FAQs: Live Answering & Messaging Services

Where are Alltel's call centres located?

Alltel's call centres are located in Australia: staffed 24/7 by professional operators. (Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide)

Can your operators pretend that they work for me?

No. This would be against the Trade Practices Act (deceptive conduct).

The operator answers your calls in your business name, which will lead many callers to assume that they work for you.

However, if callers start to ask questions, or if you're not available and they ask to speak to someone else, the operators are instructed to reply that they are taking messages on your behalf.

Can your operators answer questions about my business, ask questions of the caller, make appointments and act as my PA?

Yes they could, but those tasks are difficult for operators who haven't been trained in your business.

In a call centre that can have up to 200 operators working in peak times, it would be unfair to expect that each of them would be able to represent your business as though they are your full-time employee.

Nobody knows your business the way you do. Our experience has shown us that it is far better to take a message for you, so that you can respond to your caller's needs more appropriately than the operator can.

If a caller doesn't leave a message, will the call be included in my monthly plan quota?

Yes. Our operators are paid to provide you with a service and answer your calls regardless of whether the caller leaves a message.

They do not place any pressure on callers who choose not to leave a message.

Our investigations have shown that hang-ups are less likely to occur with your new customers/callers. They are most likely to occur with people who know you personally. These callers expect you to answer personally, and when they hear a strange voice, hang up and often try to contact you by other means. To minimise this, we suggest that you let your existing customers know that you now use a Live Answering Service, request that they leave a message, and assure them that you'll return their call as quickly as possible.

What kinds of calls can I redirect to Live Answering?

Your 1300 number or 1800 number can be configured to automatically redirect to your Live Answering service at specified times (for example, outside of regular business hours).

You can also configure your 1300 number, 1800 number, home phone, office phone or mobile number to redirect to your Live Answering service 24/7 OR on "busy" OR on "no answer" OR at any other time.

Can I advertise the local Live Answering phone number provided with my service?

Alltel STRONGLY recommends that you do NOT advertise or use your local number. A better solution is to use it as an answerpoint for a 1300 number or 1800 number.

The dedicated local Live Answering phone number remains the property of Alltel. It is non-portable and not available for purchase. Alltel reserves the right to change the Live Answering phone number assigned to you (for example, due to an area code split or for any other reason whether outside or within Alltel's control). If your Live Answering account is terminated for any reason, the number will return to Alltel's Live Answering pool, and may be made available to another customer.

* All Trademarks are the property of their respective owners.