Moneypenny, the telephone answering service used by many agents, has launched in the US.

The company, which in 15 years has gone from a £10,000 start-up to the biggest business of its kind in the world, handles more than 9m calls a year for over 7,000 businesses in the UK.

The figures include over 1.1m calls for 850 estate and letting agents.

Ed Reeves, co-founder and director of Moneypenny, said: “When Moneypenny opened in the UK, the face of telephone answering was similar to how it has traditionally been in the US – dominated by more impersonal messenger services.

“It was Moneypenny’s vision to change this. We wanted to offer businesses the same high standard of service they would receive if they had their own receptionist, based in their office.”

Reeves founded Moneypenny along with his sister Rachel Clacher, in 2000 after experiencing unsatisfactory service from a telephone answering service himself.

At the time he was running a small graphic design company and lost his biggest client while he was away on holiday. Inspired to do better, Moneypenny was born.

Reeves said: “We answer calls either on an overflow or fully outsourced basis for thousands of companies throughout the UK, and are now able to offer our exceptional service to the US.

“We have revolutionised this service in the UK and are confident that we will be a game-changer for businesses in the US too.

“We’ve already been attracting attention from an impressive list of clients across the country.”

Moneypenny founders brother and sister Ed Reeves (far left) and Rachel Clacher celebrate the opening of the company’s new office in Charleston, South Carolina, with vice-presidents Pete Hardie (second left) and Toby Diggens who are heading up the US operation