FAQ

Frequently asked questions

  • How will I be billed?

    An invoice will be sent out on the 1st of every month for the following month’s service, so on October 1st you would receive the invoice for November's service, giving you a full month to make a payment.

  • What are my payment options?

    You can pay with a bank draft, credit card, or check.

    It's also easy to set up automatic monthly payments.

  • Do you charge extra for?

    Extra calls? No.

    Extra minutes? No.

    Holidays? Still No.

    Here's the bottom line: your rate at the beginning of the month is the exact amount you will be charged regardless of how many calls our operators receive from your residents.

    Call volume is determined by community size for the vast majority of accounts, though there are rare exceptions. If your community has an unusually high call volume, we will work with you to negotiate a new rate reflecting your normal usage.

  • What is your cancellation policy?

    Within the first 30 days of service, you can cancel at any time and request a full refund.

    After 30 days on our service, all we ask is 30 days written notice of cancellation.

  • What are your customer service hours?

    Our regular business hours are 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Central Time, Monday through Friday; we're available via email, fax, or phone.

    We're closed on weekends and major holidays, but if you have an account-related emergency outside regular hours you can reach us by phone.

  • Does your voicemail system have Spanish greetings?

    Yes.

  • How are calls answered?

    Our basic package combines automated voice messaging and operators for emergency calls. Tenants are given the opportunity to leave a voicemail message for non-emergency situations, and can easily reach an operator if needed.

    This combined approach allows you to serve your residents while filtering out unnecessary calls to your staff, thus reducing overtime costs.

    For more information about how calls are handled, see How It Works.

  • How can I view and update my account information?

    When setting up your answering service, Apartment Lines gives you access to your account information via our web portal at my.apartmentlines.com. There you can view and update staff contact numbers, on-call rotations, and the instructions the operators follow when answering your calls.

  • How do I keep my contact numbers up to date?

    The fastest and easiest way to update them is via the web portal. You can also send us updates via email, phone, or fax.

  • Can I see who has called while my phones are forwarded to your service?

    Yes. You view call detail records for all calls handled through our system via our web portal. Call records include date and time of the call, caller ID name and number, and the general action taken by the caller (listened to main greeting, transferred to voicemail, etc).

  • Can I monitor emergency calls handled by operators?

    Yes. Every time a resident talks to an operator, it is recorded, and all your recordings are available via the web portal.

    With our optional Daily operator report feature, an emergency call summary arrives each morning detailing the previous night’s emergency calls.

  • I’m not using an answering service right now; why should I use one?

    Residents call the after hours number for many reasons, and not all of them are emergencies.

    1. If calls go straight to your maintenance technician, you’re likely paying them to address non-emergencies, which could cost you money.
    2. If calls go straight to your pager or cell phone, you’re likely wasting your own time (hopefully not in the middle of the night) dealing with non-emergencies, which could cost you aggravation.
    3. In the case of an actual emergency, live operators can quickly dispatch the call by going down your call list until they reach someone. It's reassuring to no longer have a single point of failure (like a dead cell phone), especially in situations when every second counts, which could cost you your business."

    Apartment Lines can also handle calls during business hours when you’re out on the property or on the phone.