What is a Virtual Receptionist?
First things first, a virtual receptionist is an outsourced live person that answers and handles incoming calls on behalf of your business. Beyond answering and transferring phone calls they can also reach out to customers on your behalf, take messages, send emails, and schedule your appointments. The only difference between a traditional receptionist and a virtual one is that they are not physically present in your office, which unfortunately means no coffee runs.
Benefits of a Virtual Receptionist
- Give Your Business a More Professional Front
Whether you’re a small business or a large corporation, having a friendly and professional voice answering your calls will immediately give your callers a sense of ease. First impressions matter, especially with potential customers, and as the first point of contact your virtual receptionist will be able to assure them that your business is trustworthy from the beginning.
- Allows You to Offer Exceptional Customer Service
Customer service is not everyone’s strong suit but it is undeniably a very important part of conducting business. Virtual receptionists are experts in delivering exceptional customer service for a variety of scenarios so your callers always feel like they are speaking with someone who cares. You will be able to brief your receptionist on how you prefer calls to be handled and they will take it from there. Being able to provide great customer service can make all the difference for a consumer choosing between you and a competitor.
- Generate Leads After Hours
Say goodbye to the days of missed calls that come in after your normal business hours. Most virtual receptionist services offer 24/7 call answering 365 days a year so that your callers can always reach a live person that they can voice their questions or concerns too. In addition, if your office is ever closed for vacation or another reason you can relax knowing your customers’ calls will still be answered.
- No More Calls Distracting You
Working on something important? Or maybe you’re spending quality time with your family? Either way, there are times as a business owner when you don’t have the availability to take a phone call. At those times you can easily forward your lines to your virtual receptionist service so that you can focus on whatever you need to at that moment.
- No Training Costs
So why not hire an in-house receptionist to handle your calls? Going through the steps of finding and hiring a good receptionist can be a lengthy process. Then comes the cost for training the receptionist in addition to the cost of their salary and providing benefits. When you hire a virtual receptionist service you will immediately have trained receptionists and the costs for the service in comparison will save you money in the long run. And as a bonus, most virtual receptionists services will offer you a free trial run so you can weigh the pros and cons yourself.
- Bilingual Services
With a bilingual virtual receptionist that speaks English and Spanish, you can easily connect with more clients than ever before at no extra cost. Having a bilingual receptionist readily available will allow your customers to communicate their needs to you in whichever language they are most comfortable with.
- Makes Appointment Scheduling Easy
Make the appointment scheduling process simple for your whole office. The majority of virtual receptionist firms will integrate with whatever scheduling platform you prefer to use. Your virtual receptionist can schedule appointments in your calendar based on your availability so you are never double booked.
Utilizing a virtual receptionist service could be the next step you were looking for to take your business to the next level. If you ever struggled with any of the areas listed above it may be time to start exploring your options. Virtual receptionist companies such as Posh Virtual Receptionist can offer these solutions to your company and are ready and able to answer your calls so you can get back to business.