When you weigh all the benefits a skilled virtual receptionist brings to your business, and all the time they save you and your staff—we certainly think they are worth the investment. Customer service can make or break a business faster than almost anything else. In fact, studies show that almost 90% of consumers say good customer service is just as important as the product or service a company provides.
You may be wondering exactly what a virtual receptionist cost is and what services they provide so you can decide for yourself if they are worth it. Keep reading to find out.
What Is a Live Virtual Receptionist?
Virtual live receptionist services operate a lot like an in-house receptionist; they answer calls and messages your business receives and help customers in a friendly and professional way. The biggest difference is that they are not physically based in your business, but are instead provided by a third party company. At Berkshire Receptionists, our staff have industry specific training, so they can act as a true asset to your business by answering questions with the background knowledge needed.
The “live” part of a live virtual receptionist means this type of service is provided by a real person, not an answering machine or pre-recorded menu. When a customer knows their call will be answered by a human—not a frustrating machine—it really sets your company apart.
What Are Five Duties of a Receptionist?
Live virtual receptionists provide many services for an organization.What they do for your company specifically will depend on your needs. In general, though, virtual receptionists will:
- Schedule appointments or meetings – Callers can easily book or change an appointment without needing to jump through hoops.
- Forward calls – Someone calling your business doesn’t have to already know who they need to speak to; the virtual receptionist can help guide them to the right resource right away.
- Intake leads – Potential customers can be pre-screened to make sure they qualify for your services and understand how you can help them before they reach your internal team.
- Transfer messages – Callers can explain exactly what they need and a virtual receptionist can ask any relevant followup questions and escalate a message based on importance.
- Take payments – Clients can pay their bill or upgrade their service with a simple phone call.
Why Get a Virtual Receptionist?
The benefits of having a receptionist are many. Clients work with companies with good customer service, and being able to speak to a live person with the experience and tools to help them anytime they call matters. Having a virtual receptionist provides additional advantages above and beyond those you get from in-house staff. These include:
- Decreased Costs | Virtual receptionists like those at Berkshire Receptionists, provide top level service at an affordable price. This is especially beneficial with a virtual receptionist for small business, since you only pay for the minutes you use.
- Increased Productivity | Your staff can focus their time and experience doing business critical tasks only they can do, because they won’t be interrupted by phone calls.
- 24/7 Availability | When you work with a virtual receptionist team like Berkshire Receptionists, there will always be someone there to answer the phone—even after work hours or on the weekends.
- Bilingual Receptionists | Don’t miss opportunities coming from your non-native English speaking clientele, Berkshire Receptionists can speak Spanish as well.
- No Long Term Contract | If your business needs change, your virtual receptionist services can adapt with you, making scalability easy.
How Much Does a Digital Receptionist Cost?
The price of a digital receptionist will depend on many factors, like the provider, receptionist training, and amount of time spent on calls.
- Service Provider – Like most things, you get what you pay for. More skilled receptionists will cost more.
- Services Offered – Basic services will typically handle tasks like answering calls, taking messages, and scheduling appointments. More comprehensive services will include additional services like 24/7 availability, SMS relays, custom hold music, online client portals, usage reports, and much more.
- Level of Support Required – At Berkshire Receptionists, all of our packages come with 24/7 live receptionists. Our virtual receptionist packages are customizable to your needs.
- Pricing Models – Most providers follow a pricing model with a flat monthly subscription fee and additional minute packages. These additional minute packages include a set price for extra minutes beyond the base minutes included in the subscription.
Here is the pricing structure used for Berkshire Receptionists, to give you an idea of what you might expect.
- Starter | $40 per month, 0 minutes, $1.89 per additional minute
- Small Business | $180 per month, 100 minutes, $1.79 per additional minute
- Pro | $350 per month, 200 minutes, $1.74 per additional minute
- Enterprise | $850 per month, 500 minutes, $1.69 per additional minute
Every plan includes the high level of service you can count on, with all the features you need like:
- 24/7 Live Receptionists
- Call Transfers
- Email Relays
- SMS Relays
- Secure Notifications
- Bilingual Receptionists
- Custom Hold Music
- Personalized Greetings
- Local Number
- Disaster Recovery
- Online Client Portal
- Usage Report
- Dedicated Account Manager
Where Can You Find the Best Virtual Receptionist, from Small Business to Enterprise Operation?
At Berkshire Receptionists! We have been providing top-quality services for over 80 years, and our team knows how to leave the helpful and professional first impression your business wants. Our receptionists have industry-specific training, meaning they can understand what callers need help with and truly add value to your company.
Schedule a meeting today or get started to start reaping the rewards of a professional live receptionist tomorrow.