Haven't used an answering machine since I figured out years ago that I was mostly paying out the ying-yang for telemarketers to leave messages while talking on my 800 toll-free number. Don't remember ever getting an order from the answering machine or as a result of an answering machine message. Most real customers just hung up when they found out that they weren't going to get to talk to a real person. Kinda like I do every time I get one of those phone banks now.
During normal business hours, we use rollover lines and hands free phones. If necessary, we forward or rollover to one or more hands free cells when we need to step outside the shop or if everyone is going to be off premises for whatever reason. We find that makes the job of phone and customer triage much easier, when necessary, and much less painful for both us and the customer. We seldom lose a call . . . or a customer.
Except during infrequent emergencies and normal holidays, we almost always have somebody knowledgeable who can multi-task a call almost any time during business hours. After hours, on holidays, or whenever we can't answer for whatever reason, our very capable website takes over and serves quite well.
