![The Centratel Telephone Answering Service building located in Bend, Oregon](https://www.centratel.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/centratel-banner.jpg)
Centratel HQ building, Bend, Oregon
7/26/2024
We hear you. Always have.
We’re 100% U.S.-owned and operated, with a 40-year, one-owner history.
Back in early 2020, after the near-destruction of the traditional answering service industry due to government-mandated COVID “6-foot distancing” rules, we’re one of the few home-grown mid-sized independent answering services remaining in the United States. We adapted and have thrived. Most of our smaller to medium-sized competing answering services could not move fast enough and their stranded customers were quickly bought out by three foreign-owned mega-services. And now these huge operations, many times retaining the original answering service’s name but processing calls elsewhere, dominate the market.
Probably you are one of their customers. How is the quality of your service?
Behind the scenes, we’ve always been on the technical cutting edge, and yet we don’t use gimmicky artificial intelligence nor do we off-shore calls. And we’re decidedly not Woke: we don’t hire via DEI/ESG dictates. We’re a meritocracy.*
Like you, we believe that human-to-human communication is best…and with this focus we are, statistically, the highest quality answering service within the industry.**
At Centratel, the agents who field incoming calls are highly paid, drug-free, long-term career professionals, many with tenures of over twenty years, some over thirty.
Technically, we rank in the top one percent: Our telephony and IT systems are fully redundant, with two separate outside hosting sites. No matter the external influence, your service will continue uninterrupted.
To test our service quality and to get an estimate of our cost, we’ll give you a unique-within-the-industry, no-obligation 30-day free trial. You can keep your current answering service while you give us a try…
In these recent post-COVID years of “less than optimal” customer service, you will love working back and forth with us!
Yes, our prices are competitive. There are no long-term contracts. We can have your free trial up-and-running within 24-hours hours. Contact us today!
-Sam Carpenter, owner and president
* Instead, in our hiring practices, we are proponents of MEI (“Merit, Excellence and Intelligence”). Interestingly, a census of our full-time staff of fifty-five almost exactly matches national census statistics for those primary categories. The exception? Due to our MEI hiring policy, as of July 2024, 95% of Centratel’s front-line and executive staff is female. From Sam Carpenter, Centratel’s majority owner: “Diversity is not the ultimate goal. Instead, diversity is a byproduct of proper merit-based hiring policies.” (Of course, Centratel strictly abides by DOJ guidelines regarding race, color, national origin, sex, religion, etc.).
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** Our most recent Customer Reported Error Rate (April through June, 2024) was 1 customer-reported error for every 6,491 message transactions processed. That’s a statistic far superior to any other answering service in the United States.
100% Fail-Safe Service
Extremely rare for an answering service, we have a fully redundant operation. In these days of uncertainty, the reliability and continuity of your service will be bullet-proof.
No Long-term Contract
We don’t ask for long-term contracts. This is a philosophical issue. If your telephone answering service is a good value, you will choose to continue each month. Some of our clients have been with us for four decades.
100% U.S. Based Operations
All of Centratel’s Telephone Service Representatives (TSRs) are located right here in the U.S.
“For 40 years we’ve been delivering superb quality call-capture and message dispatch for select professions and businesses.”
— Sam Carpenter – Founder, President
Business Specialties
Medical
Nights, weekends, after-hours, holidays, or the middle of a busy weekday, Centratel’s professional agents will provide HIPAA-compliant call coverage for emergencies as well as administrative backup.
Home Health and Hospice
For decades Centratel has provided the highest quality, professional, and compassionate assistance to hospice patients and family members all across the U.S. Our service is 24/7/365 and fully HIPAA-compliant.
Veterinary
Centratel has a long history of servicing the veterinary industry, handling overflow, daytime, after-hours and weekend calls with the utmost compassion, professionalism, and accuracy.
24/7 Business
Give your callers the same quality of service they receive when speaking directly to your office staff. Centratel will be an extension of your office.
HVAC
Heatwave or snowstorm, our agents will provide your HVAC operation with the highest quality phone coverage, 24/7/365. In no time at all and at minimum cost, we’ll become a trusted part of your operation.
Trade Service
Centratel provides call-capture and emergency dispatch for trade service companies such as plumbers, electricians, emergency restoration businesses, and many more. Never again will an urgent call be missed!
Property Management
With 24-hour support, Centratel agents will handle incoming calls with zero-defect, forwarding urgent calls to your on-call people while screening less important inquiries for later follow-up by your office.
Utility
As the after-hours face of your utility, we are the highest quality dispatching answering service in the U.S.. Across the country, we work with scores of both public and private utilities including water, oil, gas, and propane companies.
Testimonials
Dr. R.C., pathologist,
Portland, Or.
“Terrific. Every contact I have had with (Centratel) staff has been absolutely professional – a ‘ten’ in my book. I have used medical answering services for 15 years and this is the best experience I have ever had.”
Veterinarian, Manistee, Mi.
“I’m very impressed with your operation. Our last answering service (which was our second bad service) was such a disaster I thought I’d never again feel comfortable with an answering service. But with Centratel we feel very confident our rotation will be handled properly. Thanks so much.”
J.R., owner, property management company, Pepperpike, OH
“Fantastic! You have taken a huge weight off my shoulders. Thanks everyone!”
S.H., owner, HVAC company,
Gurnee, Il.
“Since switching to your answering service seven months ago, we have not encountered a single problem or complaint from even one customer. All operators are extremely polite and professional. It’s a pleasure working with you. Keep up the good work!”