Can you have an answering service through Google Voice? Two options

If you're running a small business and missing calls, you've probably wondered at some point if Google Voice could work as an answering service. The short answer? It can help with basic call management, but it's not a true answering service.

Let me walk you through what Google Voice can and can't do, and show you what your options really look like.

So, is Google Voice an answering service?

Google Voice is mainly a virtual phone number service with some automated features—not a full-fledged answering service.

It's like the difference between having an email auto-responder versus an assistant who actually reads and responds to your messages. Both handle incoming communication, but in very different ways.

Google Voice gives you a virtual phone number with voicemail transcription, call forwarding, and basic automated phone menu options. These features can help manage calls, but they don't actually answer customer questions in a meaningful way.

How to use Google Voice as an answering service

If you're determined to make Google Voice work as a basic answering solution, here's what you can do:

Google’s auto-attendant: an answering service for Google Voice

Familiar with the term “auto-attendant”? If you’re not, I’m very sure you’ve experienced one before.

“For support, press one. For sales, press 2. To speak to a representative, press 0.” That’s an auto-attendant, and you can easily do this with Google Voice. 

Why would I need an auto-attendant?

Although it can’t help with more complex calls, an auto-attendant can be nice to have for some businesses with limited budgets and want to automate some of their call answering, like answering basic FAQs, transferring calls to a specific person, and having a professional custom greeting.

Here are just some benefits summed up:

• Set up a custom greeting: This helps your business appear more professional and established to callers.
• Answer common questions: This helps callers get answers quickly without waiting for a callback. It also saves you time because you won’t have to pick up the call to answer simple questions.
• Forward callers: This is great if you want to forward callers to specific people. You could have one person for general customer support and another for sales inquiries, for example.
• Customize after-hours support: This is helpful if you want different after-hours options. For example, if you were a property manager you could set up after-hours support for your tenants and provide emergency contact directions.
• Filter out robocalls: This is particularly great if you are prone to spam or robocalls. Automated spam calls can’t press one.

How to set up a Google Voice answering service

Getting set up is pretty straightforward. However, you will need to sign up for a Google Voice Starter plan. 

Here’s how to get started:

1. Sign in & create your attendant:
   Log into the Google Admin console with an administrator account. Head over to Google Voice (under Apps > Google Workspace > Google Voice) and click on “Auto attendants.” Then, click “Create,” give your auto attendant a name (and description if you like), and hit Create. Note: This requires a Google Workspace account. You can sign up for one here.
   
   
2. Add your greeting:
   Under “Initial greeting,” decide how you want callers to be greeted. You can type a message and let Google’s text-to-speech handle it, or upload your own recording. If you need a non-skippable announcement (say, for busy lines), you can add that too.
   
   
3. Set up call handling:
   Create a menu for callers to choose from. Record or type clear instructions (like “For technical support, press 1”) and assign each key a specific action—be it transferring the call, sending it to voicemail, or even playing another message.
   
   
4. Define your business hours:
   Customize your working hours so that calls outside your set times get a special greeting or different instructions. You can even set up holiday hours if needed.
   
   
5. Test your setup:
   Before going live, hit “Preview” to test your auto attendant. Give it a call through the side panel and make sure the greetings and menu options work perfectly.
   
   
6. Publish your attendant:
   If everything sounds good, click “Publish” to make your auto attendant active. If you encounter any errors, go back and correct them, then publish again.
   
   
7. Assign a phone number:
   To ensure callers reach your auto attendant, assign it a dedicated Voice number. Choose whether to create a new one or repurpose an existing number that isn’t already linked to a user.

You can also follow this link here for a more detailed breakdown of Google’s instructions.

Integrating Google Voice with other services

Collaborating with third-party answering services

Let’s pretend you have your Google Voice auto-attendant set up. You’re greeting callers, getting simple questions answered, and forwarding them to you when necessary. 

But sometimes, you’re still not able to pick up the call. Some business owners want to go the extra mile to make sure every caller always reaches someone to speak to, even when they can’t pick up the phone themselves. How would they do that?

Well, you can pair your Google Voice answering service with a traditional answering service, one where there’s always a virtual receptionist on standby to pick up the calls when you can’t.

It’s as easy as this: When Google Voice routes the call to your line, and if you don’t pick up the call within 3 or 4 rings, you can then forward the call to a virtual receptionist to answer for you. This way you don’t have to worry about missing potential leads or missing a chance to help a current customer. Who wouldn’t love more chances to gain new customers?

