Community Answering Service
The same questions. Less of your day.
Office hours, payment options, missed pickups. Answer routine questions around the clock using information you approve. Questions that need a person can go to your team.
AI chatbot for routine questions and requests.
Text, email, and web chat.
East Fork
Community Answering Service
Example conversation: Office hours
- Community member: Are you open on Saturday?
- Answering Service: We're open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. We're closed on weekends.
- Community member: Thanks!
Illustrative conversation
More ways to get help
Your answers, around the clock.
Help people after hours and across languages, with answers drawn from information you trust.
24/7
Even when your office is closed.
Answer routine questions at any hour. Messages that need a person can go to your team for follow-up.
Automatic translation
Answer in their language.
Automatically translate replies into supported languages. Use the same approved information without writing a separate answer for each language.
Your trusted knowledge base
Your information. No outside answers.
Answers draw from your approved information, not the open web. For more help, the service can share a useful link or connect people with your team.
Start with what you hear every day
Give people a useful next step.
“Where do I pay?”
Share payment options, office hours, and the right web links. Questions that need more personalized help can go to your team.
“What does this notice mean?”
Use the notice you sent and your approved information to answer follow-up questions in the same conversation.
“Can someone look into this?”
Take a message and the details people provide. Your team can review and respond if needed.
Your information. Your answers.
Write it once. Stop repeating it all day.
Keep office hours, service instructions, and useful links in one topic library. When something changes, update it there for every Answering Service channel.
Keep required wording exactly as written, or let the service answer conversationally from your approved instructions. Set an expiration date for time-sensitive information.
Your topic library
Example topic
Billing & Payments
ActiveHow to pay, payment options, and billing questions.
Approved information
Utility bills are issued on the second Tuesday of each month. Payments can be made online, by mail, or at our office. Online payments are the preferred method because they are received instantly.
Instructions for replies
Share the payment link if they want to make an online payment. Send questions about a specific balance or payment status to the billing team.
Important links
Pay your utility bill
Share when someone wants to pay online.
Payment options & office hours
Share for other ways to pay or visit the office.
What do people ask you every day?
Bring a few common questions. We will show you how the answers, requests, and staff handoffs can work.