a provider aren't mere conduits, so they need a business associate agreement.
If the service makes callbacks or texts using an autodialer or a prerecorded or AI voice, the FCC's consent rules apply to those too.
Whichever you use, the caller should get a clear next step, not just a message taken. If you run Local Services Ads, call coverage also matters there: Google says missed calls may count against your ranking.
Example: an HVAC company's answering service takes a no-heat call at midnight, gets the address and books the first slot in the morning instead of just taking a message.
Sources
- HHS: Business associates frequently asked questions, checked Nov 6, 2026
- FCC: Stop unwanted robocalls and texts, checked Nov 6, 2026
- Local Services Help: About ad rankings, checked Nov 6, 2026