Outsourcing to a virtual receptionist is becoming a popular option for many businesses, as it can be a more affordable option than hiring an in-house receptionist. If you’re considering outsourcing your calls and want to know just how much a virtual receptionist service can do for you, keep reading.
What is a virtual receptionist?
A virtual receptionist works in exactly the same way as an in-house receptionist, but is simply offered by an outsourced provider. They answer any incoming calls for your business and give your customers the impression that they work for you, if that’s your preference. The service can be tailored to your exact requirements, whether that means a virtual receptionist taking all calls during business hours, over the weekend or even 24/7.
What are the benefits of a virtual receptionist?
There are many benefits to outsourcing to a virtual receptionist, here are just a few of them:
Time-saving
A virtual receptionist will answer your calls whenever your team is unavailable, allowing them to concentrate on their own tasks instead of answering the phone.
Cost-effective
By hiring a virtual receptionist, you are saving on the costs of hiring a permanent in-house team member; including salary, benefits, training and healthcare, to name just a few. Also, with many providers billing on a per minute basis, you’re paying for the optimum level of support and nothing more.
Organized
Organization is a crucial skill for any virtual receptionist. Whether it’s greeting customers while on the phone or keeping on top of inquiries from customers, there’s always more than one thing on the go that needs to be managed properly.
Professional
Maintaining a receptionist and having someone on hand to answer customer inquiries, schedule appointments and take payments promptly, will give your business a professional look from the start to the end of the customer experience.
Available 24/7
A receptionist can’t work 24/7, but a virtual receptionist service can. A virtual receptionist service isn’t just one person, it’s a team. Outsourcing to them allows your business to be available around the clock, this is especially beneficial if your business operates in multiple time zones.
Reduce missed calls
By outsourcing to a virtual receptionist service, you have a dedicated team to answer your business calls whenever you need, ensuring no lead or business opportunities are ever missed.
Flexible
You can work when it’s convenient for you, as your virtual receptionist is on hand when you need them to be – even 24/7 if you prefer – leaving you to respond to inquiries whenever it works for you.
What are the benefits of hiring an in-house receptionist?
Despite the many advantages of outsourcing to a virtual receptionist service, there are also lots of benefits an in-house receptionists can bring to your business:
Multi-functional support
With an in-house receptionist, you have someone physically sitting at your front desk to welcome visitors to the office. Their role might also be multifunctional as they can often provide extra support to departments across your business when they need a helping hand.
Quick response times
Sometimes rare situations arise where a receptionist doesn’t know the answer to a question a customer has asked. In this case, an in-house receptionist will be able to ask their colleagues in the office and answer the question immediately, whereas a virtual receptionist would have to wait for a response from the team meaning it can take longer to answer the customer’s inquiry.
Easy communication
By having a receptionist in-house, you are able to see what they are doing, monitor the quality of their work and suggest improvements if needed. Whereas, if you hire a virtual receptionist, because they’re not actually based in your office, you have to be proactive and make the effort to check in with how they’re doing.
Is a virtual receptionist service cheaper than an in-house receptionist?
In the long-term, there are more financial benefits when you outsource to a virtual receptionist service than hiring a new team member. The in-house route can financially burden small/medium businesses with lots of hidden costs such as salary, benefits, recruitment and workspace costs. On the other hand, when you use a virtual receptionist service you will only pay for the calls that have been taken during your billing period, and all other costs are included in this, for example, any refresher training.
Why VoiceNation?
When looking at a virtual receptionist, the pros definitely outweigh the cons. And with the best pricing and people in the live answering services on the market, there’s no reason not to go with VoiceNation. Don’t wait any longer to give your business that extra boost and provide your customers with the first-class service they deserve. Get in touch today to learn more about our Virtual Receptionist Services and find the right price plan for you.