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. By handling calls, appointments, and questions with expertise, they boost both the company’s reputation and the level of satisfaction among its customers. Not surprisingly, 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. That means customers will stick around if your customer service is fast, efficient, and friendly—rather than having to navigate confusing menus or receiving mediocre service.
You may be wondering exactly what a virtual receptionist cost is and what can a virtual receptionist do so you can understand what services they provide to your business—and why they’re beneficial.
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. They have the resources to handle an assortment of tasks, including responding to customer inquiries, processing orders, scheduling appointments. Overall, virtual receptionists carry out routine administrative duties without having to be in your office at the front desk.
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. This is especially true, because— when compared to automated systems—a remote receptionist service can provide a more personable and empathetic interaction with callers. Their ability to understand complex questions, deliver customized solutions, and demonstrate genuine concern encourages customer satisfaction and loyalty.
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. Our receptionists answer the phone as a part of your team and will be familiar with the specific needs of your customers—which means they get the help they need without the headache of navigating a call center or answering machine.
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. This ensures the smooth operation of your business and helps keep all of your appointments up to date, whether it’s a new, rescheduled, or canceled appointment.
- 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. In fact, it’s so seamless, your customers will have the same experience as if the receptionist was in-house—calls directly forwarded to the correct employee with no delay.
- 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. This means more qualified leads without having to sift through potential customers who don’t meet your conditions.
- 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. With this capability your team will always receive messages right away, especially those with the utmost importance and urgency.
- Take payments – Clients can pay their bill or upgrade their service with a simple phone call. They don’t have to worry about typing numbers into their keypad, they can get helpful and friendly service with a virtual receptionist.
Why Get a Virtual Receptionist?
Among the many reasons why businesses use virtual receptionists, most businesses find the cost-effectiveness a great benefit, not to mention 24/7/365 availability. In general, businesses work with virtual receptionist companies that provide good customer service—helping customers speak with a live person at any time when it matters the most. Having a virtual receptionist provides additional advantages above and beyond those you get from in-house staff. So what are the benefits of a virtual receptionist? These benefits of having a receptionist 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.
The advantages of a virtual receptionist are not only about saving money and increased availability, but also act as an opportunity for a change in the workplace culture, freeing up funds for important initiatives and creating an atmosphere that boosts efficiency. Plus, receiving 24/7 support with a bilingual receptionist means your business can help customers no matter where they are and answer their questions in either English or Spanish. All of these benefits are a part of every Berkshire Receptionist plan, which means you don’t have to worry about meeting the needs of your customers, even if you only need the Starter Plan.
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
Does a Virtual Receptionist Work for Businesses?
Yes! Virtual receptionists absolutely help businesses that are looking to answer customer phone calls. Whether it’s for appointment scheduling or simply redirecting calls, a virtual receptionist will greatly benefit your business, especially for cutting costs. In fact, you can save thousands of dollars a month when comparing a receptionist salary to the cost of a virtual receptionist—and you don’t have to sacrifice quality of service or professionalism. Not to mention, a virtual receptionist gives your customers the ability to call in when they need it most, not just during business hours—all for one low cost.
Plus—as one major advantage—a virtual receptionist service can always be tailored to scale with your business’s needs, so you always have the ability to help customers, whether your call volume goes up or down. This scalability is essential when your business gets more calls, because it will help keep your team focused on business operations, rather than constantly answering the phones—and possibly missing important and urgent calls .
With a professional virtual receptionist, like those at Berkshire Receptionists, you’ll have your phones answered with the friendliness and expertise you expect out of an in-house employee that knows the ins and outs of your business. Because our receptionists are trained in different industries, you’ll rest assured that your customers always receive the best customer service—while still meeting their individual needs.
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.