Your answering service takes a message. Maximus books the job. That is a $287 difference per call.
Ruby, Smith.ai, AnswerConnect. They answer and write down a name. You call back 4 hours later. The customer already booked someone else. Maximus books the appointment in under 60 seconds.
The real comparison
| Answering Service | Maximus | |
|---|---|---|
| Answers call | Yes | Yes |
| Books the job | No (takes message) | Yes (real-time CRM) |
| Checks availability | No | Yes |
| Sends confirmation | No | Yes (instant text) |
| Cost | $200-500/mo + per-minute | Included in $697/mo minimum |
| Learns your business | No (reads script) | Yes (self-learning) |
| Emergency routing | Takes message | Routes to on-call tech |
| Simultaneous calls | Limited operators | Unlimited |
| Also handles | Nothing else | Collections, reactivation, reviews, marketing, and morning briefings |
The $287 difference
An answering service takes a message. You call back 4 hours later. The customer already booked. $287 gone.
Maximus books the job in under 60 seconds. The customer never calls anyone else.
But here is what really separates them:
An answering service is step 1 of 5. What about the unpaid invoice from last month? The 400 past customers nobody has contacted? The no-show about to cancel? The review you never requested? Maximus handles all of it. An answering service handles one call.
What an answering service cannot do
Maximus does all 8. Your answering service does zero.
We win when you win.
90 days. If Maximus does not recover more than you pay in fees, every dollar back.
You keep whatever the agents collected. Email one sentence: "I want my refund." Processed in 48 hours. No call. No forms. No guilt trip.
Read the full guarantee →Frequently asked questions
My answering service works fine. Why switch?
What about Ruby or Smith.ai?
Does the AI sound natural?
How much does Maximus cost?
More comparisons
P.S. — Ask your answering service: Of 100 messages last month, how many became booked jobs? If they cannot answer, you are paying for a message pad. Maximus books the job before you put your tools down.