I use a company call DirectPage and the person calls my "beeper" gets a voice message stating the rules and leave a number at the beep (do not leave voice message) and the number is paged (txted) to both my and my NP's phone. Depending on who is covering the "pager" one or the other of us will answer it. If she or I is going out, no need to change anything to cross cover. You can set it up to leave a message, but I don't.
I advance paid so I got it for about $8/ mo but looking on their website it is about $12.00/mo. They do have an iPhone app, but I don't use that. I switched to DirectPage many years ago when all the local places stopped carrying beepers (the other drug dealers turned to phones too, I guess.)
I get a page (and I have it on sound and vibrate, although sometimes my iPhone forgets and goes to vibrate only. I does ring back after a couple minutes if I do no check, meaning if I do not unlock the phone even if I see I do not need to answer it, I will get a second ring.
I don't use an answering service. I have a second pager from the hospital and use that exclusively for hospital business and they too (I think through ATT) have the ability to txt a page. I went from 2 pages and a cell phone on my belt to just a phone. Life is good.
DirectPage.com is their internet site and I have no relationship or kickbacks with them (I wish.)
