A virtual receptionist is an extension of your team that acts as the voice of your business. Typical responsibilities include fielding calls, taking messages, making appointments, and helping customers using phone systems or online channels. 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%. And to top it off, even if a customer reaches a live person—rather than navigating through a difficult automated system—they could experience the frustration of call centers, which focus more on a higher quantity of calls than quality.
Fortunately, virtual receptionists can help you improve customer service, enhancing the experience for both callers and your team. Part of the reason why virtual receptionists can provide such superior service is because of their industry-specific training, empathetic approach to calls, and focusing on your customers’ needs—rather than getting them in and out as quickly as possible.
But exactly what is a virtual receptionist, how do they work, and how much does a virtual receptionist cost? Let’s explore these questions further—and get down to the bottom of why a virtual receptionist is the right decision for your business.
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 need or budget for more 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.
Overall, you can greatly improve the efficiency and reliability of your company’s operations by using a live virtual receptionist. Their ability to provide thorough customer support and protect your team’s time from needless interruptions helps to ensure a smooth and customer-focused workflow, which in turn boosts the success of your business as a whole. Ready to scale your business while improving customer service? Give us a call to see how our team can help yours!
What is the Difference Between a Virtual Assistant and Virtual Receptionist?
In general, both virtual assistants and virtual receptionists play important roles for improving businesses productivity and efficiency. Despite the similarities, their core responsibilities and areas of expertise are different—for example, the scope of tasks handled. For business owners seeking to streamline their operations and enhance customer communication, understanding the distinction between a virtual assistant and a virtual receptionist is essential.
All things considered, virtual receptionist services are the most efficient at handling incoming calls quickly and effectively, as well as offering a kind greeting to customers and promptly routing them to the appropriate departments. Both of these skills contribute to developing a solid reputation for the company—because quality customer service matters.
In contrast, many virtual assistants specialize in providing comprehensive support for a wide range of business tasks and functions—essentially, they focus on internal tasks, not inbound or customer service calls. Although virtual assistants possess diverse skills, including administrative support and project management, a virtual receptionist’s specialized expertise lies in providing top-notch call management and personalized customer service. This approach is essential in building trust with customers—while also improving productivity in the workplace.
If you’re searching for a service with the best receptionist qualifications and exceptional customer service, look no further than Berkshire Receptionists. Our virtual receptionists will provide you with first-rate service for a fraction of the cost of an in-house receptionist. Plus, we operate as a part of your team, so we prioritize your business’s success by focusing on what counts: helping your customers at any time of day.
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 businesses on an upward trajectory, 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.
It’s clear that a virtual receptionist works, with happier customers, more sales, and lower costs. That’s because a virtual receptionist is the perfect blend of providing empathetic service and top-notch customer support. By maintaining consistent support, they promote better customer relationships and help businesses save money. For businesses challenged with meeting the complex demands of customer service, virtual receptionists are an invaluable resource—point blank.
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!