My office (veterinary clinic) currently uses an answering service to handle our after hours emergencies, and we are not happy with them. To cut a long story short, they are idiots and expensive. We are thinking about switching to Google Voice (or something similar?), but I'm not sure if it meets are needs.
Current setup:
Someone calls answering service and a live person answers the phone. The callers identify themselves and establish if they are a client or not. If they are not current clients, they are referred to a local 24 hour emergency clinic. If they are clients, the answering service gets basic information (client name, brief description of the emergency, contact number). That information is then texted and emailed to both vets. If neither vet responds within 15 minutes, they are both called. If neither vet can be reached by these three methods, the callers are referred to a local 24 hour clinic.
So, is Google Voice capable of replacing these basic services? Obviously a real person won't answer the phone, but is it possible to set up something where a client calls a number (preferably our current emergency number that we can port to Google Voice?), they can leave a message, and that message be transcribed and sent to both vets' cell phones?
If Google Voice is not a good solution, anyone got any other ideas?
Current setup:
Someone calls answering service and a live person answers the phone. The callers identify themselves and establish if they are a client or not. If they are not current clients, they are referred to a local 24 hour emergency clinic. If they are clients, the answering service gets basic information (client name, brief description of the emergency, contact number). That information is then texted and emailed to both vets. If neither vet responds within 15 minutes, they are both called. If neither vet can be reached by these three methods, the callers are referred to a local 24 hour clinic.
So, is Google Voice capable of replacing these basic services? Obviously a real person won't answer the phone, but is it possible to set up something where a client calls a number (preferably our current emergency number that we can port to Google Voice?), they can leave a message, and that message be transcribed and sent to both vets' cell phones?
If Google Voice is not a good solution, anyone got any other ideas?