The average cost of a virtual receptionist
The cost of a virtual receptionist service depends on many factors. You’ll need to consider the size of your business and how many calls you need your virtual receptionist to answer, as well as if you’re looking for a fully personalized service. The level of support your business requires will determine the base cost; for example, if you need 24/7 answering it will cost more than just cover for overflow calls. The amount of additional features your business requires, such as payment taking and bilingual operators, will also influence the cost of the virtual receptionist service.
How much is the cost of a receptionist compared to an in-house receptionist?
When thinking about hiring a virtual receptionist instead of an in-house receptionist, cost is one of the most important things to consider. The great thing about using a virtual receptionist is that you only pay for the calls they answer. On the other hand, hiring an in-house receptionist can be more expensive as there’s more associated costs that you’ll need to cover, including:
- Salary
- Recruitment
- Training
- Employee benefits e.g. healthcare
- Workspace costs e.g. IT equipment
Virtual receptionist vs in-house receptionist
Whether you choose to hire an in-house receptionist or a virtual receptionist is dependent on your business’ unique needs and preferences. An in-house receptionist can offer a personalized touch and greater control over call management, all while being in your office to physically greet visitors. On the other hand, outsourcing to a virtual receptionist offers 24/7 availability, scalability and is cost-effective.
How does a virtual receptionist add value to your business?
Hiring a receptionist is an investment for your business. They’re there to improve the workflow of the office, direct callers to the right department and increase the efficiency of your business. To ensure you receive the most return on investment, it’s important to choose the right virtual receptionist service for your business. There are many reasons why outsourcing to a virtual receptionist service is effective, here are just a few:
- Improved customer service: Virtual phone receptionists are trained professionals who provide excellent customer service. They are trained to handle all types of calls and can provide basic support to your customers. This level of professionalism can enhance your company’s reputation and create a positive impression on your customers.
- Scalability: If your business is growing, you can easily scale your virtual phone receptionist services. With an in-house receptionist, you may need to hire additional staff to handle an increase in calls. With a virtual phone receptionist, you can add additional services or hours as needed, without the added expense of hiring a new employee.
- 24/7 availability: Virtual phone receptionists are available 24/7, which means you never miss a call, even outside of business hours. This is particularly important if you have clients or customers in different time zones, or if you have a business that operates outside of regular working hours.
Why is a virtual receptionist service cheaper than a receptionist?
In the long-term, there are more financial benefits when outsourcing to a virtual receptionist service than hiring a permanent new team member.
For starters, using a virtual receptionist instead of an in-house receptionist will allow you to save on the significant overhead costs of hiring a permanent team member. With an outsourced provider, every aspect of employee training, recruitment, wellbeing and health benefits are covered, meaning you gain great people who are ready to hit the ground running and answer your calls right away. Additionally, their support will ensure you no longer have to cover holidays, breaks, lunches or sickness, as they’re always available to answer your calls.
Another factor is the size of your business. If you have multiple offices, then you might need to hire more than one receptionist, which could increase your costs significantly. A virtual receptionist is able to scale up or down depending on the amount of calls that your business receives and can answer incoming calls for multiple offices simultaneously.
How do you pay for a virtual receptionist service?
Every outsourced provider will have their own approach to billing. So, when shopping around it’s worth considering which is right for you. Here’s a few of the most common billing methods out there:
Monthly billing: This is the most common way an answering service charges you. This billing structure is great, especially for smaller businesses, as it can often be more affordable and helps you keep track of your outgoings.
Per-minute billing: Some providers charge based on call duration, which means the longer your receptionist is on the phone with your customers, the more it will cost. This can work for lots of businesses, but it’s worth remembering that if you require lots of information to be captured during the call, this will result in longer calls and a more expensive bill.
Per-call billing: This plan charges you per call, but doesn’t take into account the duration of the call itself. This plan would be suitable for businesses with predictable call volume and short call durations.
Why VoiceNation?
Here at VoiceNation, we believe in fair pricing. That’s why we offer our answering services in the form of two plans – Essential and Personalized. This allows businesses, just like you, to choose an answering plan that works for them.
Hundreds of businesses, from a range of sectors, rely on VoiceNation’s Virtual Receptionist Service to enhance their customer experience and ensure every inquiry is captured in the most cost-effective way.
With the best people and most flexible pricing in the industry, VoiceNation leads the market. Contact us today to find out more about our Virtual Receptionist service and pricing plans.