In Part 1 of What is a Virtual Assistant, we talked about what virtual assistants do and who they are. Here in Part 2, we talk about the benefits of working with a Virtual Assistant (or “VA”) and why so many businesses are turning more and more to VAs and virtual receptionists.
The Benefits of Working with a Virtual Assistant
Whether you’re a start-up trying to save money or a larger business that needs advanced customer service needs, a virtual assistant that handles your phone needs brings a lot to the table.
A virtual assistant (or “VA”) can help you:
- Save time in your day-to-day – There’s a lot that goes into running a successful business, so you have to prioritize the time that you and your staff spend on income generating work. Although answering the phone is important, it’s not as important as spending time creating your product or service. A virtual receptionist can professionally and efficiently handle the lower priority calls so you can save time.
- Project a professional image – When a virtual receptionist picks up the phone promptly, answers with a friendly greeting and handles the caller’s needs quickly, it speaks volumes about your business and your level of professionalism.
- Stay mobile and flexible – With a virtual assistant manning the phones, your team is free to go where it needs to without risking missing important calls. Your entire staff can leave the home office to have meetings or work off-site, and the virtual receptionist will make sure that calls go where they need to go.
- Save money on essential business services – Hiring a full time, on-site receptionist can be a big investment – and an unnecessary one at that! With a virtual receptionist, you can have better quality of service with a lower price. What a smart business decision!
Virtual Assistants and Customer Service
One of the biggest benefits of working with a virtual assistant is that it makes the experience better for your customers. When your customers feel supported and cared for, they are more likely to become repeat customers and sing your praises to other buyers.
Here are a few ways that your customers benefit from your use of a virtual receptionist:
- Customers are greeted by a real person – How many times have you called into a big business and been greeted by an automated recording that goes nowhere? It makes a bad impression and leaves you feeling like you’re a number instead of a valued customer. With a live virtual assistant, your customers will never have to feel that way.
- Callers can be connected more quickly – If your business requires a lot of travel or out of the office work, it can be hard for customers to get in touch with you. With a virtual receptionist handling incoming calls, your customers can get transferred to wherever you may be – your private line, cell phone or other important number.
- Customers can get valuable information about your return time – An automated greeting can’t tell your customers when to expect a return call. Virtual receptionists can take messages and relay important information about your return time or next window of availability so customers feel supported and cared for.
- Callers can get information faster – Your virtual receptionist’s duties aren’t limited to answering and transferring the calls. You can arm them with important FAQ information that they can deliver on an as needed basis to callers. For example, rather than having to leave a message and wait for a call back about a fax number or street address a virtual assistant can give that information over the phone instantly.
Simply put, a virtual assistant can help you handle your call volume. But the benefits go far beyond that: With a virtual receptionist on your team, you can save money, grow your professional image and improve your customer service. It’s win-win for you and your customers!
