A virtual receptionist is an extension of your team that acts as the voice of your business. This service solves a significant pain point that both businesses and customers face:
Customer service is often a frustrating experience that wastes callers’ time, employees’ time, and drives away conversions.
Not only have customers become more frustrated with service in the past few years, they’ve also been taking more action based on that frustration. According to NPR, 35% of customers raised their voices or yelled during a support call, and that percentage is now up to 43%. Fortunately, virtual receptionists can help you improve customer service, enhancing the experience for both callers and your team.
But exactly what is a virtual receptionist, how do they work, and how much does a virtual receptionist cost? This blog will answer these questions and more.
What Is a Live Virtual Receptionist?
A live virtual receptionist provides the same services as an in-house receptionist, except they work for a third-party provider from a remote location (and often for a fraction of the cost). In other words, virtual receptionists are a great option for businesses that want to deliver live, personalized customer service but don’t have the budget for full-time employees. To see if a live virtual representative could be right for your business, consider the five duties of a receptionist:
- Greeting customers and connecting them with relevant team members.
- Scheduling meetings to keep your calendar active with revenue-earning activities.
- Screening calls for spam that would waste your team’s valuable time.
- Providing welcoming and knowledgeable customer support.
- Processing payments conveniently and securely to ensure your business actually gets paid for the services you provide.
By partnering with the right live virtual receptionist team, you can fulfill these essential duties and more. Here’s how it works with the representatives at Berkshire Receptionists:
- Your customers call your business using the phone number that you already have.
- One of our friendly, bilingual receptionists answers the phone in either English or Spanish—whichever your customers prefer on each call.
- The receptionist starts with a script (customized for your business’s specific needs) to help guide callers to the team member best suited to help them.
- Once the caller identifies what they need support with, the virtual receptionist can quickly provide assistance or connect the caller with another team member. Our receptionists are equipped to provide industry-specific support. They can also manage scheduling and payment processing with the assistance of secure interactive voice response (IVR) technology.
- By speaking with a live virtual receptionist (as opposed to strictly automated menus), customers are more likely to have a satisfying experience and do business with you. In fact, research indicates that callers are 80% more likely to buy from businesses that provide personalized services—like having a human on the other end of the call instead of just a machine.
Ready to scale your business while improving customer service? Give us a call to see how our team can help yours!
Does a Virtual Receptionist Work?
Yes—a virtual live receptionist for a small business can provide exceptional service that encourages callers to become loyal, repeat customers. With a virtual receptionist, your business can experience benefits like improved customer service, higher conversion rates, and lower overhead costs. Here’s why:
- Improved Customer Service: If your business is seeing higher call volumes than your team is equipped to deal with, then your customers are likely experiencing long and frustrating wait times. According to a recent study, customers value short wait times and first-time resolutions the most when they call a business. Virtual receptionists ensure that customers reach someone quickly and receive industry-specific support.
- Higher Conversion Rates: Customers prefer to do business with companies that provide exceptional, personalized service. As we mentioned in the previous section, research shows that 80% of customers consider the level of personalized interactions when deciding whether or not to make a purchase.
- Lower Overhead Costs: For small, growing businesses, it can be difficult to keep up with the costs of a growing full-time team. With virtual receptionists, you only pay for the services you actually use, so you can save money during periods with fewer calls. For comparison, Indeed reports that the average in-house receptionist’s salary is $3,373 per month, while Berkshire Receptionists’ most popular plan is $350 per month.
Are Virtual Receptionists Worth It? They Are with Berkshire Receptionists!
When choosing between virtual receptionist companies, ensure that you find a provider who not only offers friendly service, but also has representatives who are trained in your industry. Being able to solve your customers’ challenges on their first call matters, which is why our receptionists undergo extensive training for your specific industry. Whether you need a virtual receptionist for law firms, medical practices, real estate, or another specialized industry, Berkshire Receptionists can help you deliver support that is friendly, professional, and efficient. You can also benefit from:
- Live Call Transfer
- Spam Blocker Software
- Appointment Scheduling
- Bilingual Receptionists
- Omnichannel Communication
- Payment IVR Solutions
- Lead Intake and Screening
- 5,000+ Software Integrations
- 24/7 Availability
Put best-in-industry customer service on speed dial. Schedule a meeting or get started today!