While this approach carries some awesome benefits like never missing a call, which boosts your potential to earn more clients, there are some drawbacks to using Google Voice as an answering service.

Drawbacks of a Google Voice answering service

The limitations of using Google Voice as an answering service become apparent quickly when you're running a busy small business.

The follow-up burden remains on you

When calls go to Google Voice, you still need to answer calls, listen to voicemails, read transcriptions, and call people back. This creates the same problem you were trying to solve—finding time to manage customer communications while running your business.

Limited functionality for business needs

Google Voice lacks critical business features like:

1. Appointment scheduling capabilities
2. CRM integrations to track customer interactions
3. Handling initial customer support

These limitations make it difficult to use Google Voice as anything more than a glorified voicemail system, meaning you’re still taking on some administrative work when you could be focusing on other things that grow your business.

Creating a helpful impression

First impressions matter tremendously in business. While having a greeting when someone calls our business makes you appear more professional, when customers call and reach an automated menu or voicemail, it can create other frustrations. Think about it. How often are you thrilled to call a business when you need something only to get to a phone menu?

Adding traditional answering services comes at a high price

Let’s say you decide to partner with a traditional answering and virtual receptionist service (or maybe you already do). If you’re a small business, like a solo plumber or chiropractic office with five employees, you might find that answering services are expensive. 

I met a lawyer a while ago who told me he was paying northwards of $300 per month just to have an answering service take less than 30 calls a month for his firm. That’s a pretty steep price for a small number of calls that can quickly eat into profits.

Lack of conversation

What do callers really want? They want conversation so they can get their questions answered quickly, and hopefully book appointments or buy from you, not navigating through robotic menus. 

Google Voice may help you manage your time and organize calls better, but it might mean sacrificing part of the call experience for your customer.

Upfirst: The best alternative to an answering service for Google Voice

If you're looking for something more robust than Google Voice but don't want to pay hundreds per month for a traditional answering service, there's another option.

Upfirst is an AI-powered answering service designed to make call answering actually affordable for small businesses. This isn’t just an automated phone menu or robotic voice—this is human-like, conversational AI that handles your calls, answers your customers' questions, takes detailed messages, routes calls when necessary, schedules appointments, and even speaks to your callers in their native language with multilingual capabilities, no matter the hour of the day.

Here's how it works: you sign up and provide details about your business—services, pricing, hours, call handling instructions, and any other information you want your virtual receptionist to know. Then you forward calls from your existing number to Upfirst. Let your virtual receptionist start handling all your calls, or just the ones that you’re not able to pick up. You’ll receive full transcripts in your dashboard and summaries directly to you via email or SMS.

Real conversations, not just automated responses

Unlike Google Voice's one-way communication, Upfirst can actually engage with callers. For example, if someone calls asking about your roofing services and pricing, Upfirst can provide that information immediately rather than just taking a message.

Affordable for actual small businesses

Traditional answering services typically charge $1-2 per minute plus monthly minimums, making them expensive for many small businesses with limited budgets. A busy month could easily cost $500+ with a traditional service.

Upfirst offers transparent subscription pricing that makes budgeting predictable, with plans starting at just $24.95 per month and scaling as your business grows. 

It’s the best of both worlds: you get more functionality compared to a Google Voice answering service, and you can flex the same benefits as a traditional answering service but for an affordable price.

Benefits summed up:

• More functionality than Google Voice phone menus
• Engage your customers in conversation right away
• Automate answering common questions, initial customer support, appointment scheduling, and more
• Speak to a diverse customer base with multilingual functionality
• Save on professional phone answering with very affordable pricing
• A dedicated virtual receptionist that knows the in’s and out’s of your business

Conclusion

While Google Voice offers some helpful call management features, it falls short as a full answering service for small businesses. The good news is that you have options that won't break the bank.

If you're just looking for basic call forwarding and voicemail, Google Voice might be sufficient. But if you're missing calls and losing potential business, a solution like Upfirst provides the perfect alternative—professional call answering with advanced capabilities at a price small businesses can actually afford.

The most important thing is choosing a solution that matches your business needs and customer expectations. Your phone answering system is often the first impression customers have of your business—make sure it's sending the right message.

Ready to upgrade your call handling?

If you're tired of missing calls and opportunities, consider trying a purpose-built solution for small businesses. Upfirst offers a 14-day free trial with no credit card required, so you can experience the difference between a basic Google Voice setup and a professional virtual receptionist. 

Try it for free today!