Why do I need an answering service?
Why should I choose Apartment Lines as my answering service?
How are calls answered?
How can I view and update my account information?
Can I see who has called while my phones are forwarded to your service?
Can I monitor emergency calls handled by operators?

Why do I need an answering service?

Some residents may not understand your after-hours response policy. If you give them a pager or cell phone number, they could call your staff at 2am to report a leaky faucet. On the other hand, if you don't give your residents any way to reach you after hours, you have no way to know if a flood or fire occurs, causing major property damage.

An answering service can take all calls through your office line, filtering out the situations that can wait until office hours, and passing you the urgent calls that need immediate response.

Why should I choose Apartment Lines as my answering service?

Most live answering services charge a base rate for a small number of calls, then a high per minute rate after that. You can easily spend $200-$300 in one month on this type of service. Apartment Lines combines live operators with automated voicemail and charges a moderate flat monthly rate that most properties can easily fit within their budget.

How are calls answered?

Calls are answered in the name of your property through an automated system that gives your caller a choice between an operator and voicemail. If the caller has a maintenance emergency, they are directed to a live operator who will dispatch emergencies to your on-call staff. If the call is not urgent, they are directed to leave a message that you can retrieve during office hours.

How can I view and update my account information?

When setting-up your answering service, Apartment Lines will give you free access to your account information via your customer web portal at apartmentlines.com. Here you can view and update staff contact numbers, on-call rotations, and the instructions the operators follow when answering your calls.

Can I see who has called while my phones are forwarded to your service?

Yes. You view call detail records for all calls handled through our system via our web portal. Call records include date and time of the call, caller ID name and number, and the general action taken by the caller (listened to main greeting, transferred to voicemail, etc).

Can I monitor emergency calls handled by operators?

Yes. You can listen to recordings of your emergency calls via our web portal. If you have ordered the daily faxing or e-mailing option, an emergency call summary arrives each morning detailing the previous night's emergency calls.