Virtual live receptionist services offer a plethora of benefits to small businesses. It might surprise you, but even in this day and age when so many forms of communication are available, 76 percent of customers still prefer to talk to a live receptionist when they call businesses.
With a receptionist on call, you can be responsive to customers, appear more professional and established, and get calls reliably transferred when necessary.
How do virtual live receptionist services work, and how do they benefit your business? Learn all about them here.
What Are Virtual Live Receptionist Services?
A virtual live receptionist answers your customers’ calls as they come in — just as an in-house receptionist would do. However, they work virtually from a different location.
Unlike an in-house receptionist dedicated to your business, you can share virtual receptionists with other businesses. Why is this a good thing? You only have to pay for the time the receptionist spends attending to your customers.
Why Would You Want One for Your Small Business?
Having a receptionist can be good for your business. When people call you, most want to talk to a real person, not your voicemail or an automated phone tree.
But you’ve got a lot on your plate, and it’s hard to get work done when you have to answer the phone every few minutes. Same goes for the rest of your employees. And adding headcount to answer and direct calls may not be something you want (or can) spend money on right now.
What’s more, most of the calls you receive don’t require your undivided attention. A virtual live receptionist can answer questions about your business hours, location, and essential services just as well as you.
Then, they can pass along the calls that genuinely require your attention. This allows you to place more of your efforts where they matter most.
Related: Here’s Why You Need a Live Answering Service for Your Small Business
Benefits of a Virtual Live Receptionist Over Alternatives
A virtual live receptionist isn’t the only option out there for answering your phones. You could stick with voicemail when you can’t answer or utilize an automated receptionist to route calls and answer basic questions. You could also hire a dedicated, in-house receptionist.
Let’s look at the benefits of choosing virtual live receptionist services over these other alternatives.
1. Live Response Customer Service
When was the last time you got excited about being asked to leave a voicemail? Not ever, right? You wanted to talk to the person you were calling, not leave a voicemail. The New York Post quoted an editor at Wired UK who wrote a book on the subject, going so far as to say, “There’s absolutely no purpose for voicemails in the modern age.”
Well, your customers feel the same about you. There’s a good chance your callers won’t leave a message, meaning you could be missing opportunities and neglecting potential issues.
Yes, your hours might be listed on your website, but they called to ask about them anyway. When a real person answers the phone, you have an opportunity to impress that is completely missed by sending them to voicemail. Remember, 89 percent of customers are likely to purchase following a positive customer service experience.
Virtual live receptionist services are an excellent way to show your customers how important they are to you. There will always be a cheerful human voice answering their call and taking their inquiry seriously.
2. Saves Time
How much more work could you get done in a day if you didn’t have to worry about the phone? Many of the calls you get can easily be handled by someone else. You get a lot of the same questions, and a virtual live receptionist can often help your customers get what they need just as well as you can.
With a reliable voice on the phone, your time won’t get eaten up attending routine calls, and you can focus on other aspects of your business. Plus, you can rest easy knowing your receptionist will pass along the calls that really need your attention.
Related: How a Live Receptionist Can Help You Have a More Relaxing Summer Vacation
3. Saves Money
Hiring an in-house receptionist is a nice idea, but it isn’t always cost-effective. Small businesses often don’t have the phone ringing every second of the day. A receptionist would end up sitting around idle much of the day — and you’re paying for that idle time.
If you give them other tasks to handle, they might not be available when the phone rings.
A virtual live receptionist isn’t on your payroll, and the service is available for a low monthly fee. If you exceed your plan, you simply pay for any extra time spent attending your business. There are no penalties or extra fees!
Plus, receptionist companies typically assign a small team to your business. This ensures there is always someone to answer the phone even if the primary receptionist is tied up.
4. Scalable
Virtual live receptionist services are also easily scalable. Many businesses have peak seasons when more customers are calling than normal.
Instead of handling the surplus yourself (or hiring a temporary receptionist), you can count on your virtual receptionists. The service will ensure that a live person always answers your calls, even during the busiest moments.
As always, you only pay for the time the receptionists spend attending your business. This means no unnecessary excess costs are messing with your bottom line.
Get a Virtual Live Receptionist for Your Business
Getting virtual live receptionist services is a piece of cake. Simply reach out to us here at Phone.com. Learn more about how a virtual live receptionist can help your business and request a demo to get started.
Enjoy all the benefits a receptionist can offer your business — for just a fraction of the cost of hiring another employee.
Don’t hesitate to contact us at Phone.com. We help you communicate better!