Most businesses need an automatic system to receive phone calls when actual employees are unavailable. In many cases, the least expensive and most convenient way to avoid missing important calls is an answering machine.
AT&T answering machines for businesses are a popular option for small- to medium-sized companies because they offer advanced technical features while retaining their reasonable price and reliability.
Before purchasing an AT&T answering machine, you should consider the following questions:
1. What are the advantages of AT&T digital answering machines over voice mail systems or answering services?
2. What are the advantages and disadvantages of AT&T digital answering systems that integrate AT&T phone and answering machines?
3. What features do I require from an AT&T answering system?
Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done
Research AT&T digital answering machine features
Even inexpensive AT&T answering machines offer a time/day stamp and power outage message protection. Other features include total recording time, number of mailboxes, remote access and message retrieval, toll saver, volume control and variable speed playback.
I recommend: Read the buyer's guides for business phone/answering machines at
BusinessWeek or
ABT Electronics.
Investigate reviews of AT&T answering machines
Read both professional reviews and consumer opinions of the different AT&T digital answering machines. Of course, the views of individual consumers may or may not be reliable, but reading a substantial number of these opinions can alert you to potential problems in voice quality or ease of use.
I recommend: Read performance guides at
Consumer Reports or
Consumer Search. Read consumer opinions at
Epinions,
Amazon, or
Best Buy.
Compare prices among several suppliers of AT&T answering machines
AT&T answering systems are reasonably priced. Integrated phone/answering machines are available at a wide range of prices, with more expensive models offering a greater number of special features. Stand-alone answering machines are quickly becoming obsolete, but a small number of models are still available. Also, many discontinued models can be purchased used or refurbished.
I recommend: Obtain a price comparison on any AT&T answering machine by typing in the model number at
Buy.com,
Shopzilla.com, or
Froogle.com. Visit
Hello Direct or
eValueZone.com. View the selection of integrated AT&T answering machines at
101Phones, Inc. or
NexTag.
Tips & Tactics
Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide
- Although voice mail can often be more expensive than an answering machine, it can receive incoming calls while you are on the line, and it is less affected by power outages.
- Integrated telephone/answering machine combinations are more readily available than stand-alones, but they also cost more, and the failure of one device can mean the loss of both.
- Used or refurbished answering machines may be more economical, but you may sacrifice warranty and service packages.
The official source of AT&T Answering Machines is
the AT&T Answering Machines page at Business.com
Related Resources from Business.com
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