While they may not be physically present in your office, a virtual receptionist can do many of the same duties as an in-house receptionist. Like in-person representatives, each virtual front desk receptionist can help your business: schedule appointments, answer and transfer calls, take messages, and maintain data records.
Of course there are several key advantages your business gains by using a virtual receptionist. For instance, one of the top advantages to hiring a virtual receptionist is the option to scale with your business—no matter if you need more or less support. If your business has an increase in call volume, you don’t need to worry about increasing office space or investing in more equipment. But what are other qualities of a receptionist and how can you leverage them for your business?
Let’s look at what exactly virtual receptionists offer?. Here are the top three biggest benefits:
- Your customers will have access to a virtual receptionist 24/7—which means they can call anytime, even outside of operating hours.
- Virtual receptionists provide an exceptional customer experience that is customized for your business.
- You will save money using a virtual receptionist rather than hiring a full-time in-house receptionist.
In this blog, we’ll look at the advantages of hiring a virtual receptionist for your business. We’ll also explore virtual receptionist companies like Berkshire Receptionists and the services they offer businesses like yours. Let’s start with the benefits and purpose of a receptionist that’s not in-house!
What Are the Benefits of Having a Receptionist that Is Virtual?
When you hire a virtual receptionist, like those from Berkshire Receptionists, you can rest assured that customer calls are being handled professionally and with empathy—just like they’re a part of your team. Additionally, customers will have a more favorable impression of your business if they know they can count on receiving consistently high-quality service whenever they contact you. And according to Hubspot, excellent customer service can lead to higher retention and sales, increase brand image, and boost customer loyalty. So what are the main virtual benefits of having a receptionist?
Customers Get to Speak with an Actual Person 24/7
Many callers dread navigating automated (and sometimes complicated) prompts when they call a business—and hiring a receptionist service will cut the need for an automatic system. With a virtual receptionist service, you can focus on providing outstanding customer service from an actual person, regardless of the time of day. In fact, customers will be able to contact your business 24/7—even when your office is closed.
By ensuring that support is readily available through phone or live chat, it helps businesses to accommodate the different schedules of customers and also considers the limitations of their location. That means you will be able to help more customers exactly when they need it, rather than have them wait for operating hours to reach someone.
Not only that, but missing calls can mean missing revenue streams. For example, a personal injury attorney makes $15,000 on average from a call. It’s pretty clear: without 24/7 availability, businesses are losing money.
Receptionists Will Provide an Excellent Customer Experience
Occasionally, customer service may lack consistency, leading to missed phone calls or forgotten inquiries. Receptionists are often the first people your customers interact with at your business, and if customers have a bad experience right away, they might not want to work with you in the future. With a virtual receptionist, your customers will always receive great customer service and have an excellent experience—just like they would in your office.
Plus, providing consistently good service builds a strong brand reputation that promotes customer retention and draws in new customers looking for a company that puts their needs first. By sticking to your customized script, each and every customer will get your personalized experience made just for your business. That means that not only will your service be exceptional, but it will always be dependable.
You Can Save Money By Not Hiring a Full-Time Receptionist
Hiring a full-time receptionist can get costly—with salary, benefits, and PTO—the expenses really add up. However, one Best of Budget study suggests that using virtual receptionists can cut business expenses by as much as 78%. Services like Berkshire Receptionists offer virtual receptionists using a monthly payment, with a set number of minutes. Additionally, companies only pay for the services they want and are not locked into long-term commitments. Because of this pricing model, using a virtual receptionist makes resource allocation shift toward growth and innovation instead of remaining on fixed costs.
For example, the Small Business Plan offers 100 minutes per month, with a small fee per extra minute. That means you’ll get enough call time to address your customers’ questions and concerns, without overspending.
What Is the Most Important Quality of a Receptionist?
The most important quality of an excellent virtual receptionist for small business, medium business, and even enterprise-level business is empathy and understanding. Customers can be frustrated when they call—or might become frustrated if they’re dealing with someone who is curt or unhelpful. But empathetic receptionists ensure that they take time to understand the customer’s needs and implement a solution that satisfies them. Simply put, being empathetic will not only result in a better interaction with your customers, but will show them you care.
What Is the Most Important Skill of a Receptionist and Why Should You Hire a Virtual One?
When it comes to receptionist duties and skills, the most valuable skill a virtual receptionist can have is industry-specific knowledge. That means that they will be able to work more effectively with customers of your business because they know how the industry works. Having this background is essential for a successful and professional virtual receptionist. Why? Because in order to properly respond to customer inquiries—which can be filled with industry jargon and complicated regulations—they need to have an in-depth understanding of how your industry works to actually help. For example, a medical virtual assistant will be able to help healthcare practices take care of communication with customers, while remaining HIPPA compliant.
Are Virtual Receptionists Worth It?
Yes! A virtual receptionist is one of the best solutions to give your customers an excellent experience, while also saving a significant amount of money. To put it simply, when compared to an in-person receptionist, virtual assistant receptionists are the most affordable alternative—because employing, training, and maintaining in-house staff can be expensive (not to mention the costs of salary, benefits, and office space).
Plus, they ensure that every call is addressed right away, which improves customer satisfaction and helps establish a solid reputation for reliability and professional service. That better customer service will not only help satisfaction, but it will help increase revenue for your business and grow loyalty among your customers.
Other than the cost benefits, virtual receptionists also offer scalability based on your business’s needs. For example, if you have a higher seasonal call volume or your business continues to grow, you’ll be able to adjust your plan accordingly—with no long-term contract required.
Friendly, Responsive, Professional: Berkshire Receptionists
The importance of a receptionist in an organization cannot be understated—and that’s why Berkshire Receptionists is here to help. We know that providing quality, empathetic service is essential to a great customer experience. Virtual receptionists from Berkshire manage a wide range of incoming communications for businesses, including those received via phone, email, and text message. A virtual receptionist can help with a variety of activities, in addition to welcoming and serving customers around the clock, including the following:
- Live call transferring
- Detailed message taking when you are unavailable
- Appointment scheduling
- Customer support
- Answer frequently asked questions
- Qualify and vet leads
- Disaster recovery
- 5,000+ integrations
If you’d like to see our pricing and all of the features we can offer your business, contact us on our website or call (800) 777-9160 today. Or, simply get started today with a few quick clicks!