Call Answering Service Birmingham
Phone answering for Birmingham companies, from professional service firms to Jewellery Quarter workshops and suppliers to big manufacturers.
- UK-based receptionists
- Real people, not bots
- Answered in your company name
Birmingham call handling for a second city workload
Birmingham is the largest local authority district in England, and the size of the West Midlands conurbation means calls arrive from every direction: a client in Solihull, a supplier in the Black Country, an exhibitor in town for a show. Each of those callers expects a prompt, knowledgeable answer, and few will wait around if the line keeps ringing.
That is the gap Onwards Answering fills. When you divert your line to us, a trained receptionist answers using your company name and a greeting agreed with you in advance. They screen each call, put the important ones through to whoever needs them and turn the rest into clear messages sent by email, SMS or the Onwards Answering Connect app. Our people work from home in Scotland rather than in a call centre, and callers simply hear someone who knows your business. New clients can start on a free trial, so you can hear how it sounds to your callers before committing.
Birmingham industries we pick up the phone for
Services dominate the Birmingham economy, yet manufacturing, events and centuries-old crafts still generate a steady flow of calls.
Financial and business services
Outside London, only Leeds employs more people in financial and business services than Birmingham. Accountants, brokers and consultancies here trade on responsiveness, so our receptionists answer in your firm's name, check who is calling and why, and transfer urgent matters to the right adviser while routine requests arrive as tidy written messages.
More on finance call handlingConferences and exhibitions
With the National Exhibition Centre and the International Convention Centre, Birmingham attracts 42% of the UK's conference and exhibition trade. Organisers, venues and event suppliers face sudden surges before and during a show. We absorb that overflow, take bookings, answer the questions that come up again and again, and log every enquiry while your people are on the exhibition floor.
More on hospitality call handlingManufacturing supply chains
Jaguar Land Rover at Castle Bromwich and Cadbury at Bournville support a supply chain of small precision manufacturers across the city. When your engineers are busy on the shop floor, calls from buyers and hauliers still need answering. We capture order references, delivery queries and quote requests, then pass them on so production is never interrupted by the phone.
Jewellery Quarter makers
Around 300 independent manufacturers in the Jewellery Quarter produce 40% of the jewellery made in the UK, a trade first recorded in Birmingham in 1308. Bench jewellers cannot down tools every time a customer rings about a commission or a repair. We take the details, book consultations into your diary and let you return calls once the piece in hand is finished.
Birmingham at a glance
Birmingham sits at the centre of the West Midlands county and borders the Black Country to the west. Together with Wolverhampton and towns such as Walsall, West Bromwich, Dudley and Solihull it forms the West Midlands conurbation, and the Royal Town of Sutton Coldfield lies within the city limits to the north. The city built its name on manufacturing and engineering, including the Gun Quarter north of the centre, which was for many years a centre of the world's gun-making industry.
Today services account for the great majority of jobs, and the city is the UK's largest centre for employment in public administration, education and health. Companies headquartered here include IMI plc, Mobico Group, Mitchells & Butlers and Claire's, and the wider metropolitan area has the largest concentration of major companies outside London and the South East.
Road links are extensive. The M5, M6, M40 and M42 all serve the city, and the Gravelly Hill Interchange, better known as Spaghetti Junction, is possibly the best-known motorway junction in the country. Local numbers carry the 0121 code and addresses use the B postcode. For firms with customers spread across such a large conurbation, dependable telephone answering means every caller is looked after, wherever they are ringing from.
Place facts sourced from Wikipedia.
What makes Onwards Answering different
Real people, never bots
Each call we take is answered by a trained receptionist speaking in your company name, not an automated menu or a recorded voice.
No per-call charges
You pay an agreed monthly package with no per-call fees, no bundles of minutes and no cap on how many calls we answer.
A summary after every call
Every call ends with a summary sent to you by email or SMS, and messages are also kept in the Onwards Answering Connect app and portal.
Familiar callers recognised
Returning callers are recognised, so the people who ring you often are greeted like someone your business already knows.
Voicemail after hours included
When the working day ends, an after-hours voicemail on your business number is included at no extra cost, so callers can still leave a message.
A home-working team in Scotland
Our receptionists are based in Scotland and work from home, backed by team leads and client managers. You get a small, personal team that learns your business, not a large call centre.
Getting started takes four steps
- 1
Tell us about your business
We learn what you do, who calls you and how you want each type of call handled.
- 2
We build your call script
Greetings, questions and call flows are written around your business, in your company name.
- 3
Divert your calls
Send calls to us all day, at busy times or only when you cannot answer. Your number stays the same.
- 4
Get every message
Messages and enquiries reach you by email, SMS or the Onwards Answering Connect app.
Call answering in Birmingham: your questions
Will callers still dial our usual 0121 number?
Yes. Nothing changes for your customers. You keep your existing Birmingham number and simply divert it to us, either for every call or only when you are busy or away from the desk. The receptionist answers with your business name, so callers have no reason to think they have reached anyone other than you.
Can you cope with extra calls during a big exhibition at the NEC?
Yes. Event businesses often need help with exactly those peaks. We agree a script in advance covering stand bookings, delivery arrangements and common questions, then take messages and capture leads so your staff can concentrate on the show. Our packages are flexible, so cover can be increased for busy weeks and reduced afterwards.
How does a team in Scotland handle calls for a Birmingham company?
The same way we handle calls for any client: with preparation. Our receptionists work from home in Scotland and are briefed on your business, services and preferred wording before they answer. Whether your firm is in Sutton Coldfield, the Jewellery Quarter or near Castle Bromwich, callers hear someone who knows how you work.
Call answering near Birmingham
We also answer calls for businesses in these nearby towns and cities.