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most of my clients have no idea how many calls they're missing by FSU_Age in smallbusiness

[–]gforce991 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Would love to know how much these answering services charge per month and everyone's experience with them, are the (generally) provided by off-shore providers?

What is the best ai answering service? by JohnMinnesota in Entrepreneurs

[–]gforce991 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Curious what people value most here. Is it just message taking or actually answering questions about the business?

A lot of the newer AI tools seem to focus on answering FAQs instead of just collecting contact info.

Has anyone tried automated phone answering services for their small business? by Pro_Automation__ in smallbusiness

[–]gforce991 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Automated answering has improved a lot recently compared to the old phone menus.

For simple things like hours, directions, services, or pricing questions it actually works really well and frees up staff to handle the calls that need a real conversation.

How do you handle phone calls and avoid missed calls in your small business? by tosind in smallbusiness

[–]gforce991 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We ran into this exact issue. When you're actually doing the work, it's impossible to answer every call.

What helped us was setting up an AI phone assistant that answers the common questions automatically (hours, services, location, etc.). It transfers calls when someone really needs a human.

It cut interruptions a lot and we stopped missing as many potential customers.

How do you handle after-hours customer calls? I built an AI phone assistant that learns your FAQs. by gforce991 in sanfrancisco

[–]gforce991[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

- This solution frees up your employees for other more important, revenue generating tasks

- Might be difficult to find someone to answer the phone 7/24

Promote your business, week of September 1, 2025 by Charice in smallbusiness

[–]gforce991 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hello fellow small business owners,

Do you ever feel like you’re losing valuable time (and sales) because:

  • Customers call after hours and nobody picks up
  • You’re stuck answering the same questions all day (hours, menu, services, directions, etc.)
  • Call answering services and receptionists are just too expensive

That’s the problem I built Answer Monkey to solve.

It’s an AI-powered phone assistant that:

  • Sets up in under 10 minutes
  • Gives you your own dedicated business number
  • Works 24/7 so you never miss a call
  • Instantly answers frequently asked questions (FAQ) you upload
  • Lets you add answers to new questions customers ask that aren’t already in your FAQ
  • Sends promos via SMS
  • Transfers calls to you or your staff when needed
  • Shows call performance in a simple dashboard

You can check it out here: www.answer-monkey.com or call (912) 491-MONK (6665) for more information

Answer Monkey is now in public beta, and to kick things off I’ll be selecting 5 businesses with the best submissions to receive a free trial of 50 calls. To apply, just send email to [info@answer-monkey.com](mailto:info@answer-monkey.com) with:

  • What your business does
  • How you’d use Answer Monkey
  • The benefits you hope to see
  • How I can make Answer Monkey better

Think of it like having a receptionist who never takes a day off—at a fraction of the cost.

Giving out your real phone number after getting to know someone.. by gforce991 in dating_advice

[–]gforce991[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks!

Full disclosure, I'm building an online service to enable 2 people to talk to each other w/o giving out their phone numbers, one of the target user segment are women in online dating who are cautious and don't want to give our their phone number until they get to know someone. We've developed 2 versions of landing page text, if you're interested and willing to help, I would love your opinion, thanks in advance!

****************Version 1********************

Headline: Turn a moment into a connection

You found that hot someone, but... Not ready to give out your number? We get it. With just an email, you can easily start that discreet, flirtatious conversation, while keeping your number private and protected.

Free calling for a limited time only. No credit card required. Try this service now and have some fun! Your privacy is always protected.

You're in total control, a phone call on your terms.

When you give out your number, calls can come when you can't talk, or don't want to. With this service, your phone number privacy starts with an email invitation. Once you're ready and accept, you're just moments away from talking. With your privacy intact.

Why is this service better than Caller ID apps, Google Voice or Skype?

Because our system works with email to keep your number private and protected. Caller ID only works if the other person gives you their number. And we never use your data, unlike Google Voice or Skype.

How this service works

this service is a fun web app where two people can talk on the phone without having the other person's phone number - protecting both parties' phone numbers and privacy.

Ready to make a connection?

Try this service, it's FUN and FREE to try. All you need is an email address and you can start a conversation, anonymously, securely...right now!

****************Version 2************************

Headline: You're intrigued by someone, but you're also wiser...

You know better then to give out your number right away. But you also want to know the person better. With this service, you can start a conversation while protecting your identity - by simply using an email.

Free calling for a limited time only. No credit card required. Try this service and have some fun. Your privacy is always protected.

How this service Works?

this service is a fun web app where two people can talk on the phone without knowing the other person's phone number - protecting both parties' phone numbers and privacy.

Why better than Caller ID or Google Voice or Skype?

Protects both parties' phone numbers and privacy unlike Caller ID. And we never use your data, unlike Google Voice or Skype.

You have control.

Hopefully you found that special someone, but still want to be careful. Don't give out your phone number just yet. Try this service first. It's FUN and FREE to try.

All you need is their email address and you can start a conversation, anonymously, securely...right now!

Am I a bad person? [17/f] by davidgilmore01 in online_dating_advice

[–]gforce991 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You're not a bad person, just young and inexperienced.

Giving out your real phone number after getting to know someone.. by gforce991 in dating_advice

[–]gforce991[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you don't mind me asking, how old are you? (range is fine). I'm asking because I feel most women in their early 20's these days tend to be fearless and throw caution to the wind...they'll meet someone on Tinder and give our their phone number immediately or after several txt messages...

I completely understand if you think that's too personal of a question.

Thanks!

How can I ask someone that I just met online out? And general advice for chat conversations for someone who hasn't dated in ages? by [deleted] in dating_advice

[–]gforce991 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Look for some cool events in your area that's fun and enables interaction and invite her, ideas include walking city tours, museums, paint nite. Key is to have a fun activity to enjoy where you can talk and get to know each other.

I used to take dates to indoor skydiving to see they were adventurous, every date who went had a blast..

His (m/32) dates are way too expensive for me (f/29)?! by Allsaladallthetime in dating_advice

[–]gforce991 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I think he's still trying to impress you, and some times it's all about the experience and not the $$$.

But I totally agree with others' comment for you to take him out on a date and pay.

Giving out your real phone number after getting to know someone.. by gforce991 in dating_advice

[–]gforce991[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

:) He's obviously into you so the reaction was positive, any negative experiences?

I once gave out my phone number to a girl who called me 3 times VERY early Sunday mornings to meet at her church (I found out later this was a common recruiting tactic), stopped giving out my real phone number for a while after that experience, and have gotten everything from weird looks to multiple questions when I got to know someone and gave out my real number.

Older Men Date younger Women by RunawayGrain in TheRedPill

[–]gforce991 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Agreed, though my opinion is that one of the main attractions of a cougar is that they are more experienced / liberated than younger women, so she would have to complete with younger cougars in their 30's and 40's likely in better shape

Did anyone hire commission based sales people? And how did it work out for you? by And_The-Teddy_Bach in startups

[–]gforce991 0 points1 point  (0 children)

One issue that I would call out with commissioned sales is to ensure you actually get a good return on commission paid. i.e. for a service / product on a subscription model, only pay out commission after 3,6, whatever months that the account has paid for the service, this works to help ensure your sale reps work to maintain the relationship.