Running a business is hard work. There are numerous things to constantly keep in mind and actions to take to ensure everything runs smoothly and profitably, from product development to delivery. One of the most important parts is of course customer care. There simply is no business if there are no customers and having poor customer care can easily lead to stagnation or loss of business.
Hiring and training a receptionist to ensure every call is politely taken care of is the best start when it comes to setting up ways to improve how customers experience your brand. The downside is that this can be a costly investment to make if you own a small business that runs off a tight budget. That’s where virtual receptionists come in.
What is a virtual receptionist?
A virtual receptionist is an outsourced employee, situated off-site somewhere, answering and tending to all your incoming business calls via the internet and a VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) setup. They answer calls for a collection of companies, which is great, because you get a seasoned phone operator and only need to pay for the time actively spent on your business.
Outsourcing services is not a new concept, but the internet and advancements in communication technology has allowed many to start a new company at a fraction of the cost. It’s never been easier to become a successful entrepreneur. If you already are a small business owner, you’ll know how precious time and money is, and how one never has enough of either. Hiring a virtual call answering assistant has numerous benefits, but these are the top three that matter most to small businesses.
1. Save Money
A virtual receptionist functions just like a regular reception when it comes to answering the phone. They have admin duties, like tending to caller queries, transferring calls, taking messages, scheduling appointments, or taking orders, report and submit any useful feedback that benefits the brand.
Check out our “What you can Outsource to a Real Receptionist” blog to see what a virtual receptionist can do for you.
Aside from the geographical difference, a virtual receptionist is much more affordable than hiring a full-time receptionist. Most virtual service providers charge an hourly fee, keeping a timesheet of when they were tending to your brand, but here at Real Receptionist, we like to work out a custom plan that fits your needs and most importantly your budget. We prefer fixed rates you can rely on each month. Off-site call answering plans are also flexible, and you can cancel or pause your contract at any moment.
2. Never Miss a Sale (boost income)
With a lean team tending to everything from product development to distribution, it’s easy to get overwhelmed and completely forget about the ringing phone. Usually when deadlines breathe down our neck, we tend to focus on completing what needs to be completed all while avoiding incoming calls to minimise distractions. This is bad. Any one of the calls that go unanswered while you and your team are busy could be a potential sale that is not made, or it could be a disgruntled customer that can be assisted to save your brand any negative reviews. Having a virtual receptionist will mean that you can focus on what matters, all while knowing that potential sales calls are politely taken care of, keeping the income flowing.
3. Maintain Great Customer Care
Aside from wanting quality services or products, customers want to be heard. They want to know that their order has been carefully noted, or that their feedback is valued, or that there is a place that they can easily and quickly obtain information from (preferably a real person and not a Question-and-Answer forum where they must scour a mass of text to find the answer they need).
Real Receptionist allows clients to supply their assigned virtual receptionist a list of frequently asked questions with matching answers, to allow them to give callers all the information needed. This mitigates back-and-forths and wasting a caller’s time, which every caller will appreciate and could be the final push they need to make their purchase. It’s also been noted that most unhappy customer simply want to be heard, so having a phone line available for customer complaints is wonderful way to turn negative reviews around (as long as you actually listed to the feedback and improve your business where possible). Customer will feel heard, and you will learn of ways to make your brand better, more user-friendly and conscious of what your target audience wants and needs from you, so you can be a step up from your competitors.
When should I hire a virtual receptionist?
If your business is booming, but you feel like you’re losing time and sales because you cannot properly tend to all the incoming calls, then consider hiring a virtual receptionist. The Real Receptionist team is ready to help evaluate your call answering needs, and set you up for quality customer call care, all without breaking the bank.
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