5 Reasons Why You Should Consider a Virtual Receptionist

Businesses have to be flexible, available, and cost-efficient if they hope to attract customers who get what they want when they want it at a price they want. Using a Virtual Receptionist will help you do that.

Shopping habits have changed.  People spend a great amount of time researching products and services online before making a decision. After investing all that time, you want to make sure their phone call or contact form is responded to quickly and professionally – regardless of the time it is received.

We live in an era where time zones matter less and convenience matters more. People, especially Millenials are averse to leaving phone messages so you need to have someone always at the ready to pick up your phone or respond to a web form.  This is where outsourcing your call answering to a virtual receptionist makes sense.

i24 virtual receptionists: real people, real time, all the time.  

Here are five reasons why hiring a virtual receptionist through a call management service is good business

The cost of having an in-house receptionist whose primary duty is to answer the phone and respond to emails is considerable.

On top of their hourly wage, an in-house receptionist will cost you benefits, taxes, workspace and paperclips. This is one reason why many companies are opting to fold many other administrative duties into that one position and do away with it altogether.

The initial receptionist did not have many duties other than greeting customers, but in the last 20 years the position has evolved. Receptionists today are typically required to answer phones, handle basic computer work, file paperwork, and more. But even this type of receptionist is slowly losing popularity to an even greater evolution–the virtual receptionist. – What is the Future of the Receptionist Position?

This multi-tasking may seem efficient but it presents a real problem. Can this person be as attentive to answering calls and correspondence while they’re doing other things? Are callers sent to voicemail when the receptionist can’t get to them?

Remember, all businesses are P2P businesses. People want to feel they matter. A robotic voice won’t cut it and missing a call can be costly.

Call management companies that offer virtual receptionist services typically charge on a per time used basis. i24 Call Management Solutions has a Progressive Billing system which sees your costs drop as your usage increases. Rather than offering minute packages that may leave you with unused, paid-for minutes at the end of each month, you only pay for what you use. You can’t do that with a salaried employee.

Virtual receptionists can do much more than manage your callers.  They can process your website contact forms, give your customers the information they need (as directed by you), email or text you information about employee arrivals, departures and sick days. They are available at peak times of the day, through the night, or in the morning before you walk in the door. It doesn’t matter if you are in the office or on vacation, your virtual receptionist will be there.

You have no doubt trained your employees when they started with you. But seriously, how much time and resources have you invested in ongoing training?  Technology and consumer habits are changing at a dizzying speed. If your nose is to the grindstone every day, it’s hard to get an overview of the changing competitive field. Companies like i24 Call Management Solutions owe its success on being on the cutting edge of communications technology. Employees are continuously introduced to new and more effective ways of doing things and serving their clients.  This is one reason i24 has won the CAM-X national Award of Excellence for 22 consecutive years. Its virtual receptionists are constantly being trained to meet such high call standards as:

• How long it takes to respond to the caller
• Courteousness
• Accuracy of information communicated
• Knowledge of Account
• Overall Impression of Call
• and the overall “WOW” factor.

This last criterion, the WOW factor, has been folded into the i24 company culture

Not only do we professionally evaluate each member after they take calls, but we also hire the most rigorously trained and experienced agents in the industry.

Have you ever gone on vacation and thought constantly about what’s happening back at the office? Have you ever worried about missing a call from a big client? If this sounds like you, then the peace of mind and flexibility that a personal virtual receptionist service provides is well worth it. If you can’t live without being on top of things, you can direct which callers and when you would like to be notified by email or SMS.

Your receptionist is your front line, your first point of client contact. First impressions are important. They can win or lose a sale.

As business owners, we often get caught up in operations and “systems”. Every decision you make, every system you put in place, has to serve your customers first.

Hiring the right someone to be the welcoming voice of the company is critical.  The position requires someone proficient in communications technology. They need to have strong social skills, be personable, patient and professional.

They also have to be able to be intimately acquainted with your company’s services and culture. This calls for a lot of experience, focus and training.

Hiring a virtual receptionist allows you to focus on doing what you need to do to get customers to call. If you don’t want to drop the ball at that critical moment when a prospect or existing client reaches out to you, consider outsourcing to a virtual receptionist.

Call us at 1-800-667-6767. We’ll be very happy to speak with you ”person 2 person” and answer any questions you may have.