What is the Role of a Virtual Receptionist in Different Companies?

A phone call is often one of first ways customers get in touch with your business. Even if they intend to visit your business at its physical address, they may call and ask for your working hours or check on product availability so they don’t waste their time.

As you already know, there is only one chance to make a first impression.

When potential clients call your business looking for information, the first voice they hear leaves a lasting impact. Will it be the employee who happens to be closest to the phone or a professional receptionist? Imagine a potential client calling your business, only to get no answer at all. It definitely wouldn’t compel them to pursue your products or services further.

Hiring a virtual receptionist can help avoid inconveniencing your customers and giving them an impression of unreliability. Virtual receptionists do much more than take phone calls, but we will discuss that in more detail later in this article.

You’ve only got one shot at a first impression, and hiring the right virtual receptionist can help you nail it every time. Keep reading to learn more about virtual assistants and how they can improve your business.

What Is A Virtual Receptionist?

There is a common misconception that virtual receptionists are little more than software that answers phone calls independently — but here, we’re discussing real human employees.

As the profession’s name suggests, virtual receptionists are employees who perform the same work as in-house receptionists without being physically present in your company. Instead, they perform their work responsibilities virtually from their home, coworking space, or some other remote location.

Although virtual receptionists are remote workers, the parties who call you will never be aware of it. Although not physically present in your company, your receptionist will be sufficiently familiar with the most important details of your business to sound like an in-person part of the team.

Is It Better To Have A Virtual Or In-House Receptionist?

The main difference between hiring a virtual and an in-house receptionist is the cost to your business. If you opt for a full-time employee, you’ll need to invest significantly more. Also, if your business is in its infancy and you don’t have many calls, you may not need a full-time employee but someone who works on an as-needed basis and is paid accordingly.

If you opt for an in-house receptionist, you can expect to accommodate for regular annual vacations and non-working or sick days. This isn’t the case with a virtual receptionist. You enter a contract with the agency for the best virtual receptionist services, and you can expect to pay only for precisely stated in the agreement.

Whether you are just starting out and don’t expect a significant volume of phone calls, or hiring a receptionist for the first time to determine whether you truly need one, a virtual receptionist is a great option.

What Are The Benefits Of A Virtual Receptionist Service?

The virtual receptionist you hire can address many of your team’s challenges if you use one that fits your specific needs. Here are some of the benefits the best virtual receptionist services can bring to the table:

• It makes your business sound more professional. The receptionist is the first interaction the client will have with your company. If they sound knowledgeable and pleasant, it will leave an impression of professionalism. Regardless of the size of your business, a receptionist who takes your calls and messages can make you sound serious, credible, and trustworthy.
• It allows your team members to focus on work without interruption. The receptionist will take calls and messages, while your employees will be free to focus on the work you pay them to do. Interrupting work to answer a call and provide an answer to a frequently-asked question can interfere with concentration disrupt productivity.
• A trained receptionist will improve the customer experience. If your receptionist goes through training, he can provide helpful information to callers. The last thing you want is a person answering every question with “umm”. You want someone who represents your brand in a professional and dignified way and positively impacts the user experience and, therefore, user engagement.
• You will avoid missed calls. If you’re a smaller team, who answers your calls over holidays or during team-building activities? Hiring a receptionist mitigates the risk of missing calls and your clients will feel that you care about them and their needs, even when you may be unavailable.
• The receptionist can efficiently schedule appointments. It can be demanding can be to organize a meeting with several collaborators. A virtual receptionist can schedule appointments and send reminders before the event so no one misses the memo.
• Reduced costs. Hiring a virtual receptionist drastically reduces costs compared to work of a similar quality that an in-house receptionist would do.

What Are The Responsibilities Of A Virtual Receptionist?

The duties of a virtual receptionist will depend on your requirements and are adaptable to the needs of your business. Here are some basic tasks your virtual receptionist should be able to handle for you:

• Live call answering: A virtual receptionist answers your company’s calls in real-time. It creates a more professional experience and improves your potential customer’s first impression of your business. You can specify how you want the receptionist to greet customers when they answer and how they handle your calls.
• Taking and delivering messages: This is one of the most basic functions of a receptionist, whether in-house or virtual. It involves taking information from the caller and reliably passing it on to the person it is intended for.
• Call transfer: After answering a call, the receptionist can transfer it to the appropriate person on your team.
• Scheduling appointments: If you provide your receptionist with your calendar of dates and times when you are available, they can schedule meetings on your behalf. The receptionist will inform you about each scheduled appointment so that you can prepare in time.
• Answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs): Callers often ask the same questions — about hours of operation and available services, for example. You can give the operator answers to your most frequently-asked questions to relay to your callers. This way, the receptionist will reduce the number of call transfers to your busy employees.

It’s vital to answer calls quickly and professionally. You don’t want to leave customers waiting, nor do you want their calls to go unanswered or poorly answered. You can create guidelines with your receptionist’s agency regarding hours during which calls should be answered and even within a certain number of rings.

How Much Does A Virtual Receptionist Service Cost?

The price of virtual receptionist services will depend on your needs, the scope of work, and the agency’s pricing model. There are several pricing models they may use:

• Price per minute: At the end of the month, you will be billed for the total number of minutes the receptionist spent talking to your customers.
• Monthly subscription: You can subscribe to the monthly package that suits your needs, according to the number of minutes offered. You are not obliged to use the entire box for a month; if you exceed it, the receptionist company defines how additional minutes will be charged in advance.
• Customized pricing: You pay only for the services you use and which you clearly define in the contract. This could be as simple as just answering the call and transferring the it to your employees, or a more personalized experience during which the receptionist provides more information to the caller.

The cost of virtual receptionist services averages between 75 and 95 cents per minute and can range anywhere from $20 to $3,000 per month. Your pricing will depend on your business’s call volume and the complexity of the service.

How To Choose The Right Virtual Receptionist?

There are endless agencies that offer virtual receptionist services and choosing the right one can be difficult if you don’t know exactly what you’re looking for.

Think about your needs. Is it important to have a receptionist who is available 24-7? Would you be happy with a person who will simply answer the phone and write down messages? Or, are you in the market for a trained professional who can work to solve your clients’ problems?

Once you’ve identified your requirements, interview several agencies to determine which one can meet your expectations. Read impressions and reviews on websites and Google Business accounts and choose the agency who will connect you with a valuable addition to your team.

Take Away

Leveraging virtual receptionist services can be a game-changer for your business. Instead of your customers waiting for an answer or talking to an automated answering machine, let the professional answer their requests.

A well-trained professional receptionist will be able to better serve your clients (and potential new customers) while you concentrate on providing the products and services you’re passionate about.

Don’t hesitate to explore the best virtual receptionist services today for a fraction of the cost and the same professionalism as a full-time receptionist.