Virtual receptionists are off-site providers who answer phones and provide basic digital reception functions during business hours. Because they handle calls in team format, your phone lines never go unanswered, providing a benefit that can boost revenue and customer satisfaction. Virtual receptionists can also save your company time and money.
Not paying a full-time receptionist
A full-time receptionist can run small and mid-size businesses $30,000 per year or more once you account for compensation and benefits. Virtual receptionist services cost a fraction of that — you can pay less than $100 for basic services, and you budget specifically for the amount of coverage you need rather than paying someone all the time whether call volumes demand it or not.
Other benefits from not having a full-time receptionist on the payroll include:
Calls are screened to reduce time-wasters
When you use a virtual reception service, solicitation calls never make it into your business unless you create rules to allow them. That means unnecessary calls that waste time for your staff are culled, and only business-, customer- and revenue-centric calls make it through. This reduces wasted labor costs and increases the value of every minute your staff does spend on the phone.
The right calls are more likely to get attention
A huge percentage of small business phone calls go to voice mail, which means some of them are never appropriately handled. Some staff rarely or never check voice mail. Virtual reception services ensure that all calls are answered and routed appropriately, so potential revenue doesn't fall through the cracks. Small businesses can generate more leads and close more deals when the phones are being manned properly.
In-house staff doesn't have to answer basic questions
Finally, the right virtual receptionists don't simply answer calls and forward them to others. Professional teams can provide some basic business services, which could entail answering questions about hours, locations, contacts and even products and services. For example, an HVAC repair company that only handles residential installations can avoid wasting time by having virtual receptionists state this fact to commercial callers. By providing such answers immediately, virtual receptionists positively impact customer service while saving on labor costs.
A virtual receptionist is a cost-effective way to reduce expenses and boost revenues for your small or mid-size business.
