[clecl]

Having been through something similar myself, I know how difficult this sort of planning can be.

The first challenge is to come up with at least a vague estimate of how many calls you are likely to be dealing with and on average how long those calls will last. I found that I was able to come up three scenarios with ranging call volumes and handling times. I was able to do this based on trending the different inquiry types we had been receiving by e-mail and judging which of those would most likely translate into phone calls when the service was offered. Knowledge of what was required to satisfy each request type help me arrive at estimates of average call duration.

I have never been a fan of voicemail as an option for telephone customer service. The grim reality is that customers usually don't like it and you can count on many of them having called again and spoken to someone by the time their message has been returned. There are several options for low-cost ACDs that are tailored for small organizations (both in cost and in features). Your decision in the end will naturally represent a balance of what is good for your customers, what is acceptable to your organization's customer service philosophies and, certainly, what fits your budget. Good luck!