What Does a Virtual Receptionist Do?
You’ve probably heard of a virtual receptionist, but what do they do? How do they work? And most importantly, how can a virtual receptionist benefit your business?
A virtual receptionist is a person who answers incoming calls for your business, takes messages, transfers callers to the right people, and professionally brands your phones by creating a pleasant customer experience for those who dial your company. So far, that sounds like what an ordinary receptionist does. The difference is that a virtual receptionist doesn’t sit in your office. They sit in ours!
If you want someone to help handle your business calls, a virtual receptionist is a fantastic option. They are highly-trained experts that learn the ins and outs of your account so they can provide expert service to anyone who calls your business. In most cases, callers don’t even know they aren’t talking to someone who is sitting 20 feet away from you.
Virtual receptionists only take care of your calls when you need them to. Sure, they are available to provide coverage 24/7 if necessary. But if you’ve got a handle on things most of the day, just have them take care of calls while you’re on lunch or in meetings. Let them make sure you don’t miss any important calls over the weekend. Going on vacation for a week? Let your virtual answering service step in. Typically get a few business calls after hours, but don’t want them to interrupt your personal life? That’s exactly what a virtual receptionist is for.
There are plenty of other functions a virtual receptionist can fulfill as well. Good virtual receptionists can screen calls, set appointments, tell folks about any promos or specials you’re running, and answer basic questions about your business for callers such as hours of operation, directions, and anything you’d like people to know about your products or services.
While plenty of larger companies enjoy the benefits of using a virtual receptionist, they are ideal for any small business that wants to create the professional phone experience that big businesses have. Hiring an in-house receptionist is costly. You have to pay for their salary, sick time, vacation time, benefits, equipment, office space, and more. A virtual receptionist is only a very small fraction of the cost and far more friendly towards your budget.
So, what does a virtual receptionist do? Besides enhance the customer service your business provides and ensure you never miss any calls? They do everything a normal receptionist would do, but they do so ANY time you need them, from a remote location, and for far, far cheaper.
