Even in this digital age, people expect to be able to call into your business and reach a friendly voice. If you don’t have the budget – or the need – for a full-time, on-site receptionist, a virtual receptionist could fit the bill.
While you may know the basics benefits of having a virtual receptionist – like saving time and saving money – they actually offer several advantages to your company. Hiring a virtual receptionist can help you do what you do, better, and turn callers into happy, repeat customers. No matter what the size of your business, hiring a virtual receptionist can help.
Here’s what you didn’t know about hiring a virtual receptionist:
- You can extend your working hours well past closing time. Believe it or not – a virtual receptionist can help you become a 24/7 business, without having someone at your office all night long. Since your virtual receptionist isn’t onsite, she can continue to answer the phones long after you’ve closed your doors. Accepting calls past 5 pm, or before 8 am, or weekends and holidays, will help you serve more customers – especially if you’re in a business that handles a lot of emergency calls and unexpected situations. When you hire a virtual receptionist, it’s easy to have a 24/7/365 business to help clients whenever they may call.
- You can improve your level of customer service. When some people hear the term “virtual receptionist” they immediately think of a professional that answers and routes calls immediately. However, they can do much more than that. Depending on your company’s needs, virtual receptionists can be instructed to take orders, check on order status and provide the answers to basic frequently asked questions. This is convenient for both your staff and the incoming caller. Your staff won’t have to stop doing what it is doing to answer basic questions, and your callers won’t have to be transferred into someone’s voicemail to get the help that they need. This creates a positive impression for your callers, and your virtual receptionist becomes a customer service hero.
- Your incoming callers will never know the difference. Some businesses shy away from a virtual receptionist service because they worry about the call transition between the receptionist and the home office. However, thanks to advanced telecommunications technology, your callers will never know. You can be confident that callers will be transferred smoothly to your staff members – and will never know that your receptionist is hundreds of miles away!
Virtual receptionists are one of the best ways to help your company make a better impression from the start. Extend your hours, deliver better customer service and present a united front to your callers!
