Phone Answering Service in CT | Edwards Answering Service

## Edwards Answering Service: A Connecticut-Based 24/7 Phone Answering Provider

Edwards Answering Service Enterprises, Inc. (EASE) is a telephone answering company headquartered in Connecticut, with phone numbers listed for both Hartford (Vernon area, 860 646 5080) and New Haven (203 877 6480). The company was founded in 1954 by Fred and Betty Edwards. That 70-plus-year track record is not a marketing throwaway line. In a market where call center vendors come and go, longevity in a relationship-driven service business usually signals something real about operational consistency.

The core offering is live, 24/7 phone answering for small and mid-sized businesses. That means real agents picking up calls around the clock, not a voicemail box with a friendly message. Beyond the base answering service, EASE offers a meaningful range of adjacent communication services: appointment setting, database management, email answering, fax answering, secure text messaging, text answering, voicemail, pager service, conference call services, live transfer and call patching, and a client-facing online web portal. The portal lets clients manage on-call schedules without calling in, which is a practical detail worth noting. Many small businesses waste time relaying schedule changes to their answering service. A self-service portal removes that friction.

EASE positions itself explicitly as a small business solution, and the client list on its site reflects that. The industries they serve read like a directory of local service businesses: alarm companies, appliance repair, cleaning companies, contractors, electricians, HVAC companies, landscapers, locksmiths, pest control, restoration services, towing companies, and utility providers. On the professional services side: law firms, accounting firms and CPAs, insurance adjusters, IT and computer consulting companies, non-profits, schools, hotels, and veterinarians. Real estate and property management are called out separately as named service lines, not just generic mentions. That breadth is not unusual for an answering service, but it does suggest they have built scripts and workflows for a wide variety of call types rather than serving only one vertical.

For medical and healthcare-adjacent clients, they list a dedicated medical answering service. Medical call handling carries specific requirements around message confidentiality and escalation. I would verify directly whether their medical service is HIPAA-compliant before routing any patient-related calls through them. The research does not confirm a HIPAA certification, so that is a question for the sales call, not an assumption.

Pricing is listed as a page on the site, with plans and specials advertised. The research does not reveal specific rate tiers, but the free trial offer is mentioned explicitly. That is worth taking seriously. A free trial lets you evaluate actual agent quality, message accuracy, and escalation handling before you commit. I would use a trial period to test a few real call scenarios, not just volume. How does the agent handle an ambiguous situation? How fast is message delivery? What does the portal actually show you? Those details matter more than the monthly rate.

Account setup is described as easy, with fully customized accounts, local or toll-free number options, and employee training included. Customization is table stakes for any credible answering service, but the training mention is worth noting. If agents are handling calls for your specific business under your brand, they need to know your protocols. Ask how that training works in practice and how it gets updated when your processes change.

EASE operates on a 24/7 model, which means timezones are effectively covered for any US-based client. For a Connecticut-based business serving local customers, the geographic proximity may matter more than timezone arithmetic. Same-state presence can translate to familiarity with local context, though I would not overweight that without verifying it in practice.

**Editor's Take**

Edwards Answering Service is a strong candidate for a small Connecticut-based business that needs live call coverage without building an in-house receptionist function. The 70-year operating history is meaningful in this category. Answering services compete on consistency and trust, and a company that has survived that long in a competitive market has presumably delivered both to enough clients to stay viable.

The fit is clearest for local service businesses, trades, professional services, and property management operations that get time-sensitive inbound calls. If your calls require complex judgment or deep product knowledge, you will need to invest real time in the onboarding and scripting process. That is true of any answering service, not a specific critique of EASE.

Things I would verify on the intake call: the medical answering service's HIPAA posture, how message escalation works when a call genuinely cannot wait, average answer speed during peak hours, and what the realistic all-in monthly cost looks like at your expected call volume. The free trial is the right first step. Use it seriously.