FAQ

Below is a list of the most Frequently Asked Questions from businesses considering answering services from MAP Communications. If you have a question that is not answered here, please call our sales team or fill out this form to request more information.

We also have a resources that discuss the most frequently asked questions about answering services in general, as well as frequently asked questions about call centers.

How do I forward my phone lines?

There are many ways to forward your inbound calls, however traditional call forwarding requires you to select the line you want to forward and dial an access code (usually *72) followed by the number you want to forward to. Most local phone companies also offer “No Answer Transfer” and “Forced Ring Roll-Over” options. To un-forward, typically use *73.

Do I have to purchase any hardware or equipment?

No. Your phone company has built in features that allow you to quickly and easily forward all of your calls to our call center.

What are the advantages of time-based billing?

MAP service is charged on a “time used” approach. In other words you simply pay for what you use and not for what you thought you would use.

Does MAP offer its services nationwide?

Yes. because of MAP’s advanced technologies, it does not matter where your business is physically located.

Can I change the “on-call” person at the last minute?

Yes. From time to time “on-call” schedules do change – that’s just a reality. At anytime you can call your 800 number and advise the receptionist of the change.

We have different “on-call” people who handle different types of calls. These people also rotate depending upon what day it is. How does MAP get the message to the correct person?

MAP’s automated Roster Service eliminates the risk normally associated with answering services relaying messages to the correct on-call employee. You supply MAP with your upcoming roster schedule and we will soft code your schedule into our system to minimize the risk of human error upon dispatch. The receptionists no longer need to “look up” who’s on call because the system knows at any given moment, exactly who is on call and routes the call accordingly.

Can I receive messages when traveling overseas?

If your phone or pager has international (text) capabilities, you will receive your text messages from MAP. If your carrier does not offer this option, your messages will always be available to you online at MyMAP or by email.

Is this a long term contract?

No. Your MAP service operates on a month to month basis with a 30 day notice to cancel. There are no early termination fees.

How long does it take to have an account activated and start service?

Depending upon the complexity of the account, usually within 24 hours.

Can I receive a local telephone number?

Depending on the market, yes we are able to provide local numbers for our customers as part of our service. Toll free 800 numbers are available as well. Whether you would like to promote a nationwide appeal with a toll free number or focus a more concentrated approach with a local number, we can help. Learn more about our local and 800 numbers here.

How many messages will my MAP voicemail system store?

Each of MAP’s individual mail boxes can hold up to 100 voice messages.

Can I forward my cell phone to your service?

Yes, in fact MAP’s Answering Service plans give you the ability to forward any number of business or personal line(s) to your exclusive toll free 800 number.

Is there a limit to how many different employees (recipients) can receive the same message?

If required, the MAP delivery system can be programmed to deliver the same message to multiple recipients at the same time. The recipients can even be using different types of devices, meaning one may receive the message on a cell phone, another on a pager, and others may simply receive the message as a notification on their email. There are no additional charges for this type of multi-dispatch. It is charged as if the message were sent to one recipient.

Will MAP take credit card information for order taking?

Yes. Our receptionists have the ability to take credit card details for this type of call.

Can MAP process orders for my company?

Yes. MAP’s system allows us to be able to process most orders for your customers. MAP can even interface with your company website to do this.

What does “patching” mean?

Patching is when a MAP receptionist answers a call that requires transfer of the caller to the MAP subscriber’s telephone. In other words, when patching is required, the receptionists will take details from the caller and then place them briefly on hold while they make contact (via phone) to the MAP subscriber. Once the subscriber has been contacted and been briefed on the details of the conversation, the MAP receptionist will then “patch” (transfer) the caller through to the subscriber. This service and procedure is often used for emergency calls, for example, when we are answering for medical practices. Learn more about our call patching services here.

Is your website secure so that no one else can gain access to my messages?

Yes. MyMAP offers users the option to log into our 128-bit SSL encrypted website using a logon and password.

Can I give out or advertise the 800 number MAP provides with the service?

Yes. You can advertise the number, call forward to the number, or both.

How do your receptionists know what questions I need asked of the caller, and what information I require?

MAP services are custom designed to your individual business requirements. Our programmers will design a screen layout that will enable our receptionists to ask the right questions of the right people.

Do you have any back-up facilities in place in the event of hardware or software failure?

In the event of a technical problem our IT staff is on call 24/7. We also have a highly sophisticated redundancy infrastructure and in the event of a problem we have multiple remote call centers that can provide overflow and redundancy to each other.

Do you offer custom scripting?

This is one of the many features that separates MAP from the competition. Hands down, MAP has the most up to date software and technical capabilities that, in addition to other things, allows us to produce highly customized scripts for our clients. This allows our agents to seamlessly handle all of your customers needs, process payments, make and cancel appointments, answer technical questions and much more. If you can dream it, we can do it.

Why use MAP?

With over 400 employees and multiple dynamic call centers across the US, MAP is not a mom and pop answering service. With a 99.9% guaranteed “up time” you can have full confidence that your calls will be answered regardless of any unexpected events that generally cause smaller centers to shut down or have busy signals. Our technical capabilities are far superior to the vast majority of the industry and there is virtually nothing we can’t do that others can, in fact, just opposite is true. Additionally, MAP is an employee-owned company so our agents have a vested financial interest to do their job well and retain clients by providing excellent customer service that is unmatched in our industry. Our average employee has been with the company for over 5 years which means your calls are handled by well-trained and experienced agents, which we know is very important because we are the first impression of your business